InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Dancing with Scissors ❯ An Offer She Couldn't Refuse ( Chapter 7 )

Sesshoumaru left his office at twenty before one the next afternoon in a foul mood. He had spent the majority of the morning on the phone, preventing him from doing any real work, he had no opportunity to eat lunch, and now he had to take time to meet with the one person who had dared speak to him with blatant disrespect in over a decade. Other than Inuyasha, of course. No one could get under his skin like his brother, though he had to admit that over the last several years, he could tell Inuyasha was becoming less resentful, more mature and responsible. He had even lent money to his brother two years prior, against his own better judgment, but Inuyasha made every payment on time. Despite the fact that they had not been in frequent contact and were never close, he still was having difficulties thinking about his brother in the past tense. Inuyasha had always been a fact of life; an annoyance to be sure, but they were family.

 

He arrived at his destination a few minutes before one and walked down the main path which encircled the park. She'd better be punctual, he grumbled to himself, lamenting the time spent away from the office. Unfortunately Kagome Higurashi did not seem like the type to allow herself to be bullied, and he, convinced of the merits of his solution, hoped she was prepared to be reasonable and quickly accept his offer. He had too much going on at work to be absent longer than an hour. Sesshoumaru saw her; Kagome, dressed in a dark green, flowing sundress, almost blended into the grassy background. She was seated on a bench blowing bubbles for Rin, who giggled as she jumped and spun, popping bubbles.

 

“Do a big one!” the girl sang out. Kagome blew slowly, and the resulting bubble floated lazily away, followed by the mesmerized girl.

 

As Sesshoumaru watched them, he realized how little experience he had with children. His secretary occasionally brought her two young sons to the office, but they typically were more interested in riding the elevator than in interacting with him. His niece was a pretty little thing, he thought, her hair dark and shiny against her colorful tie-dyed T-shirt. Rin clapped her hands together, mercilessly destroying the thing she was so enamored with only moments before, then turned and noticed him.

 

“Uncle Sesshoumaru!” she squealed and skipped up the path to him.

 

“Hello, Rin. I wasn't expecting to see you. Shall we go join your aunt?” They walked to Kagome, who was putting the cap on the jar of bubble soap. “Rin, Kagome and I have some things to talk about. Can you go play somewhere else?”

 

Rin looked crestfallen. Kagome was furious. “Rin Rin,” she said with pointed cheer, “first, show your uncle the loose tooth. I'm sure he'd like to see it.”

 

Rin perked back up and opened her mouth, wiggling a bottom tooth. “Sthee, ith's weallwy loosth. Thisth top one'sth loosth too.”

 

“I see,” Sesshoumaru observed, “it's barely hanging on.”

 

She stopped wiggling. “Kagome wants me to just pull it out. She keeps trying to trick me to eat an apple.”

 

Kagome rumpled the girl's hair. “But you're too smart for me, aren't you?” She glared at Sesshoumaru. “Just hang on a minute.” She took Rin's hand and led her several yards away, knelt down, and whispered in the child's ear. Rin studied him for a moment, then whispered back. Kagome kissed the pink little cheek, sending Rin racing to the playground. She stomped back to Sesshoumaru. “Would it kill you to be nice to her?” she stormed. “To fake a little interest? I know she's just a kid, and you're the All Mighty Sesshoumaru Taisho, but shit…”

 

He sighed heavily, hating to have his rudeness called out by the irritating woman in front of him. “What was that all about?” he asked impatiently.

 

Kagome narrowed her eyes. “Let's just call her my bomb sniffing dog. Or, if you prefer, my bullshit detector.” He waited wearily for an explanation. “Rin kinda has this thing where she can tell what people's moods are. Some are easier for her to get a feel for than others, but she's pretty damn good at spotting duplicity. We called it her Spider Sense, though it really wasn't anything like that. More like…Deanna Troi, but without the boobs.” He looked at her blankly. “Next Generation?” His expression didn't change. “Ohnevermind. Anyway…she said she didn't think you were lying, so I guess I'll hear you out.” She crossed her arms in front and stared with a mixture of curiosity and hostility.

 

Sesshoumaru had never heard of anything so absurd, added total flake to his litany of complaints about Kagome's personality, and briefly considered just walking away. “Shall we?” he forced himself to ask, indicating the bench. As she sat, the long slit in her skirt parted the fabric, showing a great deal of leg. He saw they were incredibly long, toned and, always appreciative of gorgeous examples of this particular piece of anatomy, wondered how that physical attribute had escaped his notice until now. Probably because her attitude and general demeanor are so repellent, he decided. “Kagome, I believe I know of a way to end this ridiculous guardianship battle. This proposal would benefit all parties, secure our respective objectives, integrate common goals, and in the long term result in mutual—”

 

“Enough with the business-speak,” she curtly interrupted. “Get to the point.”

