InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Blind Stitch My Heart ❯ Eyes of Intrigue ( Chapter 2 )

Blind Stitch my Heart …

Part 2 - "Eyes of Intrigue"

Written by: profiler120

Rating: PG-13 (rating is probably higher than necessary)

Email: profiler120@hotmail.com; p_120@yahoo.com

Author's Notes: I mentioned in chapter one that Kagome was sewing a bridal kimono for Kikyo. I changed my mind- that wasn't a good idea, so ignore that; I'll probably change part 1 later.

I've decided on the time period for the story. It's 1903 and that makes for all sorts of background things to be going on.

Dark Star mentioned whether they would be wearing kimonos or not. I read that during this time that the people were wearing much more western style clothing but my characters are going to wear traditional Japanese garb because of the family styles I wrote them into. The Higurashi and Masaharu are both semi-aristocracy type families that would be resistant to Western influences in the country. At least I'm writing them that way.

You know it's funny, when I was writing this the other day I kept thinking about the book "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte. They're not really a whole lot a like but whenever I sit down to write this I think about that book.

~X~

He'd never been to the Higurashi Shrine and found his expectations of it were quite wrong. He'd somehow imagined a small wooden constructed building just beyond a torii gate. Rather he found a rather grand case of stone stairs that led to a splendid torii, beyond that was a wide, welcoming courtyard and off to the left were the shrine buildings.

He had in fact walked around some minutes before discovering the house was at the back of the property. Only, halfway there he was to be waylaid by the elderly priest of the shrine. At some point during the mundane conversation he discovered this man was Higurashi's grandfather. When they finally reached the house, he was relieved. The short walk had seemed to go on forever with his elderly companion.

He deeply respected his elders except for when they were babbling on nonsensically about some magic gem called the 'Shikon no Tama' that had no place in their conversation. He was here for the girl, not to buy trinkets.

To his relief, Higurashi's mother met him at the doorway of the home. She was quite surprised and delighted to see him as he guessed from the smile that spread across her face.

"Hello," she greeted him.

He responded with a curt greeting and was invited inside. He ultimately ended up seated at a low table being served warm tea by the woman's servants before a mention was even made of the daughter.

"I have come about your daughter,"

"Kagome? Ah, is something wrong?"

"No, I wished to speak with you about returning her to the Estate."

Her mother smiled. "I'm sure she'd be delighted to do so. She enjoys sewing so much,"

He had the distinct feeling that she didn't enjoy sewing as much her mother was letting on, but didn't understand where the feeling came from. The woman across from him had a striking kimono that instead of patterned was delicately embroidered. It was one of the most high quality pieces he'd seen in some time.

"She's outside in the garden just past that door if you wish to see her."

He stood and thanked her briefly and headed to the door. He slid back the shoji screen and stepped into the cool garden yard. Why was the girl outside in weather like this?

He walked out but she wasn't to be found. As he passed a corner he spotted her upon the ground. She was kneeling beside an azalea staring at it as though contemplating some deep mystery of life. Her kimono, he noted was not half as elegant as her mothers and was more on the plain side but her clothes mattered not.

"Higurashi,"

"Lost, are you, Masaharu-san?"

He almost licked his lips in anticipation and found himself eager, and glad her meekness hadn't reappeared. He liked this girl much better than that slip of a female who followed his orders mindlessly; anyone could be a slave.

"Remove yourself from the ground,"

She giggled quietly. "I must bother you quite a lot. What brings you all this way?"

He came closer and knelt down behind her. "You enjoy flaunting my orders, girl?" he growled lowly.

"As much as you enjoy giving them I suppose," she reasoned.

He hadn't seen her face. She'd kept it turned away from him. He wanted to see her. He wanted to see the face that so resembled Yamada's; he wanted to see those startling blue eyes that were so unusual. He wanted to see the fire that burned in those sparkling blue orbs.

"Haven't you found a replacement yet? Surely my mediocre work could be easily matched by any village girl."

