InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Dancing with Scissors ❯ Adventures in Babysitting ( Chapter 18 )

“Sorry we're late,” Kouga announced as he and Ayame approached the large group of friends who were gathered at the side of a crowded playing field. “Wow, that's quite a spread,” he said appreciatively, eyeing the vast expanse of food set out on two adjoining picnic tables. “Where should I put this?”

 

Jak saw what Kouga was carrying and shot him a condescending sneer. “Watermelon? The lazy person's contribution to a picnic,” he scoffed. “I bet you didn't even bring a knife. Kouga, here I thought you were going to replace Inuyasha in my heart as Object of Unrequited Lust, but you've just taken a nose dive in my estimation. Quick! Take off your clothes to redeem yourself!”

 

“Hey!” Miroku protested. “I thought I was your new love interest.” He and Jak waggled eyebrows at each other with exaggerated comic sexuality.

 

“Jak was always attracted to your brother,” Kagome told Sesshoumaru with a naughty smile, “and when he found out Inuyasha let Kikyou do him with a strap-on, it turned into a big, fat, obsessive crush.”

 

Sesshoumaru sighed patiently, knowing she took perverse pleasure taunting him with bits of information he considered highly inappropriate.

 

“Hi Kagome, Sesshoumaru,” Ayame greeted, simmering with excitement. “Where's Bank?”

 

“He went with Rin to get some water for Kagome's beast,” Miroku responded. “What took you so long anyway? They're taking a break, but Sango's team is only one point from winning. It'll be over any time.”

 

“We were a little busy.” Kouga nudged Ayame. “Show them.” Ayame held out her left hand, adorned with an obscenely large diamond.

 

“Girl,” Kanna purred, “that thing is blinding.”

 

“Is that band platinum?” Jak lifted her hand and inspected the ring, nodding his approval. “I'll plan your wedding. I'm envisioning…spring, outdoors, bouquets of irises.”

 

As most of the group offered congratulations and admired the rock on Ayame's finger, Kagome drew Kouga aside. “So much for taking things slow,” she scolded with an elbow nudge.

 

“I got a little caught up in the moment,” he said.

 

“Are you sure about this?” she asked with concern.

 

He grinned. “No doubts.”

 

Kagome couldn't keep from smiling in return. “Congratulations.” They embraced warmly, and she said in a low voice, “And there's nothing wrong with long engagements.”

 

Cheers erupted as the two Ultimate teams took the field and resumed play, and the group refocused the collective attention on the game.

 

“Damn, Miroku,” Kagome commented, watching Sango, who had taken off her sweaty t-shirt and was now clad in nothing more than a sports bra and running shorts. She gracefully jumped and caught the flying disc in mid-air and threw it to a teammate, then ran down the field toward the other team's end zone. “Sango's the smex.”

 

“Isn't she, though,” he replied hotly. “How about you ditch this celibacy nonsense and have a three-some with me and the wife?”

 

Kagome snorted. “As tempted as I am…after a lull of going on two years, group sex with close friends just seems a little drastic.”

 

“Come on, Kagome,” Miroku teased, “you were always the person who jumped into the deep end of the pool.”

 

“I think in this case I'll be standing in the shallow end, slowly getting my feet wet,” she said, pouring herself an iced tea, “but more on that later. I only want to say it once, and Sango needs to hear it more than anyone.”

 

All present were curious about the hint Kagome had dropped, but were distracted by the huge dog that was barreling into their midst, followed by Bank, piggybacking a delighted Rin.

 

“Obi!” Kagome called, crouching down with her arms out. He ran right past her to come to a stop in front of Sesshoumaru, panting heavily. “What the—” Kagome stood and stared. “What'd you do to my dog?”

 

Sesshoumaru scratched the top of the canine head and asked, “What are you talking about?”

 

“That.” Kagome gesticulated vaguely. “He's never, ever walked past me to greet someone else. Do you have…gravy in your pocket or something?”

 

“Gravy in my pocket?” he echoed incredulously.

 

“You must have done something for him to bypass me.” She held her hand out to the dog, who responded by leaning against Sesshoumaru, obviously not interested in abandoning the petting he was receiving. Rin, once again on the ground, came skipping up and hugged Sesshoumaru's other leg, smiling up with joy. “First the dog…now the kid. I'm feeling very unloved,” she pouted.