 

He seethed in anger. Apparently Kagome took a page from Inuyasha's book of How to Make Sesshoumaru Want to Kill Something. “You want to keep Rin, and you need a place to live. My parents want to have access to their granddaughter.”

 

“I know this already, Sesshoumaru. But I'm not the one who started the fucking legal crap. I would never have denied your family access to Rin.”

 

“Could you please refrain from interrupting until I've finished,” he fumed. She made a zipping motion across her lips. “We have a guest house on our property. If you and Rin were to take up residence there, I feel this mess could be resolved. My mother would be able to help raise the child; your current housing troubles would be over.”

 

She looked at him incredulously, mouth hanging open. “Yeah…” she said slowly, nodding, “because we all get along so well together. And you said logically, `Let's be neighbors!'” She stood. “Are you fucking insane?”

 

She was singularly irritating. “Do you always curse so frequently, or am I uniquely privileged in exposure to your vulgarity?”

 

Kagome smiled, a wide, naughty-child of a smile. “Oh Sesshoumaru, you have no idea of the depths to which my language can sink.” She suddenly felt like flirting, an activity she enjoyed but hadn't done in almost two years, and was struck anew by his beautiful, masculine physique. “Or the filthiness of my mouth,” she whispered throatily.

 

Sesshoumaru scowled. Something had palpably changed—she was taunting him—and he didn't like it. He stood, towering over her. “Can we stick to the topic at hand? I didn't come here to have my valuable time wasted. Just think about my idea. You'll have a free place to live.”

 

“Oh yeah, just what I wanted to do today…become obligated to you people.”

 

“It's not like that. The house is vacant; we wouldn't be put out. My mother can have Rin nearby, and my father can stop paying Kagura four hundred dollars an hour to get his hopes unrealistically high. You'd be the one doing us a favor. And I know for a fact that Inuyasha wanted to reestablish a relationship with my parents and let them get to know Rin.”

 

“True…” Kagome conceded, “he did want that very much. But you realize, of course, it would mean fuck all to him if he knew you were trying to take his kid away from me.”

 

“You're going to have to move anyway; why not into our guest house,” he reasoned, “save some money until you're financially on your feet, and have help with childcare?”

 

Kagome was quiet a moment. “How do I know you aren't going to try to get Rin away from me at a later date? The thing I've got in my favor is continuity and stability. If we move onto your property, Rin establishes relationships with you all…I've got no more trump card.”

 

“I give you my word; no one will try to gain guardianship of Rin.”

 

“And would you and you parents be willing to sign that waiver?”

 

“I'll remind you,” he said evenly. “I've already signed. As for my parents, I think I can convince them.”

 

She looked at him dubiously. “What exactly is in it for you?”

 

“This has been an unwelcome distraction for the family and my mother's been through enough with Inuyasha's death, but…I want your word that you won't speak or blog negatively about my family.”

 

“Ahh…the arena. So that threat hit home, did it? So nice to see your priorities,” Kagome said sarcastically. “Have you told your parents about this offer of good will?”

 

“Not yet,” he admitted.

 

“And what makes you think they'll go for it?”

 

He sighed, not exactly sure of the veracity of his forthcoming response. “My father is the one calling the shots, but I think if I can convince my mother, it will work. He only wants her to be happy. Unfortunately he thinks he knows better than anyone how to do that and is often incorrect in his assumptions.”

 

Kagome smiled softly. “Yeah, Inuyasha said that a lot. He also said your dad is the most stubborn person on the face of the Earth, which, coming from him, who could hold his own in pigheadedness, is quite a statement.”

 

“Look at me!” shouted Rin, playing on the monkey bars, drawing the two adults' attention toward the playground.

 

Sesshoumaru looked at his watch. “I need to get back to work.”

 

Kagome grabbed his arm. “Can you stay another few minutes? The past week she's been able to cross the big monkey bars in one go, and she's pretty proud. It would make her day if you witnessed it and gave her props.”

 

“I can spare five minutes,” he said, eyes on the cute, happy girl.

 

“Thanks. And I'll think about your offer. I'll call you.”

 

XxXxX

 

“Kagome do you think that's a good idea?” Sango asked her friend. “Living next to people you can't stand?”

 

They were sipping Chardonnay on Sango and Miroku's back patio, the latter homeowner out for ice cream with Rin. “I don't see I have much choice,” Kagome replied.

 

They had all just finished eating dinner together, Rin said she saw her uncle in the park, and Kagome, busted, decided it was as good a time as any to disclose her conversation with Sesshoumaru. Miroku was not nearly as angry as she thought he'd be; he calmly expressed his doubts about the wisdom of the plan and confusion that she was actually considering it, then decided the best option was to leave with Rin, hoping his wife could talk sense into their friend.

 

“I'm desperate.”

 

Sango was concerned; desperation was not something to which Kagome, always creative in her approach to problems, would readily admit. “How desperate?”

 

“Desperate. As shit. Looking at ads for apartments, making phone calls have been practically a full-time job, and I've come up empty. In fact when I got home from the park today I found two messages on my voice mail saying the apartments I looked at yesterday are no longer available. I have to move soon, barely started packing, and I don't even have a place to go. So yeah, desperate. As fucking shit.”

 

“But Kagome…you love this neighborhood, the diversity, the cast of characters. You'll hate the homogeny of the west end of town. Come on Kagome, The Country Club Set, Ladies Who Lunch? You'll be miserable. I'm worried it will crush your spirit.”

 

Kagome glowered. “Do you really regard my spirit so dismissively? I can handle whatever the Idle Rich decide to throw my way. The Ladies Who Lunch won't know what hit `em.”

 

Sango had to smile. “I take it back. No offense intended.”

 

“But my spirit is a big reason why I'm seriously considering this. I can barely get any work done now that Rin's home from preschool. She starts summer camp soon, and that will help, but it only lasts for a few weeks. The only time I can work is at night, consequently I don't get any sleep. And you know how I like my sleep. On top of that I've got to start rehearsing with Arrow soon. I can't keep burning the candle on both ends much longer,” she admitted morosely, shaking her head. “If we move into the Taisho's guest house, I'll have help with Rin, won't have to worry about the housing situation, and the guardianship headache…migraine will go away. If the place is big enough, I might even be able to finally get my loom out of the University's Art Department. Lately I've been worried I won't be able to weave again until Rin is in kindergarten.”

 

“I guess put that way I can see your point. I just wish there was some magic…thing I could do to make it all better.”

 

“There's not, but I've overcome worse than this.”

 

“You have, haven't you,” Sango said softly. They were silent for a few minutes, reflective.

 

“Is Miroku pissed at me?”

 

“I don't think so. He doesn't do angry all that well. Probably more relieved…he said you were a terrible client and if you were anyone else, he'd have gotten out already,” Sango giggled.

 

“Hey, don't sound so amused!” Kagome protested.

 

“I think he was honestly worried about your friendship. About this living arrangement, of course he's not upset. Just apprehensive, as I am,” Sango said gently.

 

“Well, stop fretting. I'll deal. And if it sucks, I can move again, but I'd be able to take my time finding a different place.”

 

Sango refilled their glasses. “What do you think they're like, the Taishos?”

 

“Inuyasha said his family was beyond fucked up. Knowing him and his ability to exaggerate, I tended to give them the benefit of the doubt, but now…hell, who knows? Probably typically wealthy. More money than taste. More money than sense.”

 

“You know you're stereotyping,” Sango chided. “So…living next to the god that is Sesshoumaru…maybe you can end your sexual drought.”

 

Kagome scoffed. “I wouldn't go near him for all the tea in China; he's so stoic, I doubt he has a heartbeat. The man must eat Botox for breakfast or bathe in it or something,” she said, writing off her earlier urges to flirt, “though I swear he was checking out my legs today. Guys are SO predictable. And, by the way, it's chosen celibacy, not a drought. I do not need a witness to my orgasms,” she added dryly. “Besides, my imaginary version of Sesshoumaru is by far more preferable to the flesh and blood one.”

 

“Oh, and what's he like?” Sango teased.

 

“Mmm, Imaginary Sesshoumaru is naked and has a personality,” she smirked.

 

“He just may surprise you, you know,” Sango laughed. “Think of the possibilities, Kagome…Non-Battery-Powered Sex.”

 

“Never happen,” Kagome said, ignoring her friend's clear implication that she needed to get laid.

 

XxXxX

 

As Kagome drove through Redgrave Hill, the city's most affluent of the older neighborhoods, an increasingly excited Rin could barely sit still. Kagome, not wanting to disappoint the girl if things didn't work out, tried to keep her in the dark about the possibility of moving onto the Taisho's property, and so merely described their trip as a visit. It was sufficient fuel; Rin spent the morning babbling about her Uncle Sesshoumaru, asking what was the house like, how long would they stay, how often would they go back.

 

Now they both marveled at the beautiful houses and winding, tree-lined roads and boulevards. “Honey, chill. You're distracting me.” She looked at the scrap of paper with the scribbled address again. “Arborview Drive. This is it,” she said, turning onto another curvy street, drawing them further into the maze-like neighborhood. “Thank god for Google Maps. Let's see…14639 Arborview. Here it is.” Kagome drove up the long entrance to the Taisho mansion, truly impressed by the grounds. There was a tall wrought iron fence circling the property, which seemed to cover at least a few acres, but the thing that struck Kagome was the size and variety of trees. Horse chestnuts and tulip trees were flowering; ginkgos and oaks towered.

 

“Damn,” Kagome said under her breath, as they went past a group of trees and the house became visible. It was magnificent. A huge ivy-covered Tudor Revival, the asymmetrical mansion was mostly brick, but many of the higher gables were comprised of exposed half-timber framing and stucco. Groups of multi-paned windows were everywhere, the main part of the house in fact seeming to be almost entirely made of glass. It was crowned by an impossibly steep grey slate roof, shining copper gutters and downspouts accentuating the angled lines, with eaves extending down close to the ground in some areas and incredibly tall, narrow chimneys.

 

“Kagome,” Rin whispered, “it looks like a house from a storybook.” She snapped out of her enchantment. “Letmeout! LetmeoutletmeOUT!” she screeched, bouncing against the restraints of her safety seat belts. Kagome slid open the door of her minivan and swore the girl was vibrating with scarcely contained enthusiasm.

 

“Rin Rin, look at me. Look at me!” she commanded. “You need to settle down. We are guests here; mind your manners.” Rin nodded solemnly as her aunt unbuckled her. Freedom won, she ran and twirled, arms outspread, to the front door, looking to all the world like a child tornado.

 

“KAHgome! You're too slow!”

 

Kagome rolled her eyes and followed quickly. So much for minding one's manners; Rin's attention span was notoriously short when she was excited. She approached the heavy, dark wood door, raised and dropped the knocker. After a moment the door was opened by Rose Taisho.

 

“Uhh, I hope you knew we were coming,” Kagome sputtered, expecting to see Sesshoumaru. She thought Inuyasha's mother, wearing a prim black dress, the most elegant person she'd ever laid eyes on.

 

“Of course, welcome to our home,” Rose greeted warmly. Sesshoumaru appeared behind his mother.

 

“Kagome, Rin, thank you for coming,” he said. “I hope you found the place without difficulty.”

 

“All good,” Kagome replied. “I've had a few clients in this neighborhood over the years.” Her discomfit with the situation was rapidly fading.

 

“Rin,” Rose said, bending down, “Sesshoumaru wants to show your auntie something out back. How would you like to come have cookies and milk with me?”

 

Rin looked up at Kagome, hope writ plain on her face. Kagome smiled indulgently and nodded, then watched the two disappear, leaving her alone with Sesshoumaru. She noted his dark linen pants and cobalt silk shirt. They must be tailored, she reflected, observing the effortless way his clothes fit his tall, broad frame. She shook her head to clear it. “Rin's beside herself. I didn't tell her much, but she could barely sleep last night after I mentioned we'd be paying a visit today.”

 

“Let's go around this way to the back, and I'll show you the guest house,” he said, shutting the door behind him.

 

They walked together down the stone path that encompassed the house, and she ooed appreciatively at the beautiful oakleaf hydrangeas growing in the shade. Sesshoumaru glanced at Kagome's denim-clad legs as she walked in front of him and thought that perhaps they were even longer and shapelier than he surmised the day before. Her whole body was long and slender, willowy and graceful, with lovely, curvy hips providing a feminine contrast to her lithe, athletic build. He mentally kicked himself; apparently it had been too long since he had gotten out of the office.

 

They walked around the outside of the mansion, then Kagome stopped short when she saw the guest house. It was Tudor like the main residence, but looked like a quaint English cottage, complete with red roses climbing up a trellis. Sesshoumaru pushed the door open, and they entered. Kagome tried to act nonchalantly as she saw the spacious entryroom, but, as they progressed, the kitchen was her undoing. It was a dream come true. The huge windows, granite countertops, and stainless Viking Professional Series Range and Designer Refrigerator called to her like a lover. A lover she could never afford in a million years.

 

“Jesus Cartwheeling Christ! Are you people fucking made of money? This is the best kitchen I've ever seen!” She ran her hands along the cool granite, sighing in bliss.

 

“Do you speak this way around Rin?” he frowned.

 

“Not on purpose,” Kagome answered playfully. “Show me more!”