"Then you haven't heard then, there's been an outbreak of some tedious illness. There is none available now and I need Yamada's kimono finished before her parents arrive."

"Sounds like a personal problem to me," she replied.

He reached toward her dropping a hand on her shoulder, gathering the cloth in his hand. His blood raced, as his heart pounded with the most delightful of feelings. How lucky he'd come home to discover the vixen in his home that made his blood race this way. He'd never imagined being excited by someone who was treating him so rebelliously. He was perhaps even more surprised that he was allowing it.

Between them he would allow it, to his own shock and horror, but outside of their private company, her defiance would be punished. He suspected she knew it.

He pulled her back against him. "You're returning with me Higurashi,"

"I will not," she bit out between clenched teeth. "I won't be your lapdog," she hissed.

He lowered his head to her ear, chuckling lowly. "You will… if I want you. You're coming,"

She drew away from him quickly and stood. "I didn't like you before, I don't like you now; if I have to come or not. I'll sew whatever you want, but that's all I'm doing. You find someone else for your other needs, got it?" she snapped with hard eyes.

He grinned. "You're casting off something that you know nothing of,"

She closed her eyes briefly. "You are my employer Masaharu-sama, I believe your current attitude is improper."

She began walking back to the house. "While your obedience is valued, I will accept only so much of this false appropriateness from you Higurashi."

She stopped. "You want me to be noncompliant?"

"I want you to be you, I never asked for anything else." He paused. "Get your things, I won't wait long."

She continued on into the house, but the smile that had emerged wouldn't be conquered.

~X~

Settling back into the Masaharu Estate was easily done. She'd been gone for only a day or so and it was almost like a homecoming. She'd discovered that she was quite unhappy upon return to her own home. She'd spent the day wondering what to do with herself while here she'd been too busy to do anything but keep up with her work. Sango and Kaede had been happy to see her as had Inuyasha, although he had been less direct about it.

She tried with all her might to put the strange events of yesterday out of her mind but they wouldn't be quelled. They flared back to her when she caught a wisp of his voice float up from below or heard his name mentioned. In all honesty she hadn't stopped thinking about him since, although she was extremely grateful he'd been out most of the day. Despite his alluring appeal he wasn't generally a person she liked to be around. He had a very sharp 'my way or no way' attitude that bristled her like nothing else and he knew it.

He derived pleasure from upsetting her much to her confusion and annoyance. She'd met with him just hours before when she'd had the misfortune of meeting him alone in the kitchen. He then proceeded to tell her that her attire was completely unacceptable and that she would change immediately. Only to subsequently discover everything in her closet was inappropriate for 'a woman of her stature' and that everything would be replaced immediately. How those things were being replaced she had yet to be made aware.

She had of course protested, madly even, but he'd only enjoyed it more. He stared at her quietly, eyes dancing over her figure as she pranced about angrily, albeit as quietly as she could and still be effective.

She fumed still when she thought of it. The man was the most infuriating thing on the planet. She discarded the cloth in her hand and picked up the other pieces that were now going under the machine.

"I suppose it may be assumed to be a redeeming quality that you actually work."

She looked up, erroneously, and yelped as she almost ran her fingers under the needle. And here she'd just been wondering recently how anyone could be so stupid, now she knew. With distractions like Masaharu-sama accidents of all sorts were possible.

Her little bout of clumsiness seemed to please him. He motioned to someone in the hall and a servant stepped inside with rolls and rolls of fabric.

"That should keep you busy enough," he commented. "I want Yamada's kimono finished, but don't let it keep you in here all night. " he went to leave when something else seemed to occurred to him. "And you will eat dinner with me, eating in the back with the servants is beneath you."

"Well thank you for making that determination for me, I was quite happy having dinner with them, thank you very much!"

"Quite fortunate then that I make the decisions around here, then isn't it?"

"When you are leaving?" she asked cheerfully.

He stepped fully within the room, and closer to her than she'd have liked. He leaned down tracing a finger along her jaw back toward her ear before thrusting it deeply in her hair and tilting her head up to his. She stiffened anxiously in his hold as he leaned closer to her. "Don't get your hopes up."

