InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Close Your Eyes ❯ Chapter 5: Just Want to Go Home ( Chapter 5 )

A/N: So I figured that I got such a great response from my readers, I might as well stick this chapter up here. I'd like to consider it more of a filler chapter, it's just here, but still it's important in its own way.

 

A Single Spark is back up and running—finally! It said that it has been since the sixteenth, but I checked yesterday, and it didn't say that. Ugh! So Confusing! The next chapter still needs A LOT of editing, so I'll be busy with that. The next chapter is also too short for my taste, so I'm trying to squeeze something in there.

 

Once again, thank you for all your support. Just an FYI, but I don't address reviews until the next chapter.

 

Close Your Eyes: Chapter 5

By: Scarlet_fears

 

One month had come and gone for Sesshoumaru. One month of being blind, one month since the death of his father, one month since he last saw or heard from Inuyasha which in all relativity hadn't been the longest amount of time that this had happened. What made all the difference was that it had been one month since he met Kagome Higurashi, his personal assistant. At the pace these two were going at, they would be just a blind man and his aid—nothing more. Sesshoumaru was known to be hard to strike in a conversation, but Kagome, she seemed so…protected. She was almost afraid to open up.

 

“Here's an update on the inventory Mr. Taisho.” Kagome had said as she droned on over lists and lists of items.

 

“That'll be enough.” Sesshoumaru said holding up a hand to silence the woman. “I trust your abilities to do such a simple task until I can personally check on it in the future. You surely cannot have completed that in three weeks have you?”

 

“No…um, I think I'm only about half-way on it.”

 

“Hn.”

 

Kagome took this as her cue to return to her small quaint desk in the corner of the room. Once again she started on her painfully long, grueling task. It was coming to eleven-thirty and the constant typing was taking its toll on her small, fragile fingers.

 

“How about lunch?” The smooth voice interrupted her out of her wonderful reverie.

 

He's asking me to lunch?! Not his usual `you are to accompany me to lunch'. Someone most certainly hit their head on the way out of bed this morning. Maybe he forgot to take his medicine, or he might be sick.

 

“I was not aware that such a simple question took quite this much of time.” Sesshoumaru stated impatiently. He was definitely a little nervous as she took her time. He was used to women jumping at such an offer, but when she paused to think about it, he had to admit, it was an unexpectant surprise.

 

“I don't know…”

 

“If you don't want to…”

 

When did I start caring what she wants? He decided to hold his tongue from this point on. Sesshoumaru was afraid he might say something to embarrass himself further. He had already made a fool of himself in his own opinion.

 

“No!” Kagome finally said. “I want to go.”

 

The two were up and on their way. Arm in arm, Kagome led Sesshoumaru to the open elevator doors. The ride down was silent as ever and the faint sound of music could be heard in the background. It was that cheesy elevator music. He had no recollection as to when that was installed.

 

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

 

“This is a nice café.” Kagome complimented unsure of what to say.

 

No response.

 

Once they were seated she tried again. “It's sort of cold isn't it?”

 

No response.

 

Their drinks had been brought to the table. Hot tea for Kagome, and Sesshoumaru had a glass of water. “I'm not cold anymore.” She laughed nervously at her own joke.

 

No response.

 

“Good afternoon. My name is Kouga and I'll be your waiter today.” The handsome waiter said as he dropped of the menus. He had beautiful blue eyes and ridiculously long hair, like Sesshoumaru's, tied up towards the top of his head. “I'll return shortly to take your orders. If there is anything else I can help you with please let me know.” He winked briefly in Kagome's direction and her breath hitched in her throat. Kouga's action may have gone unnoticed by Sesshoumaru's eyes, but from the sound Kagome had made he guessed that the waiter was flirting with her. His face tightened slightly.

 

“Do you need help with that?” She asked referring to the untouched menu in front of him.

 

No response.

 

“Wow…I'm not sure what to order.” Kagome said admittedly. “It all seems so good.”

 

“I recommend the club sandwich.”

 

She looked up as she heard his voice for the first time since they left the building. She was a little worried that she had done something wrong because of the silence, but now she realized he was just being difficult. She smiled softly.

 

“The club sandwich it is then.”

 

The waiter had returned to take their orders, and Kagome came to learn that this was one of Sesshoumaru's regular stops when he ordered `his usual'. This was simply a medium serving of ribs. In the middle of the meal she was surprised when he had started a conversation.

 

“What is it that you do on your spare time Kagome?”

 

“Well Mr. Tai—I mean Sesshoumaru. I help out around my family's shrine, take care of my grandpa, things like that.” She said.

 

“No. What I mean is what is it that you do for yourself?” Kagome wasn't expecting that. He was genuinely interested in what she enjoyed doing. Okay, so maybe he wasn't genuinely interested, but he was asking and that's what mattered.

 

“Wow…um,” She had to really think about this. It had been a long time since she had done something just because she wanted to. It was because she felt guilty for going out and having fun when her brother wasn't able to.

 

“I guess I like reading, I used to run track…” She continued to ponder on this topic. “I go out every once and a while with some friends. Oh! I love to ice skate!” She finally concluded with a smile.

 

“Hn.” He said to let her know that he had listened to everything she had just said.

