InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Dystopian Story of Lovers ❯ Storm and Stress ( Chapter 4 )

 

 

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Storm and Stress

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha

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<<(())>><<(())>><<(())>>

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“So that's why I never like seaweed. I mean when one bundle tried to drown you before, I bet you wouldn't fancy it much either.”

 

Kagome blinked. She stared down at her miso soup and gulped. “Are they that dangerous?”

 

Inuyasha nodded, and his expression was dead serious. “Be careful that you don't choke on them.”

 

She nodded absently and pushed away her soup bowl.

 

“Should I get you another soup?” Inuyasha asked her ingenuously.

 

Kagome shook her head.

 

They were having lunch together in a small restaurant near the office. It was a habit they had developed for the past four weeks. At first Inuyasha had had to drag her out to lunch and dismissed the protests of her unwillingness to spend any time with him. But after the second weeks, she had gotten quite accustomed with their lunching dates. He even hadn't had to drag her away anymore. At one o'clock sharp she would be waiting for him in front of the office building.

 

Kagome picked on her food, feeling slightly uncomfortable. She somehow felt as if someone was watching her. She looked around her to find a middle-aged woman came strutting at them. Once the stranger was in front of their table, she raised her hand and smacked Inuyasha on the back of his head.

 

“Oww! Shit! What the fuck do you think—” Inuyasha caught himself in time as he saw who the assaulter was.

 

“Old hag—”

 

She smacked him again.

 

“Kaede-baba, stop that!” he yelled furiously. His hand was rubbing the spot where she had smacked him.

 

The woman smiled and sat down next to Kagome, making her fidget slightly. Suddenly she took Kagome's hand in hers and rubbed it gently.

 

“Now, tell me the name of this sweet girl who willingly tolerates the likes of you, Inuyasha.” Kaede smiled kindly at Kagome and softly squeezed her hand in hers.

 

Kagome stared dumbly at her, feeling strangely meek and submissive. Inuyasha cast a glance at her, and for a moment he was captivated by her shy attitude that he had to tear his gaze away to answer Kaede's question.

 

Kaede smiled softly. She had caught the tender gaze that Inuyasha had given to the young girl.

 

“Kaede-baba, this is Kagome. Kagome, this old hag —”

 

Kaede leaned forward in her chair to smack him again. Inuyasha immediately moved his chair slightly aback and corrected his introduction.

 

“Oh she's adorable, Inuyasha.” Her attention went back to Kagome. “Well, eat, eat, you need to put some more meat in those thin arms of yours.”

 

“Yes, ma'am,” Kagome answered her and began to eat slowly.

 

“So,” turning her head to Inuyasha, Kaede narrowed her eyes at him, “I hope you have a good reason for taking this girl out for a date. Especially when I heard you are still engaged to Kikyou,” she leaned forward to whisper to him; an unmistakable tone of approval laced her voice, “or have you left her to be with this girl?”

 

And as if things couldn't get worse, Kagome choked on the seaweed from the soup and began coughing for air.

 

“Now look what you've done Inuyasha; you upset her! Now set things straight with her and tell her you'd made a clean break with Kikyou!”

 

“Shut up, old hag!” He went beside Kagome and started pounding her back. When she quieted down, he still kept rubbing her back, making Kagome squirm a bit.

 

“You're okay?” he asked her gently. Kagome smiled at him and nodded. “I'm fine.” She looked at the woman beside her and began to speak, “Aunt Kaede—”

 

“Did you hear that, Inuyasha? Isn't she sweet? She called me Aunt Kaede, aaaw …” she crooned at Kagome and pinched her cheek.

 

Inuyasha immediately rubbed Kagome's assaulted cheek. “Stop it, will you? It hurts.”

 

Sitting in the middle of them, Kagome felt like a five-years-old again. Suddenly Inuyasha grabbed her hand and pulled her out of her chair. He walked rapidly towards the door, ignoring Kaede's shouts.

 

“What are you doing!?” Kagome tried to disentangle herself, but Inuyasha ignored her.