 

Kagome's self-pity was interrupted by the action on the field. Sango, at one end of the field, dove to make a catch for the score, resulting in the end of the game. After congratulations and condolences were exchanged by the two teams, Sango jogged up, flushed, sweaty, and grass stained. She threw her arms around her husband, laughing at his mock indignation at being assaulted while she was in such a filthy state.

 

“You like it and you know it,” she giggled, groping his ass in perfect imitation of his own trademark move.

 

“Get a room, you two,” Jak said. “You know how jealous I get.”

 

“Aw,” Kagome taunted in a baby voice, “does Jaky have a Straight-Boy Fetish?”

 

“You know it,” he responded, blowing her a kiss.

 

Sango grabbed a water bottle and, after dumping half of it on her head, took a drink. “That's it,” she said, catching her breath. “We're in the finals; it's over for now. Right now I'm just thankful it isn't quite as hot as it's been the past week.”

 

“No kidding.” Kagome agreed, looking at the food containers floating in ice water. “Half this stuff never would have survived that ninety eight degree shit of two days ago.” She remembered with a start that Rin was back and smiled guiltily at the stern looks on the faces of the girl and her uncle. “Let's eat?” she offered, hoping to placate them.

 

Once Sango had cooled down a bit and washed as best she could, Kouga and Ayame shared their news, and the group felt it had leave to descend on the crudités platter, pita, baba ganoush and hummus, grilled vegetable sandwiches, roasted garlic potato salad, and pecan-crusted brie with gusto. Someone had even managed to procure a sharp knife to cut into the ubiquitous watermelon. Once everyone had declared themselves nearly stuffed, Kagome presented dessert, a delectable lemon curd and raspberry trifle.

 

“Alright everybody, I've got a little announcement.” Kagome said, waiting for her friends' attention. “Due to some not-so-gentle pressure from a certain person whose initials are…Sango Mori,” she trained her accusatory glare good-naturedly at Sango, “I have come to a decision.” She took a deep breath. “I'm ready to date again.”

 

Jak hooted with laughter. “Kagome Higurashi's Protected Wetlands are now open for Public Drilling! Who's your first victim, Kags?”

 

Kagome hoped the withering gaze directed at Jak would silence any other snarky comments. “Derrick Abersold, if you must know. He called me today and asked me out for dinner. He's a nice…non-threatening guy, and I decided not to say No.”

 

“Derrick…he took over the zombie walk,” Miroku said, nodding. “Isn't he kind of young for you?”

 

“He's twenty. Not that young.”

 

Jak did a quick mathematical calculation. “Tadpoling, Kagome?” he needled.

 

“What?” she snarled.

 

“Half Your Age Plus Seven Rule. You're twenty-eight. Fourteen plus seven. Twenty-one is the lowest you can go without robbing the cradle. Are you going to start trolling at high school parking lots next?”

 

Kagome chewed her lip. “Shut the fu—” she stopped herself in time. “Just be quiet. I'd thought you be happy for me.”

 

Sango put her arm around Kagome in encouragement and leveled a glare at Jak. “We are happy for you, honey. I know this is a big step, but you're ready.” Sango was pleased that Kagome was moving on and completely understood her desire to ease back into things, but she nevertheless stole a look at Sesshoumaru to gauge his reaction. He certainly was difficult to read; she honestly couldn't tell if he was displeased or not, but Sango did notice that Rin was peering at him curiously.

 

“I don't want to make a huge deal out of it; it's been a while, but shouldn't be hard to pick up where I left off...like falling off a bike, right?”

 

“Kagome,” Miroku laughed, “I think the expression is `like riding a bike', though in your case, falling seems so oddly apt.”

 

“Whatever.” Kagome waved her hand dismissively. “I need to call Planned Parenthood on Monday and make an appointment to get back on the pill and stock up on condoms.”

 

“Well, I for one am happy you are getting your social life back,” Bank said. “This shunning men thing was getting ridiculous.”

 

“It's just dinner with one of Inuyasha's acolytes,” Kagome said lightly. She looked at Sesshoumaru. “So…I know your parents are going out of town all next week. Can you babysit on Thursday night?”

 

“What time?” he asked with feigned disinterest, trying not to betray his jealousy.

 

“I'm not a baby,” Rin retorted, wishing she understood better the disappointed frustration she sensed floating around her uncle.