He released her suddenly and stepped away leaving her embarrassed and flushed. However as she saw Inuyasha pass by the doorway she realized the timing was good, the last thing she needed was for someone to see-

"I'll be home for several weeks, Higurashi, at least until Inuyasha's wedding. I won't keep you further," With that he left as primly as he had come in.

Her nervousness over having dinner with the 'Master' turned out to be unfounded. Kikyo was pleased at the prospect and it didn't bother Inuyasha in the slightest. Kaede and Sango weren't upset either leaving her only one worry. That one worry was large enough to replace all the others anyway.

She'd been quiet through dinner as the others had. Masaharu wasn't given to conversation unless he had something to say or someone dared to speak to him first. Inuyasha was too busy easting and Kikyo had never been much of a conversationalist. Although she herself was normally quite talkative she was too uncomfortable to speak that night. She simply sipped her soup and generally kept her gaze on the fine wood table on which her food was placed.

When dinner ended she stood from her place on the floor and ended up retreating to the sewing room. There was much to do for Kikyo's kimono yet and she wanted to finish it quickly but without a drop in quality.

When she reached her workroom she left the doors opened behind her. She gathered the kimono fabric, one section of it pinned and ready to be sewn. There were still other things that needed to be done. Sections that needed to be cut out from the elaborate fabric, pinned, and sewn. Then there was the detail work. She sighed, really it sounded worse than it was.

"Kagome?"

"Hmm?" The girl looked up to find Kikyo standing by the door. "Are you busy?"

"Just working on your kimono."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Kagome paused, then smiled. "You must be pretty bored."

"Inuyasha-sama is in a meeting with his brother. There's nothing to do around here, is there?"

"Not really," Kagome agreed. "What is this kimono for exactly?"

"The engagement ceremony. I think that Masaharu-sama is planning for it in a few weeks, him and my father."

"Oh. That sounds nice. What do you think of him, Inuyasha I mean."

She looked down, hesitating. "He's… coarse."

Kagome smiled. "Do you like him at least? He's really not bad,"

"I haven't spoken much to him, I'll just have to get used to him. Honestly I think they're going to move the engagement date forward, they want the wedding as soon as spring breaks."

"Why the rush?"

Kikyo settled down onto the floor by the wide table on which the machine was set. An early model machine but it worked effectively enough and cut her sewing time in half.

"Senaka Onigumo, have you heard of him?"

"No."

"He's a acquaintance of my father's. He wants me for his son, Naraku. Naraku is out now, far up North on business, so father wants me to marry quickly before he returns."

"Why? Does he object to Senaka?"

"He wouldn't say but I believe it's because the Senaka family has questionable connections."

"Really? Dangerous people?"

"I'm not sure, I didn't really want to know that type of information."

~X~

"Wench!"

Sesshoumaru stopped and looked left. He brother was draped in the doorway of the sewing room.

"Hey, girl!"

Sesshoumaru growled quietly to himself, stalking quickly down the hall.

"Can you stop calling me that?" he heard the familiar voice of the girl within.

"Keh!" Was Inuyasha's reply apparently oblivious to his presence behind him.

He raised a hand and smacked Inuyasha hard in the back of his head. The boy whirled around about to lash out and promptly his bit his tongue.

"What the hell did you do that for?" is what his brother settled on.

"Higurashi may be an employee but you will at no time address her as 'wench', or any other derogatory female name. She is the cousin of your future bride, show some respect."

Inuyasha made a face at him.

"What is your business here?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"I asked her to make me something,"

"Not now, she has more important things to be doing."

"Keh! Whatever," Inuyasha brushed by his brother without causing a more embittered argument.

"Did you need something Masaharu-sama?"

There was that prudish little voice again.

She was seated on the floor the kimono draped over the low wood table hand sewing the hem around the sleeves.

"How is the project coming along?"