 

“Inuyasha!” They stopped in the middle of the street.

 

He seemed to be avoiding her gaze. “I just … don't want her to ruin this thing that we have …”

 

Kagome was baffled for a moment. “And what do we have?”

 

He kept his gaze down. “To have you opening up to me; I mean, just three weeks ago you treated me like shit, and now you're nicer to me, and I don't want her to come and ruin this, intentionally or unintentionally.”

 

“Ruin this? You mean our lunching arrangement?”

 

“You can call it anything you want. You can even call me your lunching pal.”

 

“Friends …” Kagome whispered softly, “Inuyasha, you're too nice, too nice for your own good, too nice for me.”

 

“I don't understand. Are you flattering me?” Kagome laughed softly at his question.

 

“You're making fun of me,” he muttered under his breath, “Let's all make fun of the stupid friendly puppy called Inuyasha.” He paused. “You know, you do this all the time, making me feel sometimes as if I'm stupid or something. The way you behave as if you had experienced something that made you seem so bitter. How does it feel? I mean being reserved. Does it make you feel important?” He was suddenly angry with her, because she had let him having a glimpse at the sweetness that she was, and then closed it again with her hurtful, covert remarks.

 

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him. “One hour friend, that's all you are to me, Inuyasha, nothing more. It's just sixty minutes of a day that I can afford to waste.”

 

“Fine, if you want it that way, then that's what you're going to get. Just let me tell you something. You don't realize this, do you? I'm the only friend you have in the company. I'm the only one who's willing enough to befriend a bitch like you,” he spoke quietly and left in anger.

 

Kagome drew a deep breath. It had been a long time since she felt as if she wanted to bawl and cry her eyes out. She imagined for a moment what it would be like to walk up to him and ask him for forgiveness. What would happen after that? Would they stay as friends? Spending more time with each other more than an hour, and then what? She couldn't afford it. With the condition of her heart in this moment, she couldn't afford any renewed vulnerability, didn't even know if she could stand it. Maybe once she had cared and loved freely, but now she couldn't have her dignities bruised like in the past.

 

<<(())>>

 

Inuyasha felt a hard smack against the back of his head again. He didn't have to turn around to identify the assaulter.

 

“What did you think you were doing, leaving me alone in the restaurant with the bill? And not to mention dragging that poor, sweet girl roughly before she had eaten at all. What's going on, Inuyasha?”

 

He turned around to face her. “Kaede-baba, this is ridiculous! I don't have to explain anything to you!”

 

“Well, yes you do, boy. Do I have to remind you who had wiped your runny nose when you were just a brat? Or who—”

 

“Alright. What do you want to know?” His voice was clipped and hard.

 

“Who is she?”

 

“Sesshoumaru's new secretary.”

 

“What is your relationship with her?”

 

“We're friends.”

 

“Why does this girl resemble Kameko perfectly, down to her scent?” As she made her inquiries, she was feeling a bit disappointed to find out that the girl wasn't in relationship with Inuyasha.

 

“Nature selection,” he answered her impassively.

 

She glared at him. “Don't play smart with me, boy. Tell me why did you hire her?”

 

“I didn't —” he began to protest but stopped instantly when she shot him a warning glare.

 

“Do you think I'm senile enough to not know how your pea brain works? You're the personnel manager. And if it wasn't you who hired her, I hardly doubt that it was Kagura. Tell me. You have plans. Are they good or are they bad?”

 

“For some people they're good, for others probably not,” he admitted heavily.

 

“Wrong answer. Now I want you to tell me honestly if this scheme of yours is good for Sesshoumaru and his new secretary.”

 

Inuyasha remained silent.

 

“I can't believe you! What have gotten into you? What do you want exactly? To have them fall in love with each other, and then to have the girl realizes that in the end she isn't loved for the right reason?”

 

“No! Hell, no! There's no way I'm going to let that happen!” He practically yelled at his own nanny.

 

“Then, what!?” she snapped at him, “What do you think will happen!? What do you expect to result from this encounter!?”

