InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Love's Smirking Revenge ❯ In Dreams They Wait ( Chapter 12 )

“Mmm Kagome?”

 

His tone was suggestive and she smiled at the implication behind it. The gentle smack of his lips against her skin and the way his breath cascaded down her neck sent a shiver of goose bumps along her arms.

 

She tunