InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ As Deemed By Fate ❯ Intrigue ( Chapter 4 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Jade Catseye 
Her savior???
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 03.28.2005 | Updated On: 09.29.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.3K | Visits: 1.4K | Status: Work In Progress
Her savior???
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 03.28.2005 | Updated On: 09.29.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.3K | Visits: 1.4K | Status: Work In Progress
AN: Yeah, I know it’s been forever since my last update. But what can I say? Life’s a bitch. Anywho, thanks to all my reviewers for leaving me feedback. It’s appreciated and I’m inspired all the more to leave you hanging on the edges of your seats. Just one note before you continue. This is the unedited version since my betas are busy and I feel bad for being a no show for 3+ months. Enjoy.
Title: As Deemed By Fate
Rating: R (for obscene profanity usage, content, and some limey situations)
Pairing: Kik/Inu/Kag
Summary: AU. Man is incomplete until he marries. Inuyasha believes his fiancé Kikyo will make him whole, or did until he met Kagome, an avid exotic dancer that instantly complicates things. Temptation has never been so hard to resist, especially when feelings get involved.
Chapter Three: Intrigue
.
.
.
.
.
.
Intrigue
.
.
.
.
.
.
Dark blue had long since tapered off, its residual traces coalescing into a fusion of soft, multi-hued colors that reached to the edges of the heavens, their origins deriving from the sun that had just begun peeking over the horizon. A dusky radiance draped over the green, dew laden foliation of the land, swathing the vegetation with a glossy sheen, exemplifying the robustness and vitality of the environment. Swirls of cirrus and stratus hovered lackadaisically in strewn arches above the sleeping countryside. A light, rolling mist dusted the vineyard, crystallized precipitation reflecting off the matured berries.
Kikyo’s lungs expanded with the inhalation of the sweet, untainted air of the early morning, the refreshing oxygen to opening up all of her senses and clearing her head of the clamorous upheaval of emotions and stress related reflections that had plagued her throughout the night. Exhaling loudly, she rolled her shoulders to uncoil some of the knotted tension bunching her muscles, her brown eyes surveying the vineyard that been passed down in her family for generations. Three hours of sleep was all that her conscious had allotted her, and she had reason to believe that it stemmed from the spat she had instigated with fiancé yesterday.
Her chest tightened. ‘Inuyasha.’ A frown formed on her otherwise flawless face, her lips pursing into a tight line. Had she been mistaken in her claims? Yes, he had lied to her in the beginning of their supposed relationship, from lying to her about the insignificant things like his whereabouts while they were dating, to telling her that he wasn’t seeing anyone else only to be caught red-handed in bed another woman when she had stopped by his condo on her way home from work one evening.
Needless to say that had been the deciding factor in her resolution to end things between them. But being the man of surprises that he was, he completely threw her off when the weeks to follow, he had tried on numerous counts to explain himself and gain her forgiveness, dozens upon dozens of bouquets of exotic flowers of every imaginable origin awaiting her at work on the third week. Unfazed by his futile attempts to get him back in her good graces, she had planned on calling the concierge and having them take the plants to the dumpster, but that had been before Inuyasha stepped off of the elevator, got on his knees facing her, and pledged his heart to her, promising her that she was the only one he wanted in his life, how much she meant to him. His words had warmed her heart in a strange, indescribable way, invoking foreign feelings within her that no man had ever incited; effectively breaking down the stone wall she had erected to safeguard her heart.
From then on, things had changed, in regards to both their relationship and his demeanor. From the getgo, she had cited the terms and conditions he would be obliged to abide by for her to stay in the relationship. And much to amazement, he had complied willingly and without a complaint, or at least in her presence. For the last six months, he had quit smoking, stopped with his womanizing habits, toned down with the use of curse words, stopped hanging out with his questionable associates at odd hours of the night and most importantly, promised that they would not have sex until after marriage. She had been raised the old fashioned way and would be damned if she just let some man come into her life and change her lifestyle for the sole benefit of his primal needs.
To her knowledge, Inuyasha had stayed true to his word, respecting her wishes to remain chaste and never going any further than she would allow. If he was frustrated with the slow pace things were going, he never voiced his thoughts or displayed his feelings through his actions. He remained a loyal friend and lover, her sources revealing to her that he had in fact never deviated from his promises to her, and her sources were never misinformed. So she had consented to marriage after five months of courting, believing in her heart that he was the one for her. Where she was weak, he was strong, and vice versa. They were compatible on some levels and polar opposites on others, but it was a match that she was comfortable with and was sure would work out in the end.
So why now, after enduring months of acquiescence and devotion, would he throw it all away when they were about to solidify their bonds in holy matrimony? Or had she been wrong about the entire affair? Had he bought her a black laced thong, and if so, why couldn’t she recall receiving it? But then again, he loved buying her things, even if she didn’t wear them consistently. When they were dating, he used to bring her a gift every day to show his affection for her, so many, in truth, that she had failed to remember half of them. Something along the lines of hope sprouted within her heart. Could it be that she had erroneously indicted Inuyasha of something that he didn’t do?
A weightless pressure on her elbow jarred Kikyo from her musings, the descent back to reality not wholly unpleasant. “Grandmother,” she acknowledged quietly, putting her customary front of tranquility back in place so the older woman wouldn’t take note of her inner turmoil.
Kaede was not fooled by her granddaughter’s attempts to conceal what she was feeling. Even when she was but a girl, she had always had a problem harboring her emotions inwardly instead of expressing herself externally. It was something that she hoped her fiancé could help rectify in time. “Is something troubling ye child?”
Kikyo gave the old woman who had raised her like her own daughter a pleasant smile. “No. Everything is fine.”
Kaede squinted at her with her good eye. “It has to do with Inuyasha, does it not?”
Her smile never faltered. “What gave you that idea?”
The older woman looked toward the sunrise. “Ye would lie to the face of an old woman, ye own grandmother?”
“No Grandmother, but-”
“Then what troubles ye child?”
Uttering a sigh of exasperation at the older woman’s obstinacy and diligence, the younger woman stared off into the distance, her vacant expression pervading with fatigue. “Do you believe in true love; that there is somebody in the world perfectly suited for you in every way?”
“I believe in true love in the sense that two people who are deeply committed and willing the spend the rest of their lives together can work through all of their problems and overcome any obstacles, regardless of how difficult it may be or how long it may take. Trust is a key component of the relationship, because without it, ye have got nothing. And if ye two do not trust each other enough that ye are not fretting thyself over what the other is doing, then perhaps this was not meant to be.”
Kikyo tried unsuccessfully to stave off the feeling akin to dread that folded in the pit of her stomach at her grandmother’s last few words. She frowned, slightly unnerved at the possibility that her fiancé might not be the right man for her. ‘Why should is this bothering me at all? I’ve gotten this far in life without the companionship of a man, what has changed that I am so averse to give this life up to return to a life of solitude?’
She mentally scoffed at her thoughts. She didn’t need him. Not now, not ever. The only reason she had agreed to date him in the first place was for a change of pace. She was Mitsurishi Kikyo, renown for her popular talk show that she had started from scratch and was now shown in quite a number of different languages all around the world due to its reputation, had made millions off of her real estate ventures in several parts of Asia, including Japan, and had her family’s vineyard that produced some of the best wine in the world. She was on top of her game and showed no sign of slowing up any time soon. There was no obstacle she couldn’t overcome, no challenge she couldn’t meet, and no competitor she couldn’t surpass. If there was one thing that she didn’t need to survive, was a man. She didn’t need Inuyasha, his money, or his status. She had all the influence and capital that she would need in this life and the next.
‘But then again, life would be so much more tedious without his exuberance and passion.’ There was never a dull moment with him around, even if most of the time was spent talking on the phone because of their hectic schedules and business conferences that were generally located outside of Tokyo, leaving them with little instances where they could get together face to face. It was hard to admit to herself that she needed his presence and even harder to divulge that she might have been wrong in regards to her wild accusations concerning his fidelity.
“Come,” Kikyo broke the momentary spell of silence and began walking down the dirt path that led to the paths separating the rows upon rows of full-fledged grapes, “we have spent enough time talking of trivial things. These berries will not pick themselves.”
“And what of the situation with ye and Inuyasha?” Kaede suppressed a chuckle as she witnessed a ghost of a smile flit across the woman’s face.
“I suppose I will call him to smooth things over. I will not allow this relationship to be jeopardized over my foolish insecurities.” With her mind free from guilt and worry, she readied herself for a full morning worth of picking berries with a hidden smile. ‘Maybe this will work out after all.’
.
.
.
A sudden, sharp twinge of pain at the base of her skull jarred Kagome from the deep clutches of slumber that held her consciousness in a perpetual state of inertia. She groaned, the acute pain converting into an annoying, throbbing ache as the last vestiges of sleep ebbed away. ‘Ow. What the hell happened last night? And why do I feel like I’ve been clocked with a baseball bat?’ She vaguely remembered waking up to a similar condition a couple of weeks earlier after Suki slipped more vodka than necessary into her martini, thinking that she hadn’t been drunk enough and needed to let loose more than usual.
With eyes still closed, Kagome unraveled her hand from the sheets and brought it to the derivation of the pain to provide some relief. Parting through her silken locks, her fingers ran across the back of her scalp until she found the source of her misery, a wince accompanying the contact with the quarter sized lump nestled comfortably beneath the roots of her ebony tresses. She scowled, her fingers circling the width of the tender skin around the knot. Who the hell knocked her upside the head?
Composing a mental note to make an effort to try and remember what happened the previous night, Kagome yawned; her body arching upward as she stretched the kinks and cricks that had accrued overnight. She stopped mid-movement as her hands skimmed the covers that swathed her body. Since when was her bed comprised of satin sheets? Kagome eyes flew open and had to choke back a gasp at her surroundings. This was most definitely not her room. Ignoring the hammering of the inflamed lump, she quickly sat upright in the king size bed and flung off the red satin sheets.
‘Where am I?’ Her heart pounded against her ribcage as she surveyed the exceptionally large room. Crème colored walls enclosed an area that was decked out in what had to be thousand dollar black, leather sofas, a grand fireplace that almost reached the ceiling, oriental rugs laid out across the carpeted floor, expensive paintings lined up on opposing sides of the wall, windows draped in burgundy silk, a tall, marble fountain spouting water centered in the middle of the room, and…Kagome’s heart did an unexpected flip flop when her gaze landed on what, or rather who, was slouched on a black ottoman the right of the bed.
He sat with his arms intertwined across his broad chest, his head lolling atop his chest, allowing his silver mane of hair to fall on either side of his face, his peaceful expression making his already finely chiseled features to present an angelic air that literally took
Kagome’s breath away. He was beautiful.
‘Beautiful? I must be loosing my mind,’ she inwardly shook her head at the notion, but found herself unable to look away from the flawless creature, confused as to why he looked so familiar.
‘Wait,’ she mused as recollections of last night began to pour forth from her psyche, anger taking place of curiosity as she remembered what exactly occurred, ‘he was that asshole birthday boy.’ She seethed as she bore in mind how he was flirting with her one minute, then calling her a whore the next and almost reducing her to tears.
‘But he did save you from those guys that could have raped you.’
Anger gradually melted into gratitude as pieces of the rest of the night fell into place. She had been saved from the disgusting grasps of the rapists by a man with silvery white hair. Though she hadn’t seen his face, it had to have been him, her guardian angel. What were the chances of meeting another white haired, amber eyed man on the same night? Her fingers unconsciously found themselves hesitantly touching the sensitive knot. ‘I must have blacked out when I hit my head on the pavement.’ Her eyes drifted back into her savior’s direction. ‘He could’ve left me for dead on the street, and yet he decided to bring me back to his place and even give up his own bed to a complete strange.’
She sighed as she took in his sleeping from. How could he be an angel and a demon at the same time? An impulsive urge to reach out and touch the long locks of silver swept across her mind. Powerless to stop herself from finding out if they were as soft and silky as they looked, Kagome crawled from her spot on the bed over to the edge, her hand tentatively extending to where he sat. She practically jumped out of her skin when a large hand shot out of nowhere and grabbed her wrist, a jolt of pain from her wound generating a fresh wave of dizziness.
“Didn’t your mother ever teach you any manners?” he asked slowly lifting his head to shoot her a lazy grin, his grasp tightening slightly on her limb.
Unwilling to admit how much those twin pools of gold were affecting her, Kagome hardened her expression and tried unsuccessfully to wrench her wrist from his hold. “You should not be talking you bipolar freak.”
Silver eyebrows furrowed at this. “Bipolar freak?”
“Yes, bipolar freak. What are you deaf too?” She watched as his handsome face contort into a scowl of annoyance.
“Is this the thanks I get for saving you from thugs who were about to do God knows what to you?” he growled, tugging her resisting form towards him so that they were almost nose to nose.
“Thank you for rescuing me, but that still doesn’t make up for you being such a bastard at the club.”
Inuyasha winced. Somehow he knew that last night would come back to bite him in the ass in some shape or form. “Listen, about that…”
“You don’t have to say anything,” she said smoothly, yanking back her wrist from his loosened grip. “I perfectly understand that you’re a conceited moron with a hero complex. I have no qualms with people such as yourself, as long as you stay away from me.”
“Dammit woman, would you shut up for a minute so that I can have a chance to apologize,” he breathed in exasperation and dragged a maddening hand through his hair, bemused as to how this passionate young woman could incite so many emotions within him at the slightest whim, some of which really had no business existing.
Kagome crossed her arms and stared at him indignantly, as if whatever he had to say would not sway her from her initial preconceptions of his character. “Impress me.”
Inuyasha glared at her, angry that she was forcing him, the Nakamura Inuyasha, one of the richest and most widely sought after bachelors in the entire world, to apologize over something as trivial as name calling. It was beyond his understanding. Did she not know who he was? Didn’t she know that with one phone call he could have her fired from her demeaning profession and evict her from whatever low income housing she had came from?
His train of thought veered off course as he became ensnared by the furor swirling in her impassioned pools of blue, his blood heating at the bold defiance she was conveying in both her stance and expression. With the exception of Kikyo, no other woman had ever dared to rebel against him given that he was one of the most powerful men in Japan and he would be lying if he said that particular quality quite appealing.
Guilt beat down on his conscious with a vengeance. Harboring lust for the woman in front of him would only result in the demise of everything he worked so hard to attain, most importantly his beautiful fiancé and his reputation. He had to get her out of there before it all came tumbling down, no matter how much his libido wanted him to take her. ‘Dammit, Kikyo. This is what you get for depriving me of sex. I’m going out of my fucking mind.’
“You know what? You’re right,” he told the stripper plainly, his voice losing its hold on any anger, “I do owe you an apology. You see, my girlfriend wants to wait to have sex, which in essence, makes me have to wait. And since it has been well over six months since I’ve last gotten any, I become a little unstable when it comes to seeing attractive women, especially when one such as yourself is gyrating against a pole in front of me.”
Kagome’s cheeks took on a tomato hue at his blatant confession and the reason behind his unpredictable behavior, his answer not being what she had expected and strangling the dapple of disappointment at hearing that he had a significant other. “Err..-”
He held up a solemn hand to silence her. “No let me finish. When I first saw you, I won’t lie, I wanted to yank you off that stage, drag you to a remote part of the building, preferably a bathroom, and-“
“Alright, alright, I get your point!” Kagome intervened before he could finish his lewd comment, flames engulfing her face in a bright shade of red. ‘I have a nagging suspicion that his sleazy sex fantasy will undoubtedly be worst than those that Suki loves to tell us.’ She cringed.
‘So I was right about her being an innocent.‘ Holding back a laugh, Inuyasha settled for a sheepish grin so she wouldn’t think he was completely deranged. “So in order to regain my self-control I had to distance myself from you, which meant treating you like scum, and for that I truly am sorry,” he said sincerely. Everything for the most part was true, save for the fact that Kikyo was the fiancé he was bound to marry in a couple of weeks, a small detail he didn’t want her to know for reasons that were still unknown to him.
Salvaging what was left of her composure which had been so tactfully crushed by his rather lewd remarks, Kagome offered a weak smile. Maybe he wasn’t so bad after all. “See, apologizing isn’t so hard now is it?”
He folded his arms rebelliously and snorted. “Keh. Shows what you know wench.”
Her eyebrow furrowed in annoyance. And maybe she was wrong about that. “My name is Kagome, not wench.”
“Wait; let me turn on the part of my brain that gives a damn.”
She ground her teeth together. “You have got to be the rudest, most vulgar asshole I’ve ever met”
He shot her lopsided grin. “I’m not rude, wench. You’re just insignificant.” He never had so much fun pissing someone off.
Growling, Kagome bolted to her feet in a fit of rage, intent on spewing the most deprecating names that she had heard being thrown around the club when an explosion of pain erupted in her head, causing her to cry out in agony and lose her equilibrium. Too preoccupied to notice the pair of strong arms that caught her, Kagome clutched her head and tried to keep the tears that had been triggered by the sharp pain from falling.
Inuyasha’s heart had nearly leapt into his throat at her cry and had quickly caught her before she could fall off of the bed. Stifling his own fear for her safety, he gently cradled her stiff form for support. “Oi, you’re ok now,” he said, his tone lacking its usual gruffness as he leaned back to look her in the eyes, a frown tilting his lips as he saw the tears.
Kagome offered him a subtle nod, distrusting her ability to speak coherently at the moment as the tide of dizziness began to recede. ‘Ugh, I feel like crap. How hard did I hit my head anyway?’ She winced, lightly touching the lump and gave a startled squeak when her fingers brushed along a certain someone else’s, who also happened to probing her wound. Kagome opened her mouth to protest against the unwanted intrusion, but stopped upon noticing his proximity, his toned, bare chest millimeters away from her face. A rush of heat colored her countenance with a deep pink. ‘Why am I just now noticing his lack of clothing?’
Inuyasha continued his ministrations, unaware of the embarrassment that his ward was currently undergoing due to his state of undress, his main focus being on her well-being. “I think you may have a mild concussion.” With one hand he adjusted the pillows behind him, the other still holding her to his chest. “Stay here, I’ll be right back.” He carefully maneuvered her body so that she rested comfortably against the fluffy, satin pillow.
Kagome watched as he strode out of the room, his movements as graceful and agile as a cat, the muscles of his back coiling and bunching easily beneath his taut, bronzed skin. ‘Oh gods,’ she buried her face in her hands in mortification, ‘was I just checking him out? I cannot be attracted to that rude, insensitive cow that has a complex with name calling. I need to get out of here and back home, ASAP.’ The part time stripper looked up, relieved to find that the stranger had yet to return.
‘It’s now or never.’ Sliding her legs over the edge of the bed, Kagome inched her way down until her feet touched down on the soft carpet. Her vision reeling, she stumbled to the door, heedful of the various obstacles impeding her escape, one being the exceptionally large fountain. Stopping momentarily to take a better look, she peered at the architectural genius that had to go into making such a beautiful piece of work. The elaborate mosaic inlayed pool was carved from the finest, dark Rosetta marble with red and white veins throughout which completely harmonized tastefully with the atmosphere of the room. But what caught her eye in all of its prominent glory was the great white wolf or dog that stared back at her atop of the two tiered fountain, every feature carefully etched, giving it a sort of natural air of finesse mixed with a predatory prowess.
“Quite the eye catcher isn’t it?”
Kagome jumped at his voice, which she learned was not the best of ideas when possessing a concussion. The world tilted off its axis, bring about another lapse in her equilibrium that would have had her in the pool of water at her feet had it not been for arm around her waist.
“Oi wench, didn’t I say to stay in bed,” he chastised with a displeased scowl.
Beating back another flush, Kagome glared at him. “Sorry for the inconvenience, but I really need to be getting back home.” Her eyes fell to the digital clock that rested on his night dresser, panic instantly flaring to life upon seeing that it was almost nine o’clock. ‘I’m going to be late for class!’ “I have to go now.” Kagome squirmed out of his grasp and sidestepped the arm the reached out for her hand. “Thank you for rescuing me from…those guys and allowing me to stay here the night. Unfortunately there aren’t enough decent guys in the world such as yourself, when you‘re not acting like a jackass,” she added quickly when his lips drew into an arrogant grin.
“It’s nice to know that you think so highly of me.” His grin faded, amber eyes taking on a serious glimmer. “But you’re not going to any classes today. You’re obviously in no condition to attend any classes, therefore you will stay in bed all day and rest.”
“What are you, my physician?” she scoffed.
“No, but I do know that you won’t recover racking your brain in class. Grad school is no joke.”
“I’m in undergrad,” Kagome retorted tartly.
He blinked, his eyes roving over the contours of her body. “How old are you?”
She bristled at his wandering eyes. “Nineteen.” It was 8:45. “I have to go. Unlike you people, some of us actually have to get a college education in order to secure a job instead of depending on a trust fund.”
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. There was absolutely no arguing with this girl. She was as pig-headed and stubborn as him. “Listen, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll only take you home if you agree to stay in bed for the day and sleep. If you don’t comply, then I’ll be forced to lock you in here for the remainder of the day.”
“I’ll scream for help,” Kagome maintained inflexibly, her arms crossing for show.
“I own this entire building, wench. If somebody has the audacity to complain, they’ll find themselves evicted first thing tomorrow morning,” he smirked, knowing full well her conscious wouldn’t allow her to do such a thing.
Kagome blew air from her mouth in annoyance. He had her and he knew it. ‘Damn this conceited, rich bastard.’ “Fine,” she conceded reluctantly, the situation being out of her hands.
“Good. Take this Advil; it will help with some of the pain.” He waited patiently until she unfolded her arms and took the glass of water and the pill from his hand, schooling his features in an expression of innocence so as not to disclose his deceit as she downed the water and pill in seconds. But it was disconcerting to see how much trust she had in him. He could have been giving her poison for all she knew. Repressing the guilt trip at misleading her, he retreated to his walk-in closet and proceeded to get dressed.
Kagome waited edgily as he took his time, her eyes continually seeking out the red digital numbers of the clock, her patience thinning with the passing of each minute. Her eye twitched. He was taking this long on purpose, probably knowing that she had no intentions of going back to bed when he dropped her off. ‘Asshole.’ “Would you hurry up already? Jeez, you take more time getting dressed than any woman that I know,” she griped after fifteen minutes had passed.
“What’s the hurry wench? Why are you in such a rush to go back to sleep?”
She caught herself before her jaw could drop. What had once been hot was now outright gorgeous, so much that it should be a sin. ‘This man is a sin in itself.’ The black silk shirt with a few buttons undone at the top to show off a generous amount of his muscular chest and black slacks did nothing but enhance his strangely exotic features, from the contrast of his stark white hair to those eccentric amber eyes that glowed with an intensity that caused her to go weak in the knees. Seemingly unconcerned with her blatant gaping, he circled around the room, picking up keys and a jacket before returning his attention to her.
“Ready?”
Kagome blinked, hurriedly hiding her embarrassment. “Uh, yeah.” ‘The sooner I get home, the better,’ she mentally groaned and followed him out of the door.
Inuyasha waited to hear the characteristic gasp of astonishment that women usually made when visiting his place for the first time at the plush complexities of his bachelor pad. Her dispassion towards one of the things he took great pride in made something akin to disappointment put a chink in his ego. He stopped abruptly, making the girl behind him slam into his back.
“Hey, what’s your problem?”
He whirled around to face her, his face pulled into a frown that Kagome began to recognize as customary. “What do you think about my place?”
Smoky blue eyes took into account the Berber carpet, ceramic tiles, vaulted ceilings, lush furniture, parquet floors, the gorgeous bay windows in the living room that provided a gorgeous view of the city, and the giant chandelier that hung stylishly from the foyer ceiling. “It’s ok, I guess,” Kagome shrugged nonchalantly, and almost laughed when his mouth dropped open.
Quickly recovering, he bit back a caustic retort and stiffly continued walking to the front door. ‘What the hell? Why is she acting as though this place is commonplace? Someone like her couldn’t have possibly seen a place as luxurious as this.’ His usual smirk fell into place as they walked to the elevator. ‘Perhaps seeing my cars will change her mind.’ It took no time flat for them reach the basement of the building and Inuyasha escorted her to his private lot. Activating the metal door with the device on his key ring, he stood smugly as the door gradually opened, revealing a number his high-priced means of transportation that ranged from motorcycles to limousines. “Today is your lucky day. Not many people have the opportunity to ride in my most prized of possessions. Which one suits your fancy?”
Kagome stared at the rows of expensive automobiles. ‘Aston martins, Lamborghinis, sedans,…why does he need all of these? While he’s splurging and wasting money on all of these unnecessary goods, people are starving and dying in the streets. People like him are too selfish to contribute funds to the underprivileged.’ “Whichever you prefer is fine with me.”
Inuyasha felt like ripping his hair out in frustration. This girl was impossible to please.
“What the hell is wrong with you? Do you think you’re too good to indulge in one of my many accessories?” he snapped angrily.
Her eyes were like glittering daggers of ice, reflecting dangerously in the dim light of garage.
“Au contraire, I’m not the one with overstated self-image,” she replied frostily, “I would appreciate it if you would just pick ‘one of your many accessories’ so that I can go home. I would like to go to sleep.”
His golden eyes flashed in anger, but he remained tight lipped and chose to drive the Vanquish. The ride was uncomfortable and strained, the only words exchanged between the two being directions to her home. It was nothing short of a miracle when he finally pulled up the lengthy stairs that led to shrine.
Kagome unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to face his rigid profile. “Thank you for all of your efforts. I am grateful for all that you’ve done, even if you’re an asshole.” She smiled at the twitch of his lips, thankful that some of the tension that they had been drowning in was progressively letting up. “I wish I could pay you back for your kindness.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he responded with forced brusqueness, not wanting to appear too caring.
She opened the door handle, intent on getting out when a thought hit her. “You’re the rudest man I’ve met.” Annoyed gold clashed with amused blue. “All this time we’ve spent to you and you’ve never told me your name.”
He relaxed his hold on the steering wheel as he gazed into the most oddly colored eyes he had ever seen in his life. His heart skipped a beat. “Yash.” He inwardly started at the second half truth he had spoken to her that morning.
Kagome grinned. “Well, thanks Yash. Maybe I’ll see you around sometime if you ever decide to slum it up.”
“You don’t live in the slums,” he rolled his eyes. “It’s actually peaceful around here, something I can’t say about living in the city.”
She stared at him for a moment in utter disbelief. “That has got to be the nicest thing you’ve set to me all morning.” Before he could take it back, she exited he vehicle. With a wave good-bye, she began the long trek up the stairs, completely unaware of eyes that lingered on her figure.
Too used to running up the stairs to break a sweat, Kagome entered the house and ran to her room, her goal being to change into other clothes so that she could go to class moderately clean. As soon as she crossed the threshold of her bedroom, a surge of grogginess knocked her senses out of whack. ‘What’s happening?’ Struggling to make it to bed on legs that refused to obey her commands, Kagome just barely made it to her bed before collapsing. ‘Why…’ She recalled the white pill that Yash had given her earlier. ‘That…wasn’t…Advil.’
The weight of her eyelids increased twentyfold, her brain promptly shutting down. ‘I’m going…kill…’ was her final thought as she gave in to the sweeping blackness that consumed her consciousness.
TBC
Title: As Deemed By Fate
Rating: R (for obscene profanity usage, content, and some limey situations)
Pairing: Kik/Inu/Kag
Summary: AU. Man is incomplete until he marries. Inuyasha believes his fiancé Kikyo will make him whole, or did until he met Kagome, an avid exotic dancer that instantly complicates things. Temptation has never been so hard to resist, especially when feelings get involved.
Chapter Three: Intrigue
.
.
.
.
.
.
Intrigue
.
.
.
.
.
.
Dark blue had long since tapered off, its residual traces coalescing into a fusion of soft, multi-hued colors that reached to the edges of the heavens, their origins deriving from the sun that had just begun peeking over the horizon. A dusky radiance draped over the green, dew laden foliation of the land, swathing the vegetation with a glossy sheen, exemplifying the robustness and vitality of the environment. Swirls of cirrus and stratus hovered lackadaisically in strewn arches above the sleeping countryside. A light, rolling mist dusted the vineyard, crystallized precipitation reflecting off the matured berries.
Kikyo’s lungs expanded with the inhalation of the sweet, untainted air of the early morning, the refreshing oxygen to opening up all of her senses and clearing her head of the clamorous upheaval of emotions and stress related reflections that had plagued her throughout the night. Exhaling loudly, she rolled her shoulders to uncoil some of the knotted tension bunching her muscles, her brown eyes surveying the vineyard that been passed down in her family for generations. Three hours of sleep was all that her conscious had allotted her, and she had reason to believe that it stemmed from the spat she had instigated with fiancé yesterday.
Her chest tightened. ‘Inuyasha.’ A frown formed on her otherwise flawless face, her lips pursing into a tight line. Had she been mistaken in her claims? Yes, he had lied to her in the beginning of their supposed relationship, from lying to her about the insignificant things like his whereabouts while they were dating, to telling her that he wasn’t seeing anyone else only to be caught red-handed in bed another woman when she had stopped by his condo on her way home from work one evening.
Needless to say that had been the deciding factor in her resolution to end things between them. But being the man of surprises that he was, he completely threw her off when the weeks to follow, he had tried on numerous counts to explain himself and gain her forgiveness, dozens upon dozens of bouquets of exotic flowers of every imaginable origin awaiting her at work on the third week. Unfazed by his futile attempts to get him back in her good graces, she had planned on calling the concierge and having them take the plants to the dumpster, but that had been before Inuyasha stepped off of the elevator, got on his knees facing her, and pledged his heart to her, promising her that she was the only one he wanted in his life, how much she meant to him. His words had warmed her heart in a strange, indescribable way, invoking foreign feelings within her that no man had ever incited; effectively breaking down the stone wall she had erected to safeguard her heart.
From then on, things had changed, in regards to both their relationship and his demeanor. From the getgo, she had cited the terms and conditions he would be obliged to abide by for her to stay in the relationship. And much to amazement, he had complied willingly and without a complaint, or at least in her presence. For the last six months, he had quit smoking, stopped with his womanizing habits, toned down with the use of curse words, stopped hanging out with his questionable associates at odd hours of the night and most importantly, promised that they would not have sex until after marriage. She had been raised the old fashioned way and would be damned if she just let some man come into her life and change her lifestyle for the sole benefit of his primal needs.
To her knowledge, Inuyasha had stayed true to his word, respecting her wishes to remain chaste and never going any further than she would allow. If he was frustrated with the slow pace things were going, he never voiced his thoughts or displayed his feelings through his actions. He remained a loyal friend and lover, her sources revealing to her that he had in fact never deviated from his promises to her, and her sources were never misinformed. So she had consented to marriage after five months of courting, believing in her heart that he was the one for her. Where she was weak, he was strong, and vice versa. They were compatible on some levels and polar opposites on others, but it was a match that she was comfortable with and was sure would work out in the end.
So why now, after enduring months of acquiescence and devotion, would he throw it all away when they were about to solidify their bonds in holy matrimony? Or had she been wrong about the entire affair? Had he bought her a black laced thong, and if so, why couldn’t she recall receiving it? But then again, he loved buying her things, even if she didn’t wear them consistently. When they were dating, he used to bring her a gift every day to show his affection for her, so many, in truth, that she had failed to remember half of them. Something along the lines of hope sprouted within her heart. Could it be that she had erroneously indicted Inuyasha of something that he didn’t do?
A weightless pressure on her elbow jarred Kikyo from her musings, the descent back to reality not wholly unpleasant. “Grandmother,” she acknowledged quietly, putting her customary front of tranquility back in place so the older woman wouldn’t take note of her inner turmoil.
Kaede was not fooled by her granddaughter’s attempts to conceal what she was feeling. Even when she was but a girl, she had always had a problem harboring her emotions inwardly instead of expressing herself externally. It was something that she hoped her fiancé could help rectify in time. “Is something troubling ye child?”
Kikyo gave the old woman who had raised her like her own daughter a pleasant smile. “No. Everything is fine.”
Kaede squinted at her with her good eye. “It has to do with Inuyasha, does it not?”
Her smile never faltered. “What gave you that idea?”
The older woman looked toward the sunrise. “Ye would lie to the face of an old woman, ye own grandmother?”
“No Grandmother, but-”
“Then what troubles ye child?”
Uttering a sigh of exasperation at the older woman’s obstinacy and diligence, the younger woman stared off into the distance, her vacant expression pervading with fatigue. “Do you believe in true love; that there is somebody in the world perfectly suited for you in every way?”
“I believe in true love in the sense that two people who are deeply committed and willing the spend the rest of their lives together can work through all of their problems and overcome any obstacles, regardless of how difficult it may be or how long it may take. Trust is a key component of the relationship, because without it, ye have got nothing. And if ye two do not trust each other enough that ye are not fretting thyself over what the other is doing, then perhaps this was not meant to be.”
Kikyo tried unsuccessfully to stave off the feeling akin to dread that folded in the pit of her stomach at her grandmother’s last few words. She frowned, slightly unnerved at the possibility that her fiancé might not be the right man for her. ‘Why should is this bothering me at all? I’ve gotten this far in life without the companionship of a man, what has changed that I am so averse to give this life up to return to a life of solitude?’
She mentally scoffed at her thoughts. She didn’t need him. Not now, not ever. The only reason she had agreed to date him in the first place was for a change of pace. She was Mitsurishi Kikyo, renown for her popular talk show that she had started from scratch and was now shown in quite a number of different languages all around the world due to its reputation, had made millions off of her real estate ventures in several parts of Asia, including Japan, and had her family’s vineyard that produced some of the best wine in the world. She was on top of her game and showed no sign of slowing up any time soon. There was no obstacle she couldn’t overcome, no challenge she couldn’t meet, and no competitor she couldn’t surpass. If there was one thing that she didn’t need to survive, was a man. She didn’t need Inuyasha, his money, or his status. She had all the influence and capital that she would need in this life and the next.
‘But then again, life would be so much more tedious without his exuberance and passion.’ There was never a dull moment with him around, even if most of the time was spent talking on the phone because of their hectic schedules and business conferences that were generally located outside of Tokyo, leaving them with little instances where they could get together face to face. It was hard to admit to herself that she needed his presence and even harder to divulge that she might have been wrong in regards to her wild accusations concerning his fidelity.
“Come,” Kikyo broke the momentary spell of silence and began walking down the dirt path that led to the paths separating the rows upon rows of full-fledged grapes, “we have spent enough time talking of trivial things. These berries will not pick themselves.”
“And what of the situation with ye and Inuyasha?” Kaede suppressed a chuckle as she witnessed a ghost of a smile flit across the woman’s face.
“I suppose I will call him to smooth things over. I will not allow this relationship to be jeopardized over my foolish insecurities.” With her mind free from guilt and worry, she readied herself for a full morning worth of picking berries with a hidden smile. ‘Maybe this will work out after all.’
.
.
.
A sudden, sharp twinge of pain at the base of her skull jarred Kagome from the deep clutches of slumber that held her consciousness in a perpetual state of inertia. She groaned, the acute pain converting into an annoying, throbbing ache as the last vestiges of sleep ebbed away. ‘Ow. What the hell happened last night? And why do I feel like I’ve been clocked with a baseball bat?’ She vaguely remembered waking up to a similar condition a couple of weeks earlier after Suki slipped more vodka than necessary into her martini, thinking that she hadn’t been drunk enough and needed to let loose more than usual.
With eyes still closed, Kagome unraveled her hand from the sheets and brought it to the derivation of the pain to provide some relief. Parting through her silken locks, her fingers ran across the back of her scalp until she found the source of her misery, a wince accompanying the contact with the quarter sized lump nestled comfortably beneath the roots of her ebony tresses. She scowled, her fingers circling the width of the tender skin around the knot. Who the hell knocked her upside the head?
Composing a mental note to make an effort to try and remember what happened the previous night, Kagome yawned; her body arching upward as she stretched the kinks and cricks that had accrued overnight. She stopped mid-movement as her hands skimmed the covers that swathed her body. Since when was her bed comprised of satin sheets? Kagome eyes flew open and had to choke back a gasp at her surroundings. This was most definitely not her room. Ignoring the hammering of the inflamed lump, she quickly sat upright in the king size bed and flung off the red satin sheets.
‘Where am I?’ Her heart pounded against her ribcage as she surveyed the exceptionally large room. Crème colored walls enclosed an area that was decked out in what had to be thousand dollar black, leather sofas, a grand fireplace that almost reached the ceiling, oriental rugs laid out across the carpeted floor, expensive paintings lined up on opposing sides of the wall, windows draped in burgundy silk, a tall, marble fountain spouting water centered in the middle of the room, and…Kagome’s heart did an unexpected flip flop when her gaze landed on what, or rather who, was slouched on a black ottoman the right of the bed.
He sat with his arms intertwined across his broad chest, his head lolling atop his chest, allowing his silver mane of hair to fall on either side of his face, his peaceful expression making his already finely chiseled features to present an angelic air that literally took
Kagome’s breath away. He was beautiful.
‘Beautiful? I must be loosing my mind,’ she inwardly shook her head at the notion, but found herself unable to look away from the flawless creature, confused as to why he looked so familiar.
‘Wait,’ she mused as recollections of last night began to pour forth from her psyche, anger taking place of curiosity as she remembered what exactly occurred, ‘he was that asshole birthday boy.’ She seethed as she bore in mind how he was flirting with her one minute, then calling her a whore the next and almost reducing her to tears.
‘But he did save you from those guys that could have raped you.’
Anger gradually melted into gratitude as pieces of the rest of the night fell into place. She had been saved from the disgusting grasps of the rapists by a man with silvery white hair. Though she hadn’t seen his face, it had to have been him, her guardian angel. What were the chances of meeting another white haired, amber eyed man on the same night? Her fingers unconsciously found themselves hesitantly touching the sensitive knot. ‘I must have blacked out when I hit my head on the pavement.’ Her eyes drifted back into her savior’s direction. ‘He could’ve left me for dead on the street, and yet he decided to bring me back to his place and even give up his own bed to a complete strange.’
She sighed as she took in his sleeping from. How could he be an angel and a demon at the same time? An impulsive urge to reach out and touch the long locks of silver swept across her mind. Powerless to stop herself from finding out if they were as soft and silky as they looked, Kagome crawled from her spot on the bed over to the edge, her hand tentatively extending to where he sat. She practically jumped out of her skin when a large hand shot out of nowhere and grabbed her wrist, a jolt of pain from her wound generating a fresh wave of dizziness.
“Didn’t your mother ever teach you any manners?” he asked slowly lifting his head to shoot her a lazy grin, his grasp tightening slightly on her limb.
Unwilling to admit how much those twin pools of gold were affecting her, Kagome hardened her expression and tried unsuccessfully to wrench her wrist from his hold. “You should not be talking you bipolar freak.”
Silver eyebrows furrowed at this. “Bipolar freak?”
“Yes, bipolar freak. What are you deaf too?” She watched as his handsome face contort into a scowl of annoyance.
“Is this the thanks I get for saving you from thugs who were about to do God knows what to you?” he growled, tugging her resisting form towards him so that they were almost nose to nose.
“Thank you for rescuing me, but that still doesn’t make up for you being such a bastard at the club.”
Inuyasha winced. Somehow he knew that last night would come back to bite him in the ass in some shape or form. “Listen, about that…”
“You don’t have to say anything,” she said smoothly, yanking back her wrist from his loosened grip. “I perfectly understand that you’re a conceited moron with a hero complex. I have no qualms with people such as yourself, as long as you stay away from me.”
“Dammit woman, would you shut up for a minute so that I can have a chance to apologize,” he breathed in exasperation and dragged a maddening hand through his hair, bemused as to how this passionate young woman could incite so many emotions within him at the slightest whim, some of which really had no business existing.
Kagome crossed her arms and stared at him indignantly, as if whatever he had to say would not sway her from her initial preconceptions of his character. “Impress me.”
Inuyasha glared at her, angry that she was forcing him, the Nakamura Inuyasha, one of the richest and most widely sought after bachelors in the entire world, to apologize over something as trivial as name calling. It was beyond his understanding. Did she not know who he was? Didn’t she know that with one phone call he could have her fired from her demeaning profession and evict her from whatever low income housing she had came from?
His train of thought veered off course as he became ensnared by the furor swirling in her impassioned pools of blue, his blood heating at the bold defiance she was conveying in both her stance and expression. With the exception of Kikyo, no other woman had ever dared to rebel against him given that he was one of the most powerful men in Japan and he would be lying if he said that particular quality quite appealing.
Guilt beat down on his conscious with a vengeance. Harboring lust for the woman in front of him would only result in the demise of everything he worked so hard to attain, most importantly his beautiful fiancé and his reputation. He had to get her out of there before it all came tumbling down, no matter how much his libido wanted him to take her. ‘Dammit, Kikyo. This is what you get for depriving me of sex. I’m going out of my fucking mind.’
“You know what? You’re right,” he told the stripper plainly, his voice losing its hold on any anger, “I do owe you an apology. You see, my girlfriend wants to wait to have sex, which in essence, makes me have to wait. And since it has been well over six months since I’ve last gotten any, I become a little unstable when it comes to seeing attractive women, especially when one such as yourself is gyrating against a pole in front of me.”
Kagome’s cheeks took on a tomato hue at his blatant confession and the reason behind his unpredictable behavior, his answer not being what she had expected and strangling the dapple of disappointment at hearing that he had a significant other. “Err..-”
He held up a solemn hand to silence her. “No let me finish. When I first saw you, I won’t lie, I wanted to yank you off that stage, drag you to a remote part of the building, preferably a bathroom, and-“
“Alright, alright, I get your point!” Kagome intervened before he could finish his lewd comment, flames engulfing her face in a bright shade of red. ‘I have a nagging suspicion that his sleazy sex fantasy will undoubtedly be worst than those that Suki loves to tell us.’ She cringed.
‘So I was right about her being an innocent.‘ Holding back a laugh, Inuyasha settled for a sheepish grin so she wouldn’t think he was completely deranged. “So in order to regain my self-control I had to distance myself from you, which meant treating you like scum, and for that I truly am sorry,” he said sincerely. Everything for the most part was true, save for the fact that Kikyo was the fiancé he was bound to marry in a couple of weeks, a small detail he didn’t want her to know for reasons that were still unknown to him.
Salvaging what was left of her composure which had been so tactfully crushed by his rather lewd remarks, Kagome offered a weak smile. Maybe he wasn’t so bad after all. “See, apologizing isn’t so hard now is it?”
He folded his arms rebelliously and snorted. “Keh. Shows what you know wench.”
Her eyebrow furrowed in annoyance. And maybe she was wrong about that. “My name is Kagome, not wench.”
“Wait; let me turn on the part of my brain that gives a damn.”
She ground her teeth together. “You have got to be the rudest, most vulgar asshole I’ve ever met”
He shot her lopsided grin. “I’m not rude, wench. You’re just insignificant.” He never had so much fun pissing someone off.
Growling, Kagome bolted to her feet in a fit of rage, intent on spewing the most deprecating names that she had heard being thrown around the club when an explosion of pain erupted in her head, causing her to cry out in agony and lose her equilibrium. Too preoccupied to notice the pair of strong arms that caught her, Kagome clutched her head and tried to keep the tears that had been triggered by the sharp pain from falling.
Inuyasha’s heart had nearly leapt into his throat at her cry and had quickly caught her before she could fall off of the bed. Stifling his own fear for her safety, he gently cradled her stiff form for support. “Oi, you’re ok now,” he said, his tone lacking its usual gruffness as he leaned back to look her in the eyes, a frown tilting his lips as he saw the tears.
Kagome offered him a subtle nod, distrusting her ability to speak coherently at the moment as the tide of dizziness began to recede. ‘Ugh, I feel like crap. How hard did I hit my head anyway?’ She winced, lightly touching the lump and gave a startled squeak when her fingers brushed along a certain someone else’s, who also happened to probing her wound. Kagome opened her mouth to protest against the unwanted intrusion, but stopped upon noticing his proximity, his toned, bare chest millimeters away from her face. A rush of heat colored her countenance with a deep pink. ‘Why am I just now noticing his lack of clothing?’
Inuyasha continued his ministrations, unaware of the embarrassment that his ward was currently undergoing due to his state of undress, his main focus being on her well-being. “I think you may have a mild concussion.” With one hand he adjusted the pillows behind him, the other still holding her to his chest. “Stay here, I’ll be right back.” He carefully maneuvered her body so that she rested comfortably against the fluffy, satin pillow.
Kagome watched as he strode out of the room, his movements as graceful and agile as a cat, the muscles of his back coiling and bunching easily beneath his taut, bronzed skin. ‘Oh gods,’ she buried her face in her hands in mortification, ‘was I just checking him out? I cannot be attracted to that rude, insensitive cow that has a complex with name calling. I need to get out of here and back home, ASAP.’ The part time stripper looked up, relieved to find that the stranger had yet to return.
‘It’s now or never.’ Sliding her legs over the edge of the bed, Kagome inched her way down until her feet touched down on the soft carpet. Her vision reeling, she stumbled to the door, heedful of the various obstacles impeding her escape, one being the exceptionally large fountain. Stopping momentarily to take a better look, she peered at the architectural genius that had to go into making such a beautiful piece of work. The elaborate mosaic inlayed pool was carved from the finest, dark Rosetta marble with red and white veins throughout which completely harmonized tastefully with the atmosphere of the room. But what caught her eye in all of its prominent glory was the great white wolf or dog that stared back at her atop of the two tiered fountain, every feature carefully etched, giving it a sort of natural air of finesse mixed with a predatory prowess.
“Quite the eye catcher isn’t it?”
Kagome jumped at his voice, which she learned was not the best of ideas when possessing a concussion. The world tilted off its axis, bring about another lapse in her equilibrium that would have had her in the pool of water at her feet had it not been for arm around her waist.
“Oi wench, didn’t I say to stay in bed,” he chastised with a displeased scowl.
Beating back another flush, Kagome glared at him. “Sorry for the inconvenience, but I really need to be getting back home.” Her eyes fell to the digital clock that rested on his night dresser, panic instantly flaring to life upon seeing that it was almost nine o’clock. ‘I’m going to be late for class!’ “I have to go now.” Kagome squirmed out of his grasp and sidestepped the arm the reached out for her hand. “Thank you for rescuing me from…those guys and allowing me to stay here the night. Unfortunately there aren’t enough decent guys in the world such as yourself, when you‘re not acting like a jackass,” she added quickly when his lips drew into an arrogant grin.
“It’s nice to know that you think so highly of me.” His grin faded, amber eyes taking on a serious glimmer. “But you’re not going to any classes today. You’re obviously in no condition to attend any classes, therefore you will stay in bed all day and rest.”
“What are you, my physician?” she scoffed.
“No, but I do know that you won’t recover racking your brain in class. Grad school is no joke.”
“I’m in undergrad,” Kagome retorted tartly.
