InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Head Over Heels ❯ Hobgoblins ( Chapter 4 )

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

I heard the beep of the car alarm being set but continued walking away. I just turned the corner when I heard the foot steps behind me. I looked over my shoulder ready to blow down any potential muggers and saw it was only Sesshomaru behind me with his God awful coat blowing in the wind. What dead thing had they skinned to make that coat? It just killed me not to ask.

Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Hentai / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.02.2006 | Pages: 4 | Words: 5.0K | Visits: 523 | Status: Completed

Chapter Four: Hobgoblins

The movie was sweet. It followed the book exactly as I remembered and I got a kick out of watching it with Rin who loved every moment of it. Sesshomaru watched but seemed bored. I couldn't tell if that was really how he felt or if that was just his natural facial expression.

Rin cried when Aslan died and I found myself putting an arm around her shoulders. Then later we cheered when he came back to life. I stole a fast glance at Sesshomaru but he was still expressionless.

I had hoped we would share the medium popcorn as I had some hot ideas about our fingers brushing as we reached into the tub at the same time, but no such luck. I offered him the popcorn no less than four times only to have him refuse it each time.

So after that I tried six more times just to get on his nerves. It sucked that I couldn't tell if it was working.

After the movie we stood outside while he dug through his horrible fur coat for his keys. I was ready to make my exit when Rin asked, “Sesshomaru-sama can Kagura come back with us for coffee?”

He cut me a fast look and I saw his eyes flash, “Rin, I don't think she likes coffee and you are much too young to drink it.”

The little imp pressed on, “Hot chocolate then?”

I was just going to have to make an exception to my policy of hating small children. She was wicked good.

“No Rin.” He opened the passenger door of his black Audi Roadster and she scrambled inside pouting. I guess she wasn't used to being told no; however she was by no means spoiled. And riding in a car like that it was a wonder she wasn't.

Okay so this was my cue. I waved and said, “Thanks for the popcorn. See ya at the store I guess.”

I heard the beep of the car alarm being set but continued walking away. I just turned the corner when I heard the foot steps behind me. I looked over my shoulder ready to blow down any potential muggers and saw it was only Sesshomaru behind me with his God awful coat blowing in the wind. What dead thing had they skinned to make that coat? It just killed me not to ask.

Suddenly I felt embarrassment at the whole awkward impromptu evening. “I'm sorry for intruding. I know I shouldn't have…”

His long legs quickly caught up to me. “It was you who did me the favor; she would've given me hell, had you refused.”

Well then that was a horse of a different color. “Then you're welcome. Let me know if I can ever be of assistance again.” I gave an exaggerated short bow.

His golden eyes were warmer than I'd first realized, they found and held mine. “I'll be by for the CD in a day or two.”

He checked his watch, I noticed it was a Rolex and prayed he wasn't that hung up on material things. I answered, “Sure thing,”

Sesshomaru loomed over me momentarily as though he was trying to decide something. Then he touched my hand with his, turned and left.

Okay. Was that the Inu-yokai version of bye, peace out?

I stood in the alleyway, granted not the safest place to linger, and watched him leave. The man was an enigma that I wouldn't be figuring out anytime soon. Oh well, time to head home. After all Sushi was probably getting lonely.

_-_-_-_
Once safely locked in my apartment I told Sushi all about my pseudo date. The dark purple beta fish thought Sesshomaru was eccentric and wondered what he might be up to.

Hey he's my fish and I can pretend he talks to me if I want.

I paused to brush my teeth than hit the computer to rip a copy of that song. As an after thought I threw on a few others Rin might like that were guaranteed to drive Sesshomaru nuts.

I lay across my bed with the radio blaring replaying the whole evening in my head. I decided he was merely humoring the girl and that's all there was to it. No reason to make more of this no matter how much I wanted to. It was much safer to cut off the radio and get some sleep because it was my turn to open the store in the morning.

I closed my eyes but the sleep fairy refused to visit me. The shadows inhabiting the corners of my room grew soon forcing me out of bed onto my feet.

I got up and pulled on an over sized t-shirt and a pair of my ex boyfriend's boxers. I'd bought them for him as a gift and he'd never taken them out of the package. Oh well, his loss was my gain.

I flipped the light on and woke Sushi who shot across his bowl in a purple streak.

“Sorry fishy, couldn't sleep, the goblins are buzzing tonight.”