 

“I don't know!” he snapped back at her. “Shit …” He dropped his gaze.

 

“Inuyasha … it's not his fault. It's not his fault that you're illegitimate. It was not his fault that his mother treated you like dirt. You should've nothing against him. He had never done anything in his power to hurt you.”

 

“Maybe his fault was that he had never done anything about it. Maybe I would've not hated him so much, had he cared at all if only just for the tiniest bit and maybe for the wrong reason. If he just — fuck!” He banged his head against the wall.

 

Kaede looked sadly at him. She started to reach for him but he flinched away from her touch.

 

“Don't look at me like that.” His tone of voice was cold.

 

“Fine,” she sighed. “Play your little game but remember, don't hurt her. This girl … it was as if she … there's something about her, Inuyasha. The way she tried hard to be in focus —”

 

“It's maybe because of the drugs I've given her.” He smiled at his little joke but quickly changed his expression when he saw that his nanny was glaring at him.

 

“Do you know what it takes to look cheerful everyday even when you feel as if the sadness was eating you from the inside? I know this feeling too well. Ever since I lost my husband —” Inuyasha rolled his eyes as if he was going to hear something that he'd heard uncountable times before, but she hissed at him, “And you will listen to me, young man!”

 

“This girl had been through a lot. I could see that when I looked in her eyes today, and I really don't think that she would appreciate it when someone tries to pull a scheme on her that would only result to more wounds.”

 

Inuyasha started to feel guilty but he kept his impassive gaze at her.

 

“And you like her. No, don't try to deny it; I can see that you do. So play your little game but don't hurt her or yourself.” She smirked at him and left.

 

<<(())>>

 

“Miss Higurashi?”

 

She stopped her typing and looked up to the cold face of her employer. “Yes, Sir?”

 

Sesshoumaru kept his gaze straight, refusing to look at her, but Kagome was used to the way he ignored her. She was even actually glad that he wasn't trying to be kind or overtly friendly.

 

“Have you finished filling the invoice data I've given you?”

 

“I have, and I've put it on —”

 

“Just answer me yes or no,” Sesshoumaru snapped at her.

 

Kagome looked up in surprise. There really was no ending to this. The way he behaved from day one was as if he was trying to provoke her. She gulped down her anger and answered him tiredly, “Yes.”

 

He had sensed it, the small change of mood before she suppressed it down. The whole month he had tried to ignore her, treated her coldly and rude, but she just didn't get it that the ball was in her court. He couldn't just fire her out of no reason less they would know. And his conscience questioned him this time, `know what?'

 

And the thing was, he himself didn't know. All he knew was that for the first time in 500 years he felt threatened, and he didn't know why. He couldn't tell anyone that he had paranoia for something that didn't exist in name or form. He just knew that it had something to do with her.

 

So he took his chances when he felt her anger and began to pick on her. He knew just how to break her.

 

He had noticed that time and again how distressed she was every time someone reprimanded her for a simple mistake, and on the next task she would check every single detail on her work for a mistake. It was simple. She hated being chastised.

 

So he began to attack her on the unnecessary, picky things that she hadn't done, or works that he found were unsatisfactory, though they were perfect to the point of flawless.

 

Kagome shut her eyes tightly. Her lids trembled a little. She bit her lower lip to contain herself.

 

But Sesshoumaru kept on attacking her, mentioning everything she did wrong even though they weren't mistakes at all but things that he decided were annoying.

 

Suddenly she stood up and left the room.

 

Sesshoumaru could only watch her in surprise.

 

<<(())>>

 

She downed her third glass of whiskey sour and banged it on the counter. She then wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her blouse carelessly and threw a look at the bartender, signaling that she needed another shot.

 

“What's been on your mind, babe?” he asked her casually as he brought her the drink.

 

She scowled at him and grabbed her drink. “I'm not your babe.”

 

“No, but you're that wolf's babe, who dumped you last year,” he said tartly.

 

Kagome felt a rise of anger, and she began to climb on the counter to pounce on him, but suddenly a hand held her arm steadfastly down. She turned towards the owner of the hand in anger and was surprised when she gazed at the cold eyes of her employer.

 

She immediately yanked her hand back and straightened her blouse. Sesshoumaru sighed and unconsciously brushed a stray strand of her hair from her temple. Her instinct was to slap the hand that had tenderly touched her hair but she was too shocked to move.

 

Sesshoumaru realized all of a sudden what he had done, and his hand froze for a moment, but he kept his cool composure as he dropped his hand down.

 

Kagome narrowed her eyes on him. “If you come here to tell me that I'm a lousy worker, you can keep that comment to yourself, because right now I'm not in the mood of being criticized.”

 

“I came here to get a drink.” He started to order a glass of scotch and turned once more to her. “I suggest that you join me. If you stay here waiting for his next comment, I won't be holding you down from a real fight for the second time.”

 

Kagome huffed and followed him as he led their way to the table for two.

 

As they both took their seat, Kagome ordered for another drink. Sesshoumaru kept his eyes fixed on his drink when he suddenly lifted his head and asked her out of the blue.

 

“Do they know he's a youkai?”

 

Kagome blinked.

 

“He said wolf,” Sesshoumaru explained apathetically.

 

Kagome shook her head. “No. it's just his nickname. Everyone calls him wolf.”

 

“Why did he break up with you?” The question was out before he could hold himself back from asking.

 

Kagome looked at him funnily. She pondered for a moment and tried to think of an answer. “I don't know.” The answer hung in the air. It was as if she too was wondering why he had broken up with her.

 

She didn't know if it was the alcohol speaking as she continued, “One day he just stopped calling me and stopped coming to our apartment. I never saw him ever since.” She frowned.

 

Sesshoumaru felt a spurt of anger hearing what she said. Without thinking, he blurted out, “what a jerk.”

 

Kagome brought her strayed attention back to him. “What? No! No, he wasn't like that. He was so kind and sweet— and— and I owed him so much. I wasn't even mad or anything when I found out that he was to be married. I mean I was surprised, but—” She shook her head abruptly when she realized that she had stuttered out her words.

 

She stared at him, but he could see that she wasn't really looking at him. She was lost in her stupor, and he couldn't help but notice that she did this a lot.

 

“There was an ad in the newspaper. I couldn't remember what newspaper it was, but I remember seeing this one-page massive ad as I opened it. And I thought that it had to cost a lot to order such a gigantic display. I didn't even have the time to be curious as to what kind of announcement that was so important when I caught the character of his name, and I didn't read any further because somehow I know …”

 

She straightened herself up in her seat. “And I had this silly notion,” she giggled, “that he's going to propose to me.” She laughed hysterically.

 

“Stop it!” Sesshoumaru hissed at her. His eyes darted to scan the surrounding, looking if they were evoking people's attention. “You're drunk!”

 

“How dare you!” She cried out in indignation. “I'm not drunk! I want you to apologize to me right now!”

 

“Higurashi!” Sesshoumaru warned her, but she just glowered at him. Seeing that they now had other people's attention, he gritted out, “I'm sorry.”

 

“That's better. And I want you now to admit that you're the biggest jackass in this world.” She waited. “You won't? Well, you are a jackass, jackass!”

 

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at her. “Pathetic,” he spat out bitingly.

 

She raised her hand to slap him, but he caught it before it connected to his cheek. He pushed her hand forcefully back. “Just admit it. He broke your heart when he left you and broke it once more when you found out he was to be married. It was disgustingly just like the song; he left you high and dry,” he said sneeringly.

 

But Kagome shook her head in confusion. “You don't understand. What we have was not love. It was just an arrangement —” Her eyes went wide. “It's just an arrangement, and he never— he never said— that he loved me,” she stuttered as if suddenly the realization hit her.

 

She stood up abruptly and stumbled her way to the exit.

 

Sesshoumaru silently cursed and followed her as he tossed the money on the table.

 

<<(())>>

 

“Miss Higurashi!”