He blinked, his eyes roving over the contours of her body. “How old are you?”
She bristled at his wandering eyes. “Nineteen.” It was 8:45. “I have to go. Unlike you people, some of us actually have to get a college education in order to secure a job instead of depending on a trust fund.”
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. There was absolutely no arguing with this girl. She was as pig-headed and stubborn as him. “Listen, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll only take you home if you agree to stay in bed for the day and sleep. If you don’t comply, then I’ll be forced to lock you in here for the remainder of the day.”
“I’ll scream for help,” Kagome maintained inflexibly, her arms crossing for show.
“I own this entire building, wench. If somebody has the audacity to complain, they’ll find themselves evicted first thing tomorrow morning,” he smirked, knowing full well her conscious wouldn’t allow her to do such a thing.
Kagome blew air from her mouth in annoyance. He had her and he knew it. ‘Damn this conceited, rich bastard.’ “Fine,” she conceded reluctantly, the situation being out of her hands.
“Good. Take this Advil; it will help with some of the pain.” He waited patiently until she unfolded her arms and took the glass of water and the pill from his hand, schooling his features in an expression of innocence so as not to disclose his deceit as she downed the water and pill in seconds. But it was disconcerting to see how much trust she had in him. He could have been giving her poison for all she knew. Repressing the guilt trip at misleading her, he retreated to his walk-in closet and proceeded to get dressed.
Kagome waited edgily as he took his time, her eyes continually seeking out the red digital numbers of the clock, her patience thinning with the passing of each minute. Her eye twitched. He was taking this long on purpose, probably knowing that she had no intentions of going back to bed when he dropped her off. ‘Asshole.’ “Would you hurry up already? Jeez, you take more time getting dressed than any woman that I know,” she griped after fifteen minutes had passed.
“What’s the hurry wench? Why are you in such a rush to go back to sleep?”
She caught herself before her jaw could drop. What had once been hot was now outright gorgeous, so much that it should be a sin. ‘This man is a sin in itself.’ The black silk shirt with a few buttons undone at the top to show off a generous amount of his muscular chest and black slacks did nothing but enhance his strangely exotic features, from the contrast of his stark white hair to those eccentric amber eyes that glowed with an intensity that caused her to go weak in the knees. Seemingly unconcerned with her blatant gaping, he circled around the room, picking up keys and a jacket before returning his attention to her.
“Ready?”
Kagome blinked, hurriedly hiding her embarrassment. “Uh, yeah.” ‘The sooner I get home, the better,’ she mentally groaned and followed him out of the door.
Inuyasha waited to hear the characteristic gasp of astonishment that women usually made when visiting his place for the first time at the plush complexities of his bachelor pad. Her dispassion towards one of the things he took great pride in made something akin to disappointment put a chink in his ego. He stopped abruptly, making the girl behind him slam into his back.
“Hey, what’s your problem?”
He whirled around to face her, his face pulled into a frown that Kagome began to recognize as customary. “What do you think about my place?”
Smoky blue eyes took into account the Berber carpet, ceramic tiles, vaulted ceilings, lush furniture, parquet floors, the gorgeous bay windows in the living room that provided a gorgeous view of the city, and the giant chandelier that hung stylishly from the foyer ceiling. “It’s ok, I guess,” Kagome shrugged nonchalantly, and almost laughed when his mouth dropped open.
Quickly recovering, he bit back a caustic retort and stiffly continued walking to the front door. ‘What the hell? Why is she acting as though this place is commonplace? Someone like her couldn’t have possibly seen a place as luxurious as this.’ His usual smirk fell into place as they walked to the elevator. ‘Perhaps seeing my cars will change her mind.’ It took no time flat for them reach the basement of the building and Inuyasha escorted her to his private lot. Activating the metal door with the device on his key ring, he stood smugly as the door gradually opened, revealing a number his high-priced means of transportation that ranged from motorcycles to limousines. “Today is your lucky day. Not many people have the opportunity to ride in my most prized of possessions. Which one suits your fancy?”
Kagome stared at the rows of expensive automobiles. ‘Aston martins, Lamborghinis, sedans,…why does he need all of these? While he’s splurging and wasting money on all of these unnecessary goods, people are starving and dying in the streets. People like him are too selfish to contribute funds to the underprivileged.’ “Whichever you prefer is fine with me.”
Inuyasha felt like ripping his hair out in frustration. This girl was impossible to please.
“What the hell is wrong with you? Do you think you’re too good to indulge in one of my many accessories?” he snapped angrily.
Her eyes were like glittering daggers of ice, reflecting dangerously in the dim light of garage.
“Au contraire, I’m not the one with overstated self-image,” she replied frostily, “I would appreciate it if you would just pick ‘one of your many accessories’ so that I can go home. I would like to go to sleep.”
His golden eyes flashed in anger, but he remained tight lipped and chose to drive the Vanquish. The ride was uncomfortable and strained, the only words exchanged between the two being directions to her home. It was nothing short of a miracle when he finally pulled up the lengthy stairs that led to shrine.
Kagome unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to face his rigid profile. “Thank you for all of your efforts. I am grateful for all that you’ve done, even if you’re an asshole.” She smiled at the twitch of his lips, thankful that some of the tension that they had been drowning in was progressively letting up. “I wish I could pay you back for your kindness.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he responded with forced brusqueness, not wanting to appear too caring.
She opened the door handle, intent on getting out when a thought hit her. “You’re the rudest man I’ve met.” Annoyed gold clashed with amused blue. “All this time we’ve spent to you and you’ve never told me your name.”
He relaxed his hold on the steering wheel as he gazed into the most oddly colored eyes he had ever seen in his life. His heart skipped a beat. “Yash.” He inwardly started at the second half truth he had spoken to her that morning.
Kagome grinned. “Well, thanks Yash. Maybe I’ll see you around sometime if you ever decide to slum it up.”
“You don’t live in the slums,” he rolled his eyes. “It’s actually peaceful around here, something I can’t say about living in the city.”
She stared at him for a moment in utter disbelief. “That has got to be the nicest thing you’ve set to me all morning.” Before he could take it back, she exited he vehicle. With a wave good-bye, she began the long trek up the stairs, completely unaware of eyes that lingered on her figure.
Too used to running up the stairs to break a sweat, Kagome entered the house and ran to her room, her goal being to change into other clothes so that she could go to class moderately clean. As soon as she crossed the threshold of her bedroom, a surge of grogginess knocked her senses out of whack. ‘What’s happening?’ Struggling to make it to bed on legs that refused to obey her commands, Kagome just barely made it to her bed before collapsing. ‘Why…’ She recalled the white pill that Yash had given her earlier. ‘That…wasn’t…Advil.’
The weight of her eyelids increased twentyfold, her brain promptly shutting down. ‘I’m going…kill…’ was her final thought as she gave in to the sweeping blackness that consumed her consciousness.
TBC