InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Elsewhere ❯ Chapter Four ( Chapter 4 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

By: flowers

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha nor am I profiting from this.

“Ante up and don't be shy.

Who is that man who is catching my eye?

What's underneath all of the deadpan face?

Sitting so pretty with a criminal grace?”

- Suzanne Vega, No Cheap Thrill

Chapter Four

He couldn't stay away. After a night of watching the ceiling he rose early to watch her sleep, wake, then almost catch him at the window. He scolded himself for acting like a pup, like Inuyasha. He let the thought linger. She loved him so deeply and he returned all if not more of this emotion. He couldn't remember feeling so strongly for another being. So strong it takes over the body.

A picture of Inuyasha at the well flashed before his eyes. Maybe he was curious even after so many centuries as to why his brother had acted so? It must have been his human blood Sesshoumaru decided after careful examination. He looked at her and saw a child he had watched grow into an adult. But why did he continue to watch?

Maybe there was something he hadn't seen, something mysterious. He silently peered through the window now. She was drying her hair with a noisy hair-drying contraption he had never bothered to use before. She was singing and tossing her head about to a pop tune on the radio. Seeing her like this, singing badly out of tune to an American pop song made him smile deeply. At least on the inside. He had perfected long ago the `inside' smile.

She turned the loud machine off and did something he had never expected. She adjusted the volume of her radio and flopped onto her bed, pulling her legs up she started shaking a small bottle of something. As she opened it the smell was quite nauseating.

She was painting her toes! Actually just the nails in quick motions and bringing her feet up to her mouth after each toe was painted to purse her lips and blow them dry. Humans are so strange. He'd known that females, and at times males, painted their useless excuse for claws but had never seen it done before. Satisfied with her feet finally she sprang up and made her way to the closet. No sense painting your fingernails until your clothes are on.

As she stood she let the towel drop. He instantly turned his head; Rin had always been very strange about being nude in front of him at this age so it was reflex. He knew that she would be embarrassed and very angry if she knew he were here at all. The least he could do was provide some privacy. Humans and their bodies. Why act so strange?

He turned back to see her painting her fingernails, the nauseous odor filling his nostrils again. She was wearing white `capri' pants and a sleeveless blue shirt. She looked so happy. At last, almost a year later happiness was in her eyes. Did petty human habits calm her so, or perhaps… She couldn't possibly be this happy because of their meeting yesterday? Yes, this must be it, all her questions will be answered and she might finally have peace, but...

How would he explain Inuyasha to her? She would lose this fleeting feeling before the day ended. He frowned. But for now she could glow like a child and take comfort from her human habits. He turned, leapt to the ground, and was off before she had time to look out the window and see what the noise had been.

Kagome fidgeted and moped around the house until her mother finally made her leave. “Go to an arcade or bookstore until it's time and stop making me a nervous wreck,” her mother admonished.

Kagome huffed, angry that her mother could read her so well. She slipped on some sandals to show off her freshly painted toes and walked out the front with a small white card in hand. Wandering for a bit she started off out of the local square, it would be quite a walk to his home. With a quick peek at her watch she found it was three.

Sesshoumaru waited while looking out one of the large front windows. It was three thirty now. Growing impatient he should have offered to pick her up in the automobile, or waited and followed her. She probably couldn't find her way. Humans lacked greatly in their sense of direction.

Finally she arrived and sheepishly entered the front gate. He stood and made his way to the door. “Sesshoumaru-sama, are you expecting company?” a small voice piped beside him. It was Aki; she had all but attached herself to him since she could walk. Her small face beamed up at him. How many down the line was she? Eleventh generation, maybe twelfth directly from the line of Rin and Kohaku.

He had as many of her family that would, live around him in the small neighborhood that made up his new life. This whole `estate' as humans like to call it was a small community of Rin's family and Aki was his right-hand girl. She was fourteen now. Humans grew so quickly, he smiled at her with his eyes. She came into his house as she pleased. He probably couldn't keep her away if he tried or at least he wouldn't have the heart to.