 

Kagome ignored him and continued to walk away.

 

“At least tell me where you're going.” He caught her hand finally and spun her around.

 

“I'm going to ask him what exactly our arrangement was.” She struggled against his grip.

 

“Have you no dignity, Higurashi?” he asked her in a tone of disgust.

 

She stopped struggling and began to hit him with her free hand. “What's the matter with you!?” she screamed in frustration. “This doesn't concern you! Why don't you just go back being that asshole boss that you are!?”

 

She leaned weakly against him. “Why am I like this? It shouldn't affect me like this, after so many months of being alone, I thought … but I can't— because I felt so guilty, and he was so nice …” She pulled away from him and started to walk away.

 

“Where are you going?” Sesshoumaru asked her softly.

 

“You needn't worry about me. I'm not going to crash his house and cause a scandal.” She looked up at him and laughed bitterly. “I don't even know where he lives.”

 

“I know where he lives,” Sesshoumaru replied quietly.

 

She looked up in surprise, and then she shook her head and ran away.

 

<<(())>>

 

She had decided today to quit her job. It was quite obvious why. After her outburst last night when she was a little drunk, she found that she couldn't face him anymore, and she had a feeling that this was actually the outcome that he too had hoped for.

 

She got up early that morning. But as she lay in bed, she couldn't seem to find the energy to face the day. She tucked herself deeper in her bed and pulled the blanket over until it covered her head.

 

When the clock struck nine, she dragged herself out of bed and took a shower. After she had finished, it was already ten o'clock. Still she found herself stalling time. And at ten thirty she left her apartment for work.

 

As she was nearing her workplace, she noticed a small crowd gathering in front of the building, whispering loudly. Their gazes were fixed at the top of the building. Kagome looked up to see a man standing on the railing of the rooftop.

 

She didn't know what possessed her that day to go inside the building and took the elevator until she was on the top floor. Maybe it was out of curiosity. Maybe something inside her stirred the moment she saw the man, or maybe she just wanted to help.

 

After climbing the stairs that took her to the rooftop, she opened the door to find herself almost swayed by the heavy gust of the wind. A crowd had gathered behind the man. Some of them were probably his friends as they were screaming at him, telling him not to jump, yelling something about a certain someone was not worth it.

 

Kagome fought her way until she was up front, and then she felt clamps of hands gripping both sides of her arms, holding her back. She looked to the right and left to find that Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had taken a grip of her upper arms. Both were shouting at the same time. “What the hell do you think you're doing!?”

 

Kagome squirmed against their holds. When they finally realized what they were doing, they immediately released her arms. Kagome turned to Inuyasha. “What is that man doing?”

 

Inuyasha shrugged. “Jumping off from the building?”

 

Kagome glared at him. “I've noticed! Why?”

 

Inuyasha sighed and started to explain, “This guy used to work for us as a junior accountant. He then fell in love with his coworker, and they started a relationship. But two months ago they broke up, and the woman is going to marry another man. And the man was his friend from what I've heard.”

 

Kagome listened intently. “And now why is he doing this?”

 

“That's obvious, isn't it? He wants to win her love back,” Inuyasha said impassively.

 

“By threatening to jump off? And where is the woman?”

 

“We already called for her, but she refused to come.”

 

Kagome stepped forward. Both males immediately shouted at her, “What are you doing!?”

 

But she had made up her mind. Something inside her was telling her that she couldn't let this man jump. She suddenly felt a grip on her arm, holding her firmly.

 

“This is not about you, Higurashi,” a cold voice called out to her. She turned to Sesshoumaru to find his eyes were blazing into hers, warning her not to interfere.

 

She choked a sob, and Sesshoumaru's eyes went wide in surprise. His grip loosened immediately, and he was rubbing her arm up and down instinctively.

 

“I know,” she said softly, “But he might as well be me. I just want him to know why it's wrong to do this to oneself.” She pried his fingers gently away and took a step forward.

 

“Mister,” she called out to him. The man turned to her in surprise and almost lost his balance, eliciting shocked gasps and screams from the crowds.