Lucky fish that he is, Sushi had not had the honor of personally meeting my goblins. They rented a dark space in my brain, sometime it felt like the part of my brain that controlled my common sense. I shut them out but on occasion they slipped through the cracks of the door and leaked out into my consciousness.

Tonight I picked up my sketch pad and a bottle of wild turkey then pushed open my window and crawled out to the fire escape. The shirt billowed around my bare legs as I climbed up the cold metal ladder in my flip flops and pulled myself up to the roof.

Brrr, damn it was cold up here. But that was just what I needed. I pulled out a folding lawn chair I had stashed up here for just such occasions and sat down. The sketch pad beckoned but I chose to take a long drag from the Wild Turkey bottle first. It burned all the way down my throat.

Good stuff.

From my apartment roof I had a wonderful view of the city. The lights blinded out every star but they almost make up for it with their gaudy colors and awkward radiance. I searched the roof and was grateful to find I was alone and shadow free for the moment.

After a few minutes I was able to relax. I gazed at the crescent moon hanging low in the winter sky and wondered what Sesshomaru was doing than cursed myself for thinking of him.

_-_-_-_

The bookstore was quiet with that hush that only comes early in the morning before the first customer arrives.

I stood in front of my register just pocketing the store keys as Sango flew through the door. She was surprised to see me at my station with the store open on time.

“Wow, you must've gotten here early.” She twisted her hair into a loose knot as she spoke. “What did you do last night, sleep here?”

I leaned my elbows on the register. Why doesn't anyone have any faith in me? “No, I went home then later I saw a movie.”

“What did you see?” She tied the café apron around her waist. The woman was so strong and normal it ate at me. I was ashamed of the jealously that burned in my guts at her simple human existence.

“Narnia and it was okay.” I decided to keep the details to myself for the time being.

She paused, “Kagura those bags under your eyes are huge. What time did you crash last night?”

Ah, thanks so much for noticing. “Late. I was up drawing.” It drove Sango nuts that my art was not for sale.

“Anything good?” She pulled out the drawer and began stocking it with change.

I lied, “Nope.”

All of the sketches had come out looking like him. Those startling eyes, lips, fangs and all of that hair; I shuddered just thinking about it. My apartment was covered in charcoal sketches, each bore his hypnotic visage, peering out at me from the thick textured papers strewn across the bare floor.

I don't know why I was unhappy about this development; it was a big improvement from my usual subjects. One of my unique talents was sporadic control over the recently deceased. Because they knew I was able to see them sometimes they came to visit. Often the dead don't realize they are at the end of the mortal coil and it can take some convincing to get them to move on. Sometimes it was easier to show them in drawings what could not be adequately expressed in words and those nights were always the worst.

I suppose I could develop this ability and block them out entirely or use them to do my bidding but they were so sad it just seemed cruel. Honestly, I am entirely too lazy to recruit minions or raise an army of the dancing dead. Besides the work it took to pull off such a stunt the ick factor was too much. So until Night of the Living Dead goes Broadway I am just out of luck.

Sango, who knows nothing of my extracurricular talents, pulled out a bag of coffee filters, “Well Miroku's not coming in today and he's having this whole place fumigated. Somehow I know I have you and the crickets to thank for that.” She began pouring coffee grounds into the air pots.

“You're very welcome.” I answered in my cheeriest voice. “So he must've called you this morning.”

She blushed slightly. “Yeah, I think he's really sick and I'm gonna check on him at lunch. It sucks to be sick this time of year.”

“Tomorrow's Christmas Eve, so he has some time to recuperate before the big day. And Sango, if you aren't back by two I'll be forced to call the cops, there's no telling what that perv preacher is up to.”

She poured hot water into the reservoir of the air pots, “Kagura you give him way too much credit. Miroku doesn't have time to do half the things you suspect him of.”

I crossed my arms. “Really? Sango, why don't you admit you like him and get it over with?”

She shook her head. “Because I don't, I'm just being nice. That's all.”

“Oh whatever, we'll see how nice you want to be after he grabs your ass again.”

“Kagura…” She said in a warning voice, than added, “I think you have a guest.”

I looked up in time to see Sesshomaru pushing open our glass door. So much for a day or two, he hadn't even made it twelve hours. Did I have Rin to thank for this? I wonder what he would think if he knew about my drawings?