She tucked the needle into the sleeve and then stood with the white robe. She delicately turned it right side out and held it up for his inspection. He stepped forward and reached out to touch the silken sleeve. It slid smoothly through his fingers and he slid his hand up to the shoulder, investigating the fabric.

She fidgeted slightly. "Is it okay? Is there anything you'd like me to change or something?"

He continued to look at the garment critically, even removing it from her grasp to hold it in his own hands. He stared down at it, tugging at the sleeve to test the seams. It held strong as he fully expected it to do. Then he turned his attention to the delicate blind stitches on the sleeve edges. They were almost completely unnoticeable with the white fabric and the matching thin white threads. It was another skillfully finished project.

"It looks well enough, when will it be finished?"

"Tomorrow or so, I still have a lot of detail work to do. Or on second thought maybe the day after that."

He nodded in agreement and handed the item back to her.

"An exceptional piece of work done again in your mediocre hand."

She smiled thinly. "Why thank you sir, any other words of praise today?"

She settled back onto the floor, turning the garment inside out again and then removing her needle from the fabric to continue on.

He was on his way out when he heard a small, hesitant voice.

"Um…"
Curious as to her inquiry he turned.

"Yes Higurashi?"

"I shouldn't ask but, Kikyo is my cousin, I've been worrying. Do you know a man named Senaka Onigumo, or his son Naraku?"

He promptly turned and slid the doors closed. "How do you know such men?"

"I-I don't… Kikyo said that her father wanted to speed up the marriage because Senaka wanted her to marry his son Naraku. I was just wondering if she was… safe."

He was tense now. The last thing he needed was her finding out anything about Senaka; it was bad enough she knew his name. Better yet he didn't want Senaka finding out about Higurashi, she looked too much like Yamada and was likely to spark a new interest and he didn't want the man anywhere near his residence.

"He isn't a concern,"

Her acceptance of this was reluctant, but an inevitability. With that settled he left.

~X~

It had been just shy of a week. Kagome had watched a tentative relationship form between Kikyo and Inuyasha. While Inuyasha was love-struck with her cousin, Kikyo took longer to be won over. But Kagome had the feeling that she was gradually coming to understand the complex character that Inuyasha was. It was really very sweet.

She had had the fortune of not running into the Master in the last few days. The last she'd seen of him he'd been sitting a top a black horse trotting leisurely away from the house.

She'd also learned that Kikyo had been sent to stay with Masaharu because the mysterious Senaka had been showing up with more frequency. She'd been relatively busy although not so much so. With the Master's absence she'd been a great deal less stressed and had abandoned eating with Inuyasha and Kikyo figuring it was better to leave them alone.

She was sitting alone in the sewing room. Evening had fallen and dinner was some hours past. She had just finished a new set ordered for the Master himself. She folded the garment, this one in black, and lifted up and held it against her. She was unaware of the exact time and couldn't decide to take the item to him now or simply leave it for him to pick up.

Yet without formally deciding, the decision was made as she stepped out of the room and walked down the stairs. The house was eerily quiet as it typically was on a night like this. The Master was bound to be in his library, his favorite room in the house, she guessed because it was the quietest.

She knocked weakly, almost hoping he wouldn't hear.

"Yes?"

She slid the door open. "I've finished with the assignment." She bowed her head.

"Step in," he ordered and she did so. "Door."

She stopped and turned back sliding it closed. He was seated on the floor by a low table, a book open before him. His eyes were directed down at it, and she absently realized he had yet to look up at her.

Unsure of what to do now that she was here she approached where he sat. He looked up and reached up for the garment and she handed it down to him. To her puzzlement, he set it aside on the table.

"May I go?"

"…no."

"No?" she asked. "Is there something else?"

"You'll have to re-do it," he simply stated, not sparing her a glance.

"You don't mean that haori I just finished, do you?" She asked, her voice edging a narrow path to anger.

"Yes,"

She clenched her fists. "Why?"

"I should've said so earlier but you have my measurements wrong."

"Eh?"

"Arm length is too short," he replied.