 

“What do you want!? You almost made me fall! Do you want to kill me!?” he yelled at her.

 

Kagome put her hand to her chest and paled slightly. “So— sorry! I didn't mean to surprise you.”

 

Inuyasha muttered under his breath, “Stupid girl!”

 

Kagome took a deep breath and stepped closer to him, inching towards the railing.

 

“Wha— what are you doing!? Don't come any closer! If you do, I'll jump!” the man yelled frantically.

 

“Mister,” she called out to him once more, “she's not going to come.”

 

“Then she'll just have to have this on her conscience!” the man answered her harshly.

 

“What's your name?” Kagome asked him softly.

 

“What is it to you?” he replied. Kagome just shrugged at him. “Ogata Souji.”

 

“I see. Ogata-san, I'm Higurashi Kagome.”

 

“You work here?”

 

“Yes, I'm new here. I work for Inoue Sesshoumaru as his secretary.”

 

“Oh, so you're the new secretary. Tell me is he as frightening as they say?” Souji asked her curiously. Kagome gave him a look telling him that he was much worse, and to her surprise he snorted.

 

Inuyasha cleared his throat and glared at Kagome when she finally noticed him. She threw him a confused look. “You're talking to a dangerous suicidal person,” he mouthed to her. She ignored him and turned to Souji.

 

“You can't do this.” She spoke softly.

 

“Higurashi, have you ever been truly in love before? Do you know the feeling you get when you're with the person you're in love with?” His eyes stared vacantly ahead.

 

“You overlooked all the things that bothered you. You worked in the place where she's at even though you couldn't stand the other coworkers. You suffered a tyrant boss because you knew in lunchtime you'd be seeing her again. And when she made this special bento for you on regular basis, you felt as if this feeling couldn't get any better. You began to dream this perfect dream where everything was simple and happy because you and she were together, but then suddenly someone was telling you that he was going to take her away. What would you do?”

 

Souji sobbed down, and then angrily rubbed his tears. Kagome reached inside her purse and gave him a disposable Kleenex. Souji took her tissue and managed a weak thank you.

 

Kagome sighed and leaned towards the thick railing. “But was she sharing your dream with you, Ogata-san? Was she happy too?”

 

Souji narrowed his eyes at her. “But I was happy with her!” he yelled at her.

 

“But she wasn't happy with you!” Kagome yelled back. Some of the people in the crowd were silently cursing her while Inuyasha had to control himself not to throttle her. Sesshoumaru, on the other hand, looked absolutely calm and composed, almost bored, but, secretly, he was curious.

 

“She obviously wasn't happy with you if she decided to break up with you and marry the other guy even though she just knew him,” Kagome continued relentlessly, “Ogata-san, snap out of it! She doesn't love you.”

 

“I know!” he screamed. “If not, why do you think I'm here and beg her to return to me!? I love her so much that I couldn't imagine a life without her.”

 

“No, you don't. You don't really love her. If you do, then you'll be able to let her go.” Kagome replied tartly.

 

Souji turned to her and started to laugh bitterly. “I don't love her!? Where did you read that cliché that if you truly love someone, you'll be able to let her go? It doesn't work that way in real love, Higurashi!”

 

“Because it's true …” Kagome whispered softly. And then she pulled herself up and looked at him straight in the eyes. There was strength in her voice as she continued to speak, “Ogata-san, what's wrong with letting the one you love marry someone else? What's wrong with wanting the one you love to be happy? If you don't wish for her happiness, then you don't love her.” Unconsciously, sheen of moisture covered her eyes, but she didn't feel the tears running down her cheeks until she felt a gentle finger wiping them away.

 

She turned to find Souji had crouched down on the railing and was looking at her with understanding.

 

“I used up the Kleenex you've given me,” he explained to her. She shook her head, telling him it was okay.