Heart, what a funny concept to someone so timeless.

“Yes Aki, today we have company,” he moved to toward the door again as a light knock issued forth. Opening the door to Kagome bearing a very flushed face he wondered if she had ran.

“Please, welcome to my home. Aki would you make some tea for our guest?” he looked to the right and Kagome watched a teenage girl bob and take off for what she could guess to be the kitchen.

“Was that…” she let her voice trail. That couldn't possibly be Rin, besides, he called her by a different name. Must he always have a young girl with him?

“She looks almost exactly like Rin. It seems the bloodline only grows stronger as the years pass,” he said flatly and with a gracefully gesture invited her in.

She was almost as surprised as she was pleased. His home was nestled in a small neighborhood of simple but elegant houses. His own house was surrounded by a tall stone wall with a generously spaced wooden gate.

It looked like almost nothing about his house was metal or plastic. All wood, glass, and stone. A beautiful if not traditional cottage. The inside was as elegant as the outside. The colors of tan, white, and brown mostly prominent with hints of red here and there. And in every room she could see was a brilliant vase of blue and yellow flowers fresh as spring. She felt too peaceful for words here. Sesshoumaru was nothing like she'd ever imagine him to be.

“Wow…” was all that could be managed the moment. He almost didn't know what was captivating her so until he remembered every meeting they had ever had. He half smiled and sat on a comfortable pillow next to a quaint mahogany table. He motioned for her to follow suit.

Very old fashioned she thought with a blush. He's still as elegant and flawless as ever though with a little of the edge taken off. She sat on the cream colored futon and found it hard to look at him. She didn't know if she would start laughing in disbelief or crying in happiness for this newly found contact to the past she longed for.

“I find much beauty in simplicity. I like to surround myself in beauty at all times,” he was referring to the motif but with the look on her face she took it in a completely different light. He was amused. She was anything but simplistic but modestly thought herself so. She was a captivating girl.

Quickly realizing her mistake she blushed even deeper, she didn't know what to say or how to act. Treating this like a date for so long had actually convinced her of it. She could be so silly at times. A tiny laugh escaped her lips. Finally her eyes trailed the table up to him and she became more embarrassed to find him looking at her.

She hadn't noticed before but his markings were back in their respective places about his porcelain face. He was quite breathtaking, sitting there in a simple white button down shirt and brownish slacks. His silver hair pulled to a high ponytail. His appearance lacked nothing for his quaint dress. What was wrong with her? She had too many questions to start acting like some giggling schoolgirl now.

“You'll have to excuse me. It's been…so long…” emotion immediately welled up inside. “It's been a long time since I've really spoke the truth and I'm not sure I want to hear what you have to say.” She had time to think about this and realized that Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Inuyasha couldn't possibly exist anymore. Letting these thoughts escape once again easily brought wetness to her eyes.

“You have to understand,” large tears fell onto her blue shirt leaving dark trails, “It's like all my friends have died suddenly and I have a lot of grief.” She jumped when she felt a firm hand on her shoulder, instinctively fearing him even though she struggled to overcome it. After all he had tried his best to kill her with that same poisonous hand. Maybe it would have been better. Funny how hours ago she was excited and vibrant and now the grief was overwhelming again. Sensing all of this he pulled back.

“This is natural for you. I have seen humans in as much pain that is possible to bear yet they will easily grasp onto anything that brings, if even momentarily, happiness. It is all a part of the cycle and it will pass,” how did he know her thoughts? The subject had to change. Hopefully it wasn't part of his power to read minds. She looked up at him. His face was so peaceful compared to what he used to be.

“You look almost exactly like your father now,” she meant that to be a thought but it slipped out as easily as the tears. He looked surprised then his face softened again. The girl came bubbling through the door with a tray and carefully sat it on the table in front of them. The tea was very fragrant. Aki began to serve them, was she a servant then? No, she was part of Rin's family as he had indicated. This was a good enough change of subject.

She left them for the kitchen again and Kagome spoke. “Aki is a part of Rin's family? Who did Rin marry then?” she sounded accusing as she looked deep into his eyes. He gave himself another inside smile.

“She wed Kohaku almost five years after your departure,” he replied. Her eyes finally lit up. She smiled deeply as Aki entered the room once more with sugary cakes and sat them down as carefully as the tray. She was dressed in traditional kimono. Kagome almost didn't catch this feeling as if time might actually stand still here. “Aki, I need to have a personal discussion with our guess please. For the time being join your parents at home I am sure food is being prepared,” he said gently. She looked almost crestfallen and then her eyes lit up and she shot a sly glance at Kagome.

Kagome turned a deeper shade of red than she had before. Wow, apparently the girl didn't know much about her hero. Aki gave a deep bow and left out of, what Kagome could imagine, the back door. She felt a golden gaze upon her again and thought desperately for a new and neutral topic.

“I imagined that you would have a huge mansion and own a multi-billion dollar corporation by now. Or is that only during the day?” she said with a small dry laugh as she bent to sip some tea. Hoping for all the world she didn't look completely devoid of manners.

“I own much of the western region of Japan, so in essence, you could say I own a multi billion dollar chunk of earth making me independently wealthy to live as I please. And my pleasure doesn't include mansions,” he said with a bit of disdain thinking not about her, but many other money hungry humans he had met along the way. Humans were especially despicable at times.

“I see,” she had hit a bad note. “Well, I think this is just enchanting really, very peaceful and elegant,” trying to lighten the mood. His face seemed to relax again.

“Thank you.”

She was still taken aback at his warmth and manner. What would he have said before? Something to the effect of`This Sesshoumaru cares not if my trappings please you inferior human!' she began to snicker losing what self-control she had. He raised an eyebrow in question. “I'm sorry, you're just… so different. I was imagining what you would have said to me five hundred years ago. Forgive me,” it was now his turn to be amused.

“Did it include anything like `this Sesshoumaru' and `inferior human'?” he inquired.

She laughed comfortably and deep. He enjoyed seeing her eyes shine once more.

“Yes, wow, you do a great impression of yourself,” she was laughing even harder now, this was truly entertaining. Sitting in the western lord's house making fun of him to his face without worry of losing her head in one clean swipe. She composed herself as much as humanly possible in this situation. To her surprise he was watching her with a smile. `Smiling at me,' she thought `I can't handle his smile, it's too strange.'

“Please, forgive me, I can not help but watch you enjoy yourself. You have been sullen for so long that it is quite pleasing to this Sesshoumaru's eye,” he said with a quiet tone. She let out another chuckle while trying to take a sip of tea. What? She realized that he had been watching her.

“How long have you been spying on me?” she asked trying to sound angry. For some reason the anger wasn't there to be found. He picked up on her feigned emotion and thought this peculiar, a normal human would have been very angry. He lifted a cup to his mouth and took a sip himself. Watching him drink was almost hypnotic. She never imagined him ever eating, drinking, or anything but killing, being composed, and elegant.

Actually she had never thought until last night that he was quite handsome and becoming in such a way that started to make her flush again. He also picked up on this new emotion. Why would such a petty thing as drinking always seem attractive to females he engaged in such activity with? He had always scoffed at this but coming from Kagome it was a different matter. He would remember to refrain from drinking around her in the future. Hopefully there would be many more meetings like this.

“You didn't answer my question,” she said flatly, knowing that being a youkai he instantly knew what she was feeling. She found that slight smirk of realization on his face a bit more attractive than seeing him drink. She needed conversation to take her mind off acting like a fool.

“All your life,” he stated bluntly. She thought then, and many times after, that a torrent of the most horrific words could issue forth from his mouth and sound like poetry. His voice was like a song. She really had to control herself, wait, what did he say? All her life?