InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Close Your Eyes ❯ Chapter 4: Memories ( Chapter 4 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

IMPORTANT NOTE: I messed up some dates! Very crucial to the story!

In chapter three: Inuyasha was thinking that they hadn't lived together in the same house since high school. I believe I said it had been “Three years”. That was my mistake. It has been Nine years. Sess moved out senior year, and although Inuyasha had two years left in high school, it had been that long since they lived under the same roof.

In chapter four: Kagome was thinking that her family couldn't handle anything because of a certain incident “2 years ago”. Once again, my mistake. It has been four years.

Just to clear all this up, here are the ages.

-Kagome: 21

-Sesshoumaru: 27

-Mir/San/Inu: 25

Sorry for the mix-up! If you're confused, I'm even more sorry. It's just the dates were all jumbled. On with the story!

Close Your Eyes: Chapter 4

By: Scarlet_fears

A week of being with him was turning out to be a piece of cake to Kagome. It wasn't too demanding although sometimes she swore that he'd tell her to perform senseless tasks for his non-viewing pleasure. The routine was all worked out. You see Sesshoumaru was a minute-to-minute person, which could sometimes be a hassle, but worked out in the end for the both of them. Kagome was to pick him up at the usually six-thirty time from Monday through Saturday, they went to work--whether it meant driving to other branches of the company, it mattered not. She escorted him back to his apartment and left promptly at five. Saturdays she got off at noon, and Sunday was her day of relaxation.

Kagome was currently sitting in her living room talking with her psychiatrist. It was seven o'clock and the blinds were drawn tightly shut. She had recently gotten out of the shower and was wearing pajamas.

“I hope this isn't an inconvenience switching to a later time.” Kagome told him as she sipped some hot tea.

“Don't worry yourself over this. You are no inconvenience.” He assured her as he opened up a spiral composition book that Kagome regularly wrote her feelings in. “You say here that you find your employer's—

“Mr. Taisho that is--.” Kagome interjected.

“Yes, Mr. Taisho” he wrote down secretively in his notepad. “You find his company…unnerving. Would you care to expand more on that?”

“Well, I think I wrote that on Monday. It's been almost a week I believe, and I'm feeling more like that every day.” Kagome sighed. “It's just, sometimes I feel so self-conscious about my appearance. I'm always adjusting myself to fit everyone's likeness.” It was evident that Kagome had gone through a lot trying to appease to everyone and their wants.

“I see.” He listened more intently switching his recorder on and off. “And how do you change to fit his standards?”

“That's just it!” she exclaimed. Her voice was slightly raised and her eyes more expressive than before. “He doesn't have me change because he can't see me. Because he can't see me, I feel as though he really can see me. Agh!” She tousled her hair between her fingers trying to make sense of it all.

“It scares me so much because no one has understood me so much, or wanted to understand me this much since…well since…”

He understood who she meant. It was difficult for her to talk on this subject. It was the whole reason she was seeing a psychiatrist in the first place. “Kagome, it isn't betraying his memory by speaking his name. Rather you are celebrating his existence.”

“What existence?!” She screamed. Her eyes were glossing over in new-found tears. “Eleven years is barely any existence at all.”

A single tear gradually made its journey down her cheek. It carried so many emotions: pain, sorrow, regret, shame, and…love.

“He deserved so much better than that.” Kagome croaked through her ever-constricting throat. It felt like a lump she couldn't swallow. “Souta deserved so much more than what I did to him.”

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“I'll be back in a minute okay? I'm just going to go in the store and get some curry since Grandpa decided to use it in his demon-repellant formula.” Kagome said as she got out of the car. “I'll leave the keys here. Are you sure you're going to be okay?”

“C'mon…” Souta groaned as his sister was delaying. “I'm almost a teenager. You can trust me for five minutes.”

She looked at him warily. It was probably her gut instinct, but it felt wrong leaving him here. Something was twisting and churning and she couldn't get it out of her system. “O-okay then. I'll be back.” She turned away leaving. She heard the music turn on in the car.

“Lock the doors.” Kagome shouted as she hastily made her way inside. “Oomph!”

“Excuse me Miss…Kagome!” The sandy haired boy helped her pick up her purse and some fallen change.

“Hojo! It's good to see you.” She smiled politely at him. “Are you looking forward to senior year?” She felt sort of bad for him. He had made so many advances on her in the beginning of freshman year, but had stopped suddenly.

“Actually, I was expelled…” He said sheepishly.

“I forgot! I'm so sorry. It was the last week of school wasn't it? What happened?” Kagome quickly clamped her hands over her mouth. “That's so rude of me! I'm sorry!”

“It's okay.” His blush faded and his eyebrow's slowly knitted themselves together. “I have to go…see you later Higurashi.”

“Can we please change the subject? I can't bear to think about it anymore!” She said. Her tears glistened in her eyes but dare not drop. Kagome's lip was tightly drawn between her teeth and her hands were shaking to a slight fraction.

“Actually, our session was up half an hour ago.” He said as he gathered his belongings and made his way to the door. “There will be more for us to discuss the next time we meet.”

Kagome nodded dumbfounded. He was acting peculiar. In fact, he had been acting peculiar ever since she had begun her job with Mr. Taisho. No! Stop it Kagome! You're being paranoid again. Just relax. Breathe. It's simple. The only one acting strange is you.

“Sometimes Kagome, it's better to hideaway.” He said while putting on his coat and hat. “Trust me.”

~*~

It was around noontime Monday when Sesshoumaru and Kagome sat down in the conference room at a local community center. Today they were meeting with some business men of the lower class. Sesshoumaru liked to make sure that he donated a portion of the company's profit to local schools in the area. It kept the company name in good standards with everyone.

18,000 seconds before I get to go home. Note to myself: Call mom since I've been ignoring her calls for a week, pick up Grandpa's medicine from the pharmacy, and clean Buyo's litter. She mumbled something under her breath about cats who could never keep clean.

“I need a turtle or something simple like that.” Kagome whispered to herself. Suddenly all the eyes in the room were on her. There were one or two other women, but the room mainly consisted of men. “Sorry…I thought I saw a…a mouse?”

Sesshoumaru nonchalantly shook his head and rubbed his temples in aggravation. After leaving the room and driving back he was sure to get on her about what had happened. His silent treatment was one way for Kagome to open up.

“Listen, I said I was sorry.” Kagome sighed. Her mind just couldn't seem to stay in one place.

“So you did.” He replied.

“It is my first week. I'm bound to make some mistakes Mr. Taisho.” She tried to explain to him. “It still doesn't give me an excuse I suppose.”

“I agree with that last statement.” Sesshoumaru said after a minute or two. “I care not what you say in front of those people…although, you better have sufficient notes.”

~*~

Kagome was currently typing up the notes from the previous meeting. Although Sesshoumaru acted as though he didn't care what happened in the conference room, she new better than to accept that. She not only represented herself in there, but him as well, and that was what made all the difference. She let out a heavy sigh as she listened to Sesshoumaru drum his nails against his heavy, expensive, wooden desk.

He really has no life. I wonder if it's the same outside of work?

“I'm just about finished with these Mr. Taisho.” Kagome said merrily. She was speeding through the last couple of lines and was ready to go home.

The sound of the intercom went off and Sesshoumaru leisurely answered it while loosening his tie around his neck.

“Mr. Taisho?” called the voice of his secretary Yura Kiramoto.

“Yes…”

“Sango recently called and said she is on her way up.”

“And?” Sesshoumaru pressed on knowing that Yura would not have interrupted him just to announce Sango's arrival. She was never that good of a secretary, but she got the job done…and sometimes a little extra.

“Yeah well, I was wonderin' if I could go home now and take tomorrow off. It's mine and Gary's anniversary tomorrow and I need to shop for a gift, and pick out a dress. Should I wear a thong or no panties at all?”

The question caught Kagome's attention. She was curious as to how Sesshoumaru would answer it. Gary was Yura's American beau. He wasn't home often, but it didn't matter. Yura's infidelity wouldn't affect him that way. He was more than positive that Gary was doing the same thing behind her back. Yura was always asking him blunt questions such as these, and Sesshoumaru always ignored them.

“Do as you wish. It only takes time off from your vacation days.” As he finished saying this Sango had entered the room. Sesshoumaru was sure that if she was gong to complain, he was going to lose all nerve. Today had been slow, boring, and an utter waste of time in his opinion.

“You will never believe it!” Sango started excitedly. She smacked a huge stack of papers on the desk triumphantly. “Take a look at that! Shiori and I convince a couple of the guys to stay overtime for the last couple of days and voila! It's done! It's just a list of the inventories though. We didn't go through each and every one of them to make sure everything was there. ”

Sesshoumaru quirked an eyebrow and stated less comfortably than ever, “As I'm sure you know, I can't `take a look at that'.”

“That's not what I meant…”

“Ms. Higurashi come here.”

Sango looked around to whom Sesshoumaru was calling for and found an attractive young woman sitting at a small desk stapling a couple of packets of paper together. She was wearing a black fitting skirt, and a nice plain white, silk, button up blouse. Her hair was clipped half-up, and she bowed politely to Sango as she approached.

“I'm sorry for not introducing myself when I came in,” Sango started. “I've been so preoccupied and I wasn't straight in the mind I guess. You must be Sesshoumaru's new personal assistant?” She shook Kagome's hand and returned the earlier smile.

“Please, call me Kagome.”

“In that case, you can call me Sango.” She insisted. Kagome informed Sesshoumaru of the completion of the notes and filed them into one of the cabinets.

“Now that you and Sango are acquainted Ms. Higurashi, the pile of papers of which she has placed upon my desk will be your assignment for however long it takes to complete. You will go through each and every one of the inventories on the computer and make sure that all is how it is supposed to be.” Kagome eyed the humongous stack and laughed a little nervously. Sango just gawked at him in complete shock. It had taken about ten people just to find the lists in seventy-two hours, and poor Kagome had to look through EVERY list. “Think of it this way Ms. Higurashi. I will most certainly get my money's worth.”

“You cannot be serious Sesshoumaru.” Sango said incredulously. “It'll take her weeks, maybe months to finish.”

“If you are so worried Sango, you can help her.”

Knock, knock.

Miroku carelessly strolled into the room. “It took you a week to get me back into here?! You lazy piece of—

He stopped suddenly as he gazed upon Kagome. Making his way over to her side he murmured a “Hello Gorgeous.” Kagome's face flushed an incredible shade of red from her face, down her neck, and finally disappearing within her blouse. He continued to hold her hands and make small talk with her. He figured she was Sesshoumaru's assistant, but what did it matter. Well that was until his cursed hand came into the picture. Before Kagome could lift a finger, Sango had the whole situation under control.

“You wonder why you were out of work for a week hentai!”

“Sesshoumaru, Miroku and I are going out to an early dinner right now. You and Kagome should come. It'll be refreshing.” Sango said. She had already been devising a plan since the moment she met Kagome. “It wouldn't be inappropriate or anything. She is your assistant.”

“I suppose you have a point.” Sesshoumaru agreed. “Ms. Higurashi, you will accompany me to dinner.”

The day was almost over and there was no way that she was going to get in any argument with him right now. Her day had been trying already. She didn't need another reason to hate herself.

“Fine.”

~*~

They all went down to a nearby restaurant. It wasn't too fancy, but it was in no manner run-down either. If Kagome was as gorgeous as Miroku claimed her to be, than she would look good on his arm while they ate in such a well-known place. They sat in an awkward silence for the first couple of moments. The waitress arrived to take their orders. Sesshoumaru, being a regular ordered his usual, a shrimp plate seasoned with lemon and oregano. Kagome settled for a bowl of cream of crab soup, since she had recently had a late lunch. Sango decided to have the chicken alfredo and offered some to Kagome since it was supposed to be a large dish. It came around to Miroku. He ordered a plain salad with squeezed lime.

“Are you on a diet?” Sesshoumaru inquired of his companion who normally ate a cow for every meal.

“You see…last night I had a dream.” Miroku began. “My abs later turned into a beer belly and it ended up attracting some homosexuals to me. They insisted that they liked meat on their men and fed me every food imaginable. I woke up and what was the first thing I did? I turned on some sappy chick flick and ate a carton of double fudge chocolaty ice cream which later only made me feel worse!”

He continued with his rambling. The waitress had arrived with the orders and had refilled their drinks. “Don't you see?! It's a premonition! A greater power is trying to warn me about a possible future if I continue to eat with no alms regarding my health!”

The meal went by normally after that. There was the occasional comment from Miroku which Kagome came to learn that she could ignore. Personally she couldn't see Sesshoumaru as the social type and was surprised that he was graced with such caring friends. She learned about their college life together, and about his half-brother Inuyasha, whom it seemed Sesshoumaru wasn't too fond of him.

“I promise that I'll help you with that inventory as much as I can Kagome-chan!” Sango said as she hugged her new friend good-bye.

“Thank you for everything! I had a lot of fun tonight. I hope we can do it again soon. Maybe it'll be just the two of us.” Kagome and Sesshoumaru said their farewells and made it back to his apartment complex.

~*~

Kagome had walked Sesshoumaru to his door. “I guess I'll see you tomorrow morning.” She got no response as they stopped to listen to what was happening in the hallway.

“You stupid bitch! I've gotten you everything you've asked for and you're dumping me?!” a male's voice boomed from a room further down the hallway. “Stupid bitch?! You better watch yourself Makoto cause if I ever see you again I'll rip off that joke you call a dick and shove it so far up your ass you'll never have kids again!!”

There was some struggle between a fiery red-headed woman and an older man whom she had violently thrown out the door and slammed up against the wall. Some ten seconds later she flung his shoes, various articles of clothing, and a small television towards his head. He luckily managed to escape the last one, but the screen shattered upon impact. Quickly picking up the clothes and shoes he walked down the hallway towards them muttering something about never clipping his toenails near the stove while the food was cooking anymore.

“What'cha lookin' at??” He asked as he pushed by Kagome to get to the elevator.

“Until tomorrow Ms. Higurashi.” Sesshoumaru finally spoke as he shut the door, but before shutting it completely she had stopped him.

“Kagome.”

“What?”

“I'd like it if you'd call me Kagome. It's my name after all.” She said as she snuck a peek at the inside of the apartment.

“So be it Kagome. I'd appreciate it if you referred to me at Mr. Taisho when we are at the company.” He informed her as she took a step backwards into the hallway again.

“I understand. Goodnight Sesshoumaru.” Kagome told him as she approached the elevator doors. Her only reply was a soft grunt and the sound of the door clicking shut.

Vacation was wonderful. Thanks to all who reviewed and for rating as well! I really do appreciate all the feedback.

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Once again I really do appreciate all those who reviewed. I know I'm going to sound like the biggest dork in probably forever, but two authors reviewed my story, and I love their writing, so when I saw what they had said I was practically drooling. It sounds nerdy I know, but it really is an honor.

I hope to get another chapter or two out in the next two days so keep an eye out! Read, rate, review!

~Scarlet_fears