 

There were two large bedrooms facing each other across the hallway, an enormous bathroom with a steam shower and luxurious whirlpool tub that made Kagome want to throw off her clothes, and a third bedroom that would work perfectly for her studio. Sesshoumaru gestured to a door. “That leads to the attic. The ceiling is too steeply pitched to make it very practical, but it can be used for storage or a playroom.” They turned a corner and entered the newly finished solarium. Kagome's jaw dropped; she was speechless as she imagined how perfectly her loom would fit and envisioned herself weaving on sunny mornings and starry nights.

 

“I'll take it!” she screamed, jumping up and down, hugging him. “Oh, sorry,” she apologized, seeing his scandalized expression. “It's just so perfect. I couldn't dream up anything more perfect. Rin's gonna go crazy! I'm going crazy! It's so…perfect!” She hugged him again, then ran back down the hall into the heavenly kitchen.

 

Sesshoumaru followed slowly, taken aback by Kagome's vivacious display. She was half lying on the counter, cheek pressed against the smooth surface, caressing with her hands. “You're not very inhibited are you?” he commented.

 

She straightened, a devilish look in her eyes. “Nah. I'm not known for my restraint. Oh my GOD! Is that a built-in wine refrigerator?”

 

Sesshoumaru interrupted her delirious examination of the appliances. “We'll order furniture tomorrow—”

 

“I've got my own furniture, so don't worry about it. With all the change Rin's been through, keeping her own bed and stuff will at least be something constant.” Kagome realized a matter had been neglected. “Oh, I should tell you…I've got a dog.”

 

Sesshoumaru frowned; this was not good news. “That's a problem. My father will have a hard enough time accepting this arrangement. He doesn't like animals.” He briefly recalled his childhood obsession with getting a dog and his father's steadfast refusal. It was one of the few times he and Inuyasha called a truce and joined forces, in the hopes that they would end up with a canine companion. They had even worked out a program of taking turns sleeping with the wished-for dog, but their dreams never came to fruition. Ken Taisho's stubborn dislike outlasted Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's combined effort.

 

“Sorry, dog's a deal breaker. Oberon is family; where we go, he goes.” She paused. “Where is your dad anyway? Does he know about this yet?”

 

“My father is golfing, and no, I felt it best he remain unaware until I knew your answer.”

 

“Delaying the inevitable?” she teased lightly. “That doesn't sound like you?”

 

His eyes narrowed at her familiar tone. “Just think of it as strategic planning. The painters will be here later in the week. Do you have any specific colors you want or don't want?”

 

“Oh I'll paint. I love painting, and that way I can pick out colors myself.”

 

“Kagome, you don't need—”

 

“I know I don't need to; I want to. We can come over during the day, I'll paint, and Rin can have a chance to get used to you. Say, that reminds me. I need to be clear about this. I'll need help. We are going to have to coordinate schedules and work together. I'm used to having downstairs neighbors who helped a lot, not to mention all the friends I have within shouting distance. I know you are busy, but I'm not gonna do it all myself.”

 

Sesshoumaru bit back a retort. Her bossiness was wearing his patience thin. “We will work it out.”

 

“Another thing… Rin's a great kid, and for whatever reason she thinks you're the bee's knees. I won't let her be ignored by you, especially living this close now. It would really hurt her feelings. So like it or not, you're due for a crash course on childrearing.”

 

As if I don't already have enough to deal with, he thought, then remembered he had a lot to do at the office. “I've got to go to work. Are we done?”

 

“You work on a Sunday? Just like Inuyasha always said,” she remarked, shaking her head.

 

“And what exactly did my brother always say?” he asked in spite of himself.

 

“That you don't have a life outside work,” she replied.

 

There was a sudden voice in his ear. Shit Sesshoumaru, you work more than Dad. If you don't learn to relax and get a life outside work, you'll end up having a heart attack like him too. “Mind your own business, Kagome.” They walked out into the morning sunshine. “How many keys do you want?”

 

“Oh, let's see…I'll need three for myself. I've got a tendency to lose keys,” she confided. “And I'd like to give one to Sango…in case. So four.”

 

“There's no boyfriend?”

 

“Nope. I don't date. Shall we go tell Rin?” she asked brightly.

 

He wondered about the no dating statement. He had always been under the impression from conversations with his brother that Kagome had an active sex life. Banishing the thought, he reminded himself he didn't care about the details of this woman's personal habits. She was an irritant, and the further he could distance himself from her, the better.

 

XxXxX

 

I do not own Inuyasha, nor do I claim ownership of any Marvel abilities, Star Trek characters, Botox, Google Maps,or Viking appliances. Reviews, as always, are encouraged and appreciated.