 

XxXxX

 

Kagome breezed into the living room where Sesshoumaru was sitting with Rin, surrounded by the day's art projects. “So how do I look? This hemline is so short I actually had to put on underwe—” She flushed with embarrassment. “Let's pretend I didn't say that.”

 

Sesshoumaru hoped his extreme displeasure did not reach his face. Kagome was wearing an aqua-colored, spaghetti-strap, silk mini dress that seems like it was designed solely to be taken off, and he couldn't stand the fact that she, looking like the dictionary definition of the word Sexy, was going on a date with someone other than him. The situation was unacceptable. “Kagome,” he began in what he hoped was an innocent-sounding voice, scarcely able to believe the level to which he was about to stoop, “have you gained weight?”

 

Kagome froze in alarm. “Oh my god! DoIlookfat?” she worried, scandalized.

 

“No, no, of course not,” he contradicted, too quickly for her comfort. “Forget I said anything.”

 

She spun and fled back into her bedroom. Sesshoumaru tried to avoid Rin's penetrating gaze. He didn't buy into the mind reading ability Kagome had mentioned, but the girl did seem astonishingly perceptive.

 

Rin studied him, gradually becoming aware of something of which she only had the vaguest comprehension. He liked her. “Uncle Sesshoumaru,” she asked slyly, utterly failing in her attempt to act as if the question she was about to ask was purely casual and meant nothing, “do you think Kagome's pretty?”

 

He was spared from answering by the entrance of the subject of inquiry. Kagome was now dressed in a long, flowing skirt and loose, three-quarter sleeve top. Still stunning, but more modestly covered, the clothes were far less likely to induce the urge to throw her down and strip her naked than previous article had him confronting only minutes earlier.

 

“I've got to go,” she said, fumbling in her bag for keys. “I won't be out too late, but will you let Oberon out in an hour or two? And Rin really needs a bath tonight; she got dirty at the playground today. I was able to wash off the surface layer, but the stubborn filth usually requires a good soak. Are you sure you're okay with this?”

 

“Kagome, I'll remind you I've put the child to bed several times already.”

 

“Yeah, but your mother or I was always in shouting distance.” She looked intently at Rin. “You. Be good.” Kagome leaned down and kissed the smooth forehead tenderly. “Thanks a lot for babysitting,” she said, turning her attention again to Sesshoumaru. “You've got my number; don't hesitate to call if she's too much to handle.”

 

Sesshoumaru raised his brow in an elegant, irritated gesture. He ran a successful corporation, owned most of the city's prime downtown real estate, and had a black belt in Kendo. The implication that he was out of his league rankled. “We'll be fine,” he muttered dryly.

 

“Jeez, I wasn't trying to insult you!” She bent down and gave Rin another kiss, then straightened a little and kissed Sesshoumaru on his cheek in her most sisterly, affectionate way.

 

After she left, Rin smiled, “Will you play a game with me?”

 

“What game,” he asked hesitantly, still feeling the feathery weightlessness of Kagome's lips brushing against his skin.

 

Rin climbed down from the sofa, saying, “Be right back.” She returned from her room a moment later with a battered, colorful box. “Candy Land!” She set it on the coffee table. “Sango gave my Mommy this when I was a baby. My friend, Shippou, has it too, but it's the Dora the Explorer one.” She took out the board. “What color do you want to be?”

 

“Red,” he replied, relieved; he could deal with a board game.

 

“You can't be red. I'm always red,” Rin said with exasperation, as if he should already know this.

 

“Blue.”

 

Rin put the pieces at the starting point. “You just take the top card and go to the next square with that color. There's special cards too. You'll see.”

 

The game, which had started with such cheer went downhill precipitously. Rin drew a red card, allowing her to move forward only one space. Sesshoumaru drew an orange, sending him over the Rainbow Trail.

 

“That was lucky,” he said, unaware that when Kagome, Kikyou, and Inuyasha played with the girl, they always stacked the deck to let Rin win in a landslide. “I just skipped about a third of the course.”

 

Rin scowled her disapproval. She hadn't lost a game of Candy Land played against an adult since before she could remember. She drew the next card—a purple, moving her up one. Sesshoumaru drew a double green and moved up ten squares. Rin's next card was a yellow, again sending her forward one. Play proceeded in that fashion, with Sesshoumaru frequently drawing double colors and Rin inching forward, as her confusion turned to anger. Just as it seemed as though Sesshoumaru would win within the next few turns, he drew a red and got stuck in the Molasses Swamp. Rin heaved a grateful sigh; she would have a chance to catch up to him. Sesshoumaru, for his part, could tell his niece was getting frustrated at how slowly she was advancing, but had no idea the size of the maelstrom that was threatening.

 

Rin drew a card with a lollipop on it. “Princess Lolly!” she squealed. She skipped forward several dozen spaces; all was not lost. Sesshoumaru was still stuck, and she was making swift progress. Rin drew a double green, putting her directly behind him. Sesshoumaru's next card was a red, providing the necessary means to move out of the swamp, but then disaster struck. Rin drew a card with a Candy Cane. Her face fell. Her lower lip quivered. Her eyes filled with tears. “Mr. Mint,” she whispered, like a death sentence. She looked at Sesshoumaru, who was patiently waiting for her to move her red gingerbread-shaped token to the Peppermint Forest at the bottom of the board, and couldn't understand why her uncle didn't say she was immune from moving backwards like her parents and Kagome always did. Sesshoumaru drew a double purple. He won.

 

“Again,” Rin demanded, face torn between disbelief and anger.

 

Sesshoumaru knew the child was on the verge of a meltdown, but felt powerless. She wanted to win; however despite the shared desire for that outcome, the chances were only fifty-fifty. He acquiesced, reluctantly shuffling the stack of tattered cards and moving the game pieces back to the beginning. “Rin, it's only a game. The important thing is for us to have fun. It doesn't really matter who wins.”

 

Rin gave him a look of such repulsed, insolent annoyance that he swore the girl was channeling Inuyasha from beyond the grave. “Again,” she growled.

 

Sesshoumaru, as the winner of the previous game, took the top card. It was a snowflake, even more worn than the rest of the deck. Rin looked on in horror. Queen Frostine was her card.

 

“NOOO!” she shouted. “That's MY card. I'm going first.” She tried to pull it out of his hand.

 

“Rin,” he scolded, trying not to sound too harsh, “we have to follow the rules.”

 

Rin answered by screaming, “You're cheating! Give it to me!”

 

His determination to act like a detached adult was crumbling in the face of the ferocious, unfair anger. He knew that it would be a bad idea to let her have her way after such obnoxious behavior, but he had never seen the girl act in that manner and didn't know the best way to diffuse the Rin-Bomb, teetering on the edge of explosion. “I'm not cheating,” he said reasonably. “Now calm down or we will have to put it away. I won't play with you if you insist on throwing a tantrum like a spoiled, little two-year old.”

 

It was the exact wrong thing to say. “I'm NOT A BABY!” Rin picked up the stack of cards and threw them as hard as she could, then threw the game pieces and the board itself. Oberon, lying nearby, retreated in order to avoid becoming collateral damage, tail between his legs. She stopped and suddenly became cognizant of Sesshoumaru's stern condemnation and the truth of his words. Bursting into tears, she retreated into the safety of her bedroom, empty of the visible evidence of her deplorable conduct and an adult whom she would have given anything to not disappoint.

 

Sesshoumaru waited a few minutes, giving the girl an opportunity to get the hottest, most immediate part of her temper out, then went into the room. Rin was curled up in a ball on her bed, face buried, hiccupping the end of her sobs. He sat next to her and laid a hand on a shaking shoulder.

 

Rin lifted her head, dangerously close to crying anew. “I'm sorry,” she apologized, voice barely audible.

 

Sesshoumaru tilted her chin and saw terror in the wide, amber eyes. He picked her up and held her small body close against him.

 

“I'm sorry. Please don't go away. I'll be good. I promise,” she said frantically, hiding her face in his chest.

 

“Rin,” he gentled, “I'm not going anywhere.” He stroked the untidy dark hair until she looked up at him, trusting that he wouldn't reject her, that the damage wasn't permanent. Smiling, he asked with amusement, “Now what was that all about? I think you scared the dog.”

 

Rin sniffed. “I guess I don't like to lose at Candy Land.”

 

He laughed quietly. “I guess not. Why don't we go back into the living room. I'll help you pick up the mess you made, and then you can have your bath.”

 

XxXxX

 

Sesshoumaru scanned Kagome's liquor bottles without a hint of remorse, praying she was fond of whiskey; he was in dire need of a stiff drink. Rin was finally asleep, hopefully to remain that way, and though he brought his laptop to do research for his upcoming trip, he decided he would skip work and go directly to indulging in Scarlet Letter'd.

 

The rest of the evening had gone much better than Candy Land; Rin had gotten over the shame of her behavior and cheered up considerably, but the process of bathing the girl had nonetheless left him exhausted. It had begun with his apparent inability to get the water temperature just right and continued with Rin pouring half a bottle of foam bath into the water, which he realized, too late, was expensive and probably Kagome's. The bubbles went above the girl's head, even when she was standing, and slopped over the side of the tub and puddled on the floor in a way that seemed to mockingly punctuate his incompetence.

 

He learned several valuable lessons in the course of the hour that Rin played in the water. First, one should never trust a four-year old under any circumstances, but especially not to use the correct amount of bath product. Second, one should insist the child in question sit on the toilet before climbing into the tub, even if said child claims the lack of need. Third, related to the second point, when naked and wet, children are slipperier than one could possibly imagine. Fourth, make certain one sets aside a towel for the drying of the child before attempting to soak up the bubbles and water threatening to flood the room. He managed somehow to dry his niece and get her into bed, but not before the entire bathroom floor was damp, populated by lumpy, water-logged towels that resembled sad, beached whales.

 

He knew he should do something about the towels before Kagome returned, but after Rin coaxed what he suspected was an unprecedented number of books from him and kept calling him back into her room for a drink of water…for an extra kiss…to tell him she loved him…to kiss her stuffed animals… to tuck her in better, he only wanted to relax for a few minutes.

 

He sat on the sofa and poured a drink, then petted the dog next to him, who seemed as grateful as he that peace had perhaps finally descended, and turned to the back of The Missing Link.

 

Scarlet Letter'd: Advice from the Soapbox of the Damned

 

Dear Scarlet, Why do young women dislike nice guys? I'm smart, interesting, funny, and good-looking, but I can't find anyone to go out with me. When I go out with a young woman I treat her like a princess—open doors for her, pay the bills, lavishly compliment her hair and clothes (even if she doesn't look that great), and politely behave like a gentleman, but I rarely get second dates. The only women who seem willing to give me a try are totally desperate, either fat or old, and beneath my consideration. I see all around me examples of women preferring the “bad boy” type over guys like me. Why do women want to be treated like shit? I'm tempted to act like an asshole, because it will probably get me laid. Signed, Why Are Women So Ignorant

 

Dear Ignorant, Perhaps the reason you aren't getting any second dates is because you are whiny, insincere, and boring. That “bad boy” you see all the girls swooning over may in fact be pleasant to be around, as well as being dangerously sexy. I will argue, contrary to your central thesis, that women do not like to be treated badly. Nor do we like to be put on pedestals. I, for one, find a potential partner who will treat me like an equal an attractive one. I can open my own damn door and prefer to split bills or at least take turns paying. Also I can sniff out bullshit like a bloodhound—if a guy showered me with remarks about my lovely appearance, I'd think he was gay or up to something. It is true, some women are turned on by the rebel or the loner archetype ; also true, unfortunately, is the fact that some women have no backbone and can't stand up to a jerk (whether or not they like the behavior is debatable). However I think the majority of women like guys who are nice and polite, without being a yawn-inducing sycophant, and actually interesting (not merely believing they are)…though I'd be lying if I didn't admit that a touch of mysterious and menacing sensuality only sweetens the deal. If you are considering acting “like an asshole”, something you purport is so antithetical to your real personality, in order to get some, maybe you are the one who is desperate.

 

He was interrupted from his fantasizing about how he could learn the identity of Scarlet by the sounds of Kagome coming home. The dog heard the van first and went, tail wagging, to the door, which opened after a moment. Kagome entered and petted and cooed at the dog, asking “Were you a good boy? Who's a good boy?” She noticed Sesshoumaru on the sofa, drink in hand.

 

“Hey! How'd it go?” She saw the Candy Land box on the coffee table. “Candy Land? She hasn't wanted to play that in a long—” Realization slapped her. “Oh god. Ohmygod. You don't know the Candy Land Rules. Is she still alive?” Kagome didn't wait for an answer. “I'm so, so sorry. I had no idea she'd pull that out. We haven't played it in ages.”

 

“We…survived,” Sesshoumaru responded neutrally.

 

“Shit,” Kagome said, tossing her bag on the kitchen counter and grabbing a glass and two ice cubes. “Rin is an amazingly great kid…really just a fucking fabulous, wonderful, loving child.” She flopped on the couch next to Sesshoumaru and splashed some of the Bushmills 16-Year Old Single Malt into her glass. “But I suppose we all have our downfall, and for Rin it is Candy Land. We started playing it with her when she was almost three…thought it would be a great first game—minimal counting, good introduction to colors, teach fair play, all that. Which would have been fine, had it not been for Queen Frostine.” She inhaled the aroma of the liquor and took a sip. “Really that card is just too powerful to belong in a game for young children. The person who draws it practically has a lock on victory. But for Rin, that the Arctic Trollop looked all pretty and princessy and happy was just too alluring. She starting throwing fits when someone else drew it; started putting the card under her pillow at night. Then she started freaking if she didn't win. Normally Kikyou was a fairly strict disciplinarian and would never abide that kind of shit, but when she tried taking Queen Frostine out of deck, Rin lost it. We decided she was kind of obsessed and cutting her off cold turkey would do more harm than good, so we just humored her when we couldn't avoid playing, figuring that when she was older and a little less crazy about it, we could stop fixing the game. Really Candy Land is the only game she's ever done anything other than totally be a good sport. Am I to assume, based on the fact that you've got my good Irish whiskey out, that she's still got some hang-ups?” Kagome asked, a little smile playing on the corners of her mouth.

 

Now that the situation was behind him, Sesshoumaru was able to see the humor in it. Almost. “She threw a rather large fit, but seemed to understand the gravity as soon as she was finished and was suitably remonstrative. And afraid I'd leave her.”

 

The smile disappeared. “Poor thing. I imagine the death of her parents has left some lingering fear of abandonment. Kids this age are still trying to find their place in a big, sometimes scary world that doesn't always play fair; tantrums are par for the course, and with Rin, they are fortunately few and far between. Sorry that happened. How did the rest of the night go? Did she get a bath in?”

 

“Uh…” Sesshoumaru scratched the back of his head and wouldn't meet her eyes.

 

Kagome looked at him suspiciously; she had never seen him hedge like that before. She got up and disappeared into the bathroom, returning a few minutes later. “What the hell happened? Every towel I own is soaked. And half my L'Occitane is gone.” She was obviously irritated and sat back down heavily. “That was a gift from Inuyasha. Do you know how fucking expensive that stuff is?”

 

“Kagome, I'll replace it. I had no idea Rin would put so much in.”

 

“Rin did it? She knows my stuff is off limits…sneaky little shit. Hers is the Burt's Bees.” Kagome poured them another drink. “What time did she go to sleep?”

 

“About half an hour ago.” Kagome noted the time was ten thirty and gaped at him incredulously. “She kept needing things,” he said in his defense.

 

Kagome laughed. “That kid excels at filibustering, and she seems to have run all over you. She's good though,” she said reassuringly patting his arm. “I know how tempting it is to give her everything she wants, how fun it is to make her happy. I'm still working on that with your father. You just gotta show her you're not a pushover. She'll be disappointed at first, but she'll get over it. Kids may think they like to be in control, but they need the security of knowing who's really in charge. Firm but loving.”

 

He wanted to contradict her belief that he was in need of parenting advice, but knew she was correct. “How was your date?” he asked, changing the subject.

 

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Epic Fail. He said, and I quote, `Kagome, you've always been like a big sister to me, and Inuyasha said you were a good person to talk to. I need advice about my girlfriend.' I felt really fucking special.” She sipped her beverage. “It's just as well. I don't think I'm ready to date yet after all.”

 

“Why not? And why did you stop in the first place?” While not disappointed that her evening out had gone poorly, he didn't want her to close that door yet.

 

Kagome was silent, then sighed raggedly. “I've got trust issues. Related not so much to the stalking and assault, but more to the depression afterward. I don't have a problem with other people; it's trusting myself that I find impossible sometimes.” She banished the sadness from her face. “Now, tell me something about yourself. Whenever we are together, I do all the talking. It's your turn.”

 

He stared into her open, pretty face, and detected a hint of coquettishness. “What do you wish to know, Kagome?” he asked matching her mildly flirtatious tone.

 

“Well, I already know you are intelligent and reserved and work too much…what do you do for fun?”

 

“I actually enjoy my work a great deal, but apart from that, I play racquetball when I can fit it into my schedule and practice at the Kamae Kendo Club three times a week.”

 

“Kendo? Interesting. How long have you been doing that?” She seemed impressed.

 

“I started when I was a junior at Harvard, so twelve years. It was difficult at first; I had been a fencer for years, and though both are sword fighting arts, the techniques are quite different, and it took me a while to unlearn moves that had become instinctual.”

 

“Fencing?” she said, surprised. “Oh yeah! I keep forgetting that you went to an East Coast prep school.” Kicking off her sandals, she got more comfortable, scooting a little closer. “Okay. What was the last movie you saw on the big screen? Mine was The Simpsons Movie.”

 

He searched his memory. “Probably the last movie I saw was Hero, when I was in Japan for business several years ago.”

 

“So you must be pretty fluent to see a movie in the language.”

 

He smiled softly, happy with their growing rapport. “It's not the most dialogue-heavy movie. I know enough to get by.”

 

Kagome squirmed with excitement. “How do you say…`your place or mine, hot stuff?' in Japanese?”

 

“That wasn't covered in my Japanese for Business classes,” he frowned, wishing he knew.

 

“Huh…seems pretty essential to me,” she giggled. “What's your favorite type of food?”

 

Back to neutral territory. “Toss-up between Korean and Thai.”

 

“Ooo, you like spicy!” Kagome enthused at the discovery. “What was the last book you read? Mine was Deathly Hallows. Isn't this fun!”

 

He had to admit, he was enjoying her company very much. “The World Is Flat, by Thomas Friedman.”

 

Kagome curled her lip in mild distaste. “A non-fiction book about globalization. Nowhere near as fun as Hero in Japanese. That reminds me…I'm the moving force behind a film appreciation group that I need to get rolling again. It understandably got put on hiatus in May. Anyway…what's your favorite sex position?” She smacked her forehead. “I swore I wasn't going to do that to you anymore. Sorry,” she apologized. “I need to keep reminding myself that you're not Inuyasha…or Miroku or Jak. I guess I just miss him, but I'm glad we are becoming friends. And I'm trying to be more aware of your Puritanical sensibilities.”

 

“Puritanical, I am?” he asked with a wicked glint in his eye, sorely tempted to show her exactly where his sensibilities lay.

 

“Eeek! Teasing!” she laughed, moving away. “Goddam, time to stop drinking. I've got to take Rin to the dentist tomorrow morning. School starts back up next week, and I want get all the practical stuff squared away before that. Do you mind if we coordinate schedules soon?”

 

He became serious again. “My parents will be back on Saturday, and we can do it then. I need to tell you though, I'm going out of the country soon for two weeks.”

“Oh?” she said, sobering quickly. “Where are you going?”

 

“Singapore. I have an investment opportunity to look into. The family's real estate and domestic financial holdings are extensive, but I feel we need to diversify into international markets. I'm already involved in Tokyo and India, now Singapore. If it pans out, I'll have to go minimally one more time. And that means I'll be twice as busy at the office when I'm stateside. I'll help as much as I can, but I'm afraid you won't be able to rely as heavily on me for help. At least for the next two months.”

 

Kagome felt inexplicably sad. “Rin will miss you. So will I. We will miss you.”

 

He watched her, as emotions flickered across her lovely features, pooling in her deep brown eyes. “I'll miss you too. Both of you.”

 

They finished their drinks, and she saw him to the door.

 

“If you have any Post Traumatic Stress from Candy Land and Bath Time, Sango is an excellent therapist. She'd be happy to help.” Kagome returned to her gentle, teasing familiarity.

 

He recalled Sango's interest in Kagome's dating life and her quiet attention directed at him when Kagome made her announcement at the picnic and had an idea. Sesshoumaru got a wonderful, awful idea. “Goodnight, Kagome.” He walked back to the manor confidently, plotting.

 

&&&

 

I do not own Inuyasha. Also no claim to Adventures in Babysitting, Planned Parenthood, Candy Land or any of its characters, Dora the Explorer, Bushmills, L'Occitane, Burt's Bees, The Simpsons Movie, Hero, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century, or any Dr. Seuss lines . Thank you for reading!