He bypassed me completely, heading into our fiction section. “And a good morning to you too.” I muttered under my breath.

I lost track of him because shortly after he arrived a woman came in needing ten copies of The Never Ending Story. Before long I was back on that ridiculous ladder but this time I slipped on a pair of tennis shoes first. My black spike heeled boats sat safely behind the counter.

I kicked off the floor with one foot and sent the ladder flying down the aisle from the Ms and stopped at the Es. My long skirt flew behind me and I caught Sesshomaru watching me from the adult fiction section. I would've given one of last year's designer shoes to know what he was thinking.

My plump patroness followed me down the aisle and was excited when I was able to locate the books. “Here they are. We've put them up under Ende, Michael.”

“Really, I could've sworn that book was written by Ralph Manheim.” Her brown curls bobbed as she moved her head.

I leaned off the ladder and began plucking the books from the upper shelf. “Nope, Ende wrote them in German and Manheim translated them.”

“Oh, well thank you.” She caught the books as I tossed them to her.

“It's a wonderful book, I'm sure the children will love them.” I found six books and knew she needed ten. “Okay we have five here and is it okay if I order the remaining five? I can have them here in three days?”

She frowned than gave her consent, “I guess it doesn't matter, go ahead and order them.”

“Cool!” I climbed down from the ladder and was careful that she didn't see me pocket the sixth copy. A certain little imp would love this book, I was certain she probably owned the movie.

I rang the lady up and was happy that she paid for all ten copies. I supplied her with her receipt and she was on her way.

A thin young woman was next. Her one purchase was a beautiful leather bound journal. It was the kind of book that made you wish your life was glamorous enough to fill it's pages. I smiled at her and she returned the gesture. Her skin was so thin I was able to see the veins working under her skin. A dark shadow stood behind her and I knew.

She was dying.

Maybe it was AIDS or cancer except she had all of her hair. I rang up the diary sick with the knowledge that unless she was writing her memoirs it was a pointless purchase.

The shadow left with her and I stood at my register temporarily drained by this new awareness of death. I've never come across a shadow before the act of death. My powers were changing and I would have to find someway to come to grips and deal.

Somehow I wasn't surprised when my next customer was Sesshomaru. He was shadow free and it was a relief to be near him despite the fact he was behaving as though he had a telephone pole jammed up his ass.

He slid a paperback copy of Child and Preston's The Cabinet of Curiosities across the counter. I snatched it up and exclaimed, “Oh Agent Pendergast, he's amazing!”

Sesshomaru glared at me for a moment than admitted, “He is.”

Then after his rude lack of greeting he had the nerve to ask, “Did you bring the CD?”

I so wanted to say, opps sorry buster but I just plain forgot. But sometimes I'm a sucker. “Sure, here it is.” I pulled it out from under the counter.

“And here's something else for her too.” I sat The Never Ending Story atop the CD.

He picked it up and scanned the back cover. “I never knew this was a book.”

I shrugged and couldn't resist adding, “Yeah there's a lot you don't know.”

Sesshomaru completely caught my double entendre and tossed back in a low voice, “I know you sell yourself short by working here.”

That was not the answer I had been expecting. I was grasping at straws for a snappy come back but only came up with, “Things aren't always what they appear.”

How lame of a comeback is that? And in this case things were exactly as they appeared but he didn't need to know that.

It was true, I was a member of the prestigious MENSA society but with the exception of reading, my powers of concentration are shit. Some days it took all I had to just make it into work every day. I've been to a doctor and asked for a drug prescription for anything that could help. But I was turned away because there were no conclusive results of the drug's effect on yokai. In fact Sesshomaru was the first person capable of holding my complete attention which was a shame because I don't think he wanted it.

He answered me with a cool smile, “Glad to hear it.

I embarrassed myself by asking, “If you're in the neighborhood stop in and let me know what Rin thinks of that book.” I finished ringing him up and put the books in a slim brown paper bag. I added the CD as a fast afterthought.

He surprised me by leaning across the counter and brushing his fingertips through my bangs. “You can count on it.”

With that he picked up the bag and swept out the door, leaving me to come to my own conclusions.

_-_-_

Notes:

The next chapter, Damned & Besotted is Sesshomaru's point of view, and he's just a bit more hot blooded than Kagura's ever realized.