 

The crowd behind them, who had caught every single word that was exchanged, sighed in relief. Some of the women were even crying. Inuyasha looked at their direction in confusion as he couldn't help but notice the similarity between them, the tired look in their faces. And when he saw the way Souji's hand brushed her cheek tenderly, he suddenly felt a burst of possessiveness that was never there before.

 

Sesshoumaru stood in silence. The expression on his face was no longer composed and calm. A terrible, purely selfish sadness overcame him hearing her.

 

Suddenly a strong gust of wind caught them by surprise, and Souji started to lose his balance. The next thing Kagome knew, she was holding an empty air.

 

The crowd shrieked in panic and horror as they watch him lose his balance. They started to rush towards him in order to help him. Kagome screamed and reached out her hand to him. But he was already falling. Out of instinct she wanted to follow him but strong arms caught her waist, and a familiar voice whispered desperately, “I got you! It's okay! I got you!”

 

She wanted to scream at him that it was not okay; it would never be okay, but she just sagged weakly against him and wept brokenly.

 

It was not a moment of choice. When one of the two male individual succeeded holding her now in his arms, it had been actually a matter of seconds. But this was the heart of the new chapter in their lives. And as Inuyasha saw her holding on desperately to his brother, he could only look on in confusion as to why all of a sudden he felt this stabbing pain in his heart.

 

<<(())>>

 

Kagome felt as if she couldn't wake up from a terrible nightmare. She was holding his hand, and the next thing she knew, he was falling down, fast and hard.

 

She closed her eyes and buried her head deeper to the form cradling her body as if it was able to protect her from the world and herself. She had held on to him desperately as he had to her. Panic shrieks and loud sobs filled the air, and he held her tighter, trying desperately to muffle the uproar around them.

 

Inuyasha looked down below, expecting to see a body splattered on the pave side of the road. Suddenly he let out a loud laugh. He nudged his brother a bit too roughly, gesturing him to look down, but his brother narrowed his eyes on him and let out a warning growl. Sesshoumaru tightened his embrace around Kagome and rocked the soft form in his arms to and fro.

 

Once again Inuyasha poked him hard and gestured him with his hand to look below. Before Sesshoumaru lost his temper completely, Inuyasha yelled out to him, “He's okay.”

 

Kagome, who had heard him, scrambled out of Sesshoumaru's embrace and looked down. She let out a relieved shriek and waved her hand to the now grinning Souji who was safely rescued by a huge air mattress.

 

And something in her heart exploded. It was as if she had been given a chance again. That she might have the blessing to hope once again. She looked up swiftly to the one who had held her. As if her joy was contagious, Sesshoumaru began to smile for the very first time in a very long time. He pulled her against him and rubbed his chin on the top of her head.

 

“Crazy girl …” he whispered softly into the delicate shell of her ear.

 

<<(())>>

 

“Well, do you have anything to say for yourself?” Sesshoumaru asked her sternly after they had entered his office.

 

Kagome, who was still high on endorphin, blinked at him in confusion.

 

“Do you have any excuse for being three hours late? Or do the office-hours vary for your convenience?” Sarcasm was on sale today.

 

She made a heavy crash back to reality. “Err … I was late?” And the sun coming through the window, indicating the high noon, winked at her.

 

Sesshoumaru raised his brow, his countenance indicating that he really didn't have to answer such dim-witted question.

 

After a long moment of pause, he exhaled heavily. “Go back to your desk.”

 

Kagome almost complied absentmindedly, but then she remembered somehow that something great had happened, and to end it like this was in some way wrong. The adrenaline rushed back in her blood.

 

“I can't,” she answered excitedly, momentarily forgetting with whom she was dealing. Not only that he was Sesshoumaru, he was also like … her superior?

 

“You can't?” He was very much interested to hear more.

 

“Yes, haven't I said it already?” she replied exasperatedly in a rushed tone. “I want to do something.” This was in actuality a lapse of sanity normally caused by a magnanimous enlightenment. “I want to get an ice cream, maybe Inuyasha want one too,” this spoken to no one in particular, she sauntered away from the office, leaving a bedazzled youkai in her trail of insanity.

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*end of chapter*