"Really?" She asked. "I was using the measurements exactly from the paper left by the last seamstress."

"I suppose it's no surprise then, she was quite horrible at it."

She shifted uncomfortably. "So, I guess you'll have to be re-measured,"

"Very astute, Higurashi."

She frowned.

"I won't disturb you any further then, my apologies."

"Get your things."

"What?"

He looked up sharply. "The things you need to adjust my clothes, Higurashi."

"Oh," she blushed and quickly backed up. "I'm sorry, I'll be right back."

She escaped quickly and rushed up the stairs to grab her materials.

~X~

He glanced off to his right where the neat black haori lay on the table where he'd placed it. He should've told her about the clothes earlier, he noted to himself. At least it wasn't a complete waste- Inuyasha could have it. It would certainly fit him and he had been complaining about 'something to wear'.

The girl, he noted, seemed more timid than usual. She had scampered in quietly and stood meekly before him. Did he really make her that nervous? He didn't want that, if she was nervous she was likely to revert to her 'servant' mode and he detested that. He was much more pleased when she overstepped her bounds and yelled at him.

Unconventional, true, but it added a certain something to his dull life. Although, he thought as she again knocked, it was really the last thing he needed. She stepped inside, a silk covered box in her hands. He watched her fidget before telling her to sit down, and she did so.

She wasn't so nervous that she wouldn't look at him though. He liked that about her, she was more courageous than many. Courageous or discourteous, she had a great habit for not behaving herself. It didn't really matter, as long as she conducted herself properly with others.

He raised his eyes to hers. Her brows were drawn down slightly in discomfort but her eyes didn't waver. Gazing at the visage of this girl he could almost forget the torrent the country was in. The difficulties he was having managing the family. As well as the importance of arranging and completing this marriage to Yamada, he almost sighed, but caught himself.

Let alone the difficulties of Senaka. His connections to strange foreign men were suspicious enough but his links with lowly people in his own country were disturbing as well. The Senaka family had been a part of the Samurai class that had been dispelled some years past. The family since then had been rumored to be involved with all sorts of revolutionary groups to overthrow the Emperor.

The girl across from him however was blissfully unaware of the trouble her country was in. He imagined she knew little outside her sewing. She would know nothing but rumors and stories of the presence of foreigners in their country. Nor would she be likely to care over the matter either.

"How old are you?" He asked, dropping his gaze to his book again.

"Sixteen," she replied diffidently.

Sixteen?

"Why haven't your parents arranged for your marriage as well?"

"My father died a long time ago and my uncle has been busy with Kikyo. My mother was unconcerned with it, so I thought nothing of it either." She replied.

"Your mother is not worried over your future?"

He looked up when she failed to answer. She was visibly uncomfortable now. Had he said something that was particularly sensitive and not known?

"My mother is… not well."

"She's ill?"

"Not so much ill as … she's not really there anymore. After my father died a few years ago she just sort of zoned out and never came back. Reality seems to be a haze for her, my grandfather takes care of her and my brother Souta."

"Ah, that's right you have a brother as well. Several years your junior, isn't he?"

She nodded then quickly added, "yes."

"Let us finish this then. What should I do?"

She scampered to her feet only to kneel back down to open her box and withdraw her measuring device. He watched her wearily as he walked around behind him and he heard her settled down.

"Could you hold your arm out?"

He did as she asked, never turning his head away from its straightforward position. He remained still feeling her nimble fingers as they held one end of her string or whatever it was she was using against his wrist and ran her other hand along his arm. The feeling of her small hands against him was delightful. So dainty and feminine- he quickly caught himself. If he was beginning to find his staff appealing he'd been working entirely too much.

She pulled her hands back and a few moments of silence followed. He waited until she gathered the nerve to address him. He hated hesitation, but he was, fortunately, a very patient man.

"Um… Masaharu-sama, can you move your hair? It would be easier."

So that's what was bothering her, he mused with a grin tugging at his lips. He swept a hand back, turning his head slightly and combed his hair off to the side and over his shoulder. She slid her hands across his back brushing the remaining errant strands off to the side with the rest and out of her way.

How she was keeping track of this he wasn't sure but he didn't ask. As long as she got it right.

"Okay, that's it. Thank you,"

He heard her stand, and gather her things in her arms. She came back around and tucked them neatly into her box.

"I'll-"

"SESSHOUMARU-SAMA!"

The door slid open violently, and a small girl with a badly ruffled kimono smiled broadly in the doorway. She ran inside and began tearing around the room running in circles laughing.

"Rin-" Kagome began but she trailed off as the Master stood.

"Rin!"

The little girl froze in place as a short, thin little man came bursting into the room, and promptly folded over panting.

"I'm sorry Master… I tried… to stop her!"

"Jaken, I told you to keep an eye on Rin. Why isn't she asleep instead of running around in filthy clothes?"

"I put her to bed an hour ago… but she … got up and started running around screaming about flowers. I'm sorry Master, it won't happen again."

"Rin," Sesshoumaru growled.

"Yes?"

She blinked innocently and looked up at him with a gaping smile.

"You are at no point to treat my doors in such a manner. You will not scream at the top of your lungs my name or anyone else's. You will go back to bed quietly and remain there until morning."

She paused a moment, her smile fading before it came back full force. "Okay!"

"Jaken, take her back to bed."

"Yes, Master."

The girl padded over to the doorway where Jaken, Sesshoumaru's most loyal servant took her hand. She turned back momentarily.

"Good night Kagome-chan!"

"Good night Rin-chan." They shared a smile and the girl and her escort disappeared as the door was slid closed.

She was still smiling as she turned back to him.

"Is she always this noisy?"

"Sometimes Rin is a little wild, usually it's Inuyasha she likes to disturb."

He nodded weakly.

"May I go now?"

He peered up. She was holding the yellow patterned, silk covered box.

"What do you think of Inuyasha and Kikyo?"

He wondered to himself why he was asking her, but he'd heard himself say it.

She smiled and shrugged. "I don't know,"

"I'm asking your opinion," he clarified curtly, not looking away causing her to shift uncomfortably where she stood.

"In all due respect Inuyasha's… a little irresponsible. Kikyo's nothing at all like that so, they'd probably be good for one another."

She didn't mention love as he thought she might have. The prospect occurred to her though he knew it did. It fit too perfectly with her character not to, but she'd had sense enough to say nothing of it. Should he mention it?

No. He wouldn't stoop to mention that emotion, wayward that it was. Not in his house would such a thing be mentioned or discussed. He waved a hand dismissing her, and she was eager to comply. He just barely caught the lowly spoken goodnight she bid him as the door slid closed behind her.

He stared at the door for a while. She'd worked for him for a year. He'd met her twice before he'd come home a few days ago. Why was she causing him such a stir?

A stir perhaps but not a troublesome one. She hadn't caused him any problems as of yet and he did enjoy speaking with her on certain terms. He didn't regret her presence here and that was enough.

But one thing troubled him. What she'd mentioned of her mother. Her mother wasn't going to arrange a wedding for her so she was relying upon her uncle. She'd met Higurashi's uncle, one of them and he wasn't likely to get involved with her wedding. Perhaps though she had been depending upon Yamada but then switched her sights to another uncle? The specifics didn't matter.

Leaving her in his service wasn't an option. Especially after Yamada's marriage to his brother. He sighed then to himself. It wouldn't be difficult for him to arrange a marriage for the girl. He knew plenty of men that needed a wife and Higurashi came from a good family, marrying her off would be relatively easy.

He nodded to himself pleased with his course of action. He liked it. He would discuss it with Yamada when he arrived tomorrow and with Higurashi's mother and grandfather. He was unlikely to run into opposition from either of them if they truly wanted what was best for her and their family.

It wouldn't be proper to do so before Yamada's wedding, it would have to be after that. After that, he thought. Yes, it was a stroke of brilliance. He would have plenty of time then to find a new seamstress.