 

“What is it that you do?” Kagome asked.

 

No response.

 

We're not back to this are we??? She squinted at him as though it might make some difference.

 

“Alright,” She clapped her hands together rubbing them furiously. “You're pretty much an open book aren't you?”

 

He snorted unceremoniously at her remark.

 

“I'll guess.”

 

Kagome really planned to provoke him in either disgust at what she was thinking or into in argument which would later be considered pointless. Who knew that Sesshoumaru had other plans?

 

“You look like a really party animal.” She grinned from ear to ear. “Hooking up with women is your specialty. Not just a particular woman, any woman, no matter age, race, etcetera, etcetera. Sesshoumaru Taisho is your name, playing it kinky is your game.” She continued to laugh at her own joke. “How'd I do?”

 

“Perfect.”

 

She once again started laughing. A couple of customer's at the other tables turned to look at her. She decided to take a drink, but only succeeded in gagging herself. After composing herself, she stared unbelievingly at her employer as he failed to find amusement in the situation.

 

“Y-you can't be serious.” Kagome stuttered out. Sesshoumaru leaned in closer folding his napkin and placing it on the table,

 

“That,” he voiced discreetly, “is for you to find out.”

 

That was how the conversation ended. Kagome felt no urge to press him on any other matters for embarrassment of how he might answer. Sesshoumaru was too pleased with himself to tease her further. He paid the check and they rose from the table. Once again linking arms they made there way out, but Kagome did not miss the fleeting stare of the cute waiter.

 

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

 

“Mom!” Kagome shouted as she opened the door to her former childhood home. “Where are you?”

 

“I'm in the kitchen sweetie!”

 

Mitsue Higurashi was a woman of many talents. In order to distract herself from the many troubles of everyday life, she kept herself busy. Today she was cooking an unusually big meal for her and Grandpa.

 

“Why are you cooking so much food?” she asked while helping peel the cucumbers.

 

“Well,” Mrs. Higurashi replied. “That way…we have more to choose from. Plus just think about it! We'll have leftovers for the next couple of days!”

 

Kagome proceeded to open the refrigerator which was already overflowing with leftovers. There was the tuna salad from three weeks ago. She picked that up and threw it out, the clamato chicken from two weeks ago—that went out, and of course the stuffed green chilies from WAY back. Kagome was too afraid to touch those. She later rolled her eyes, but she didn't say anything.

 

“Have you picked up your grandfather's medicine yet?”

 

“Yeah,” Kagome replied. “I dropped it on the coffee table on my way in.”

 

“Alright,” she sighed contently as she pulled the salmon from the oven and added more pepper to it. “Why don't you go out and tell him that dinner is almost ready?”

 

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

 

Kagome found her grandpa looking around the shrine well for something. He was dressed in his traditional shrine garbs as always. He loved the acknowledgement that he was a shrine priest. Wherever he went, he would always bestow his blessings, be rid demons, and anything else in his power.

 

“Jii-chan,” she called to him to let him know she had arrived.

 

“Oh Kagome,” he said worriedly picking up his pace a little more. He lifted old crates, looked behind the old scroll case, and everything else in sight. “Kagome, Kagome….you'll be so disappointed in me.”

 

“What is it? You can tell me.” Kagome prodded trying to coax him to answer her. The old man sighed in guilt as he approached her.

 

“I can't find your cat.” He admitted full of remorse. “I know how much you love that cat. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.”

 

“Jii-chan,” Kagome tried to calm him soothingly. “I took Buyo with me to my apartment two years ago. He's not lost. He's at home waiting for me.”

 

“But…” he continued confused. He took her hand and placed it on the Goshinboku tree. “This is your home Kagome.”

 

He had been sick like this since before the incident occurred. The doctors would not diagnose him with Alzheimer's or any other disease of that matter. Sometimes he would have occasional spells and forget certain things, other times he was just fine. Some days he would wake up wondering where Souta was, or why Kagome had suddenly grown from fifteen to twenty-one. It often occurred unexpectedly; each time leaving him in his own world.

 

Kagome could no longer stand living in the shrine house. It brought back too many painful memories and caused many sleepless nights. After her psychiatrist recommended moving out and living on her own, her aunt in Kyoto helped pitch in for the apartment. With the psychiatric bills, Grandpa's medication, funeral arrangements, and shrine repairs, they needed all the help they could get.

 

Kagome all but cried at her Grandpa's words. She could feel the strings pulling at her heart hearing that come from his mouth. The feeling of the tree against her hand felt like fire, and yet she couldn't pull it away. It hurt, but at the same time it gave her comfort. It was times like this that she wished she could just disappear.

 

“I…” she started unsure of herself. “I don't know where home is anymore Jii-chan.”

 

He smiled knowingly and patted her hand softly in reassurance. They remained under the Goshinboku tree in silence for sometime.

 

“Your mom is cooking.” He stated while smelling the aromas coming from the house. Kagome suddenly realized why she had come out here in the first place, but he had beaten her to the punch. He gave her a good look up and down stood and brought her with him.

 

“You're looking thinner each day Kagome. Stay for dinner today. Listen to your grandpa.” He told her with little room left for discussion.

 

“Hai Jii-chan.” She replied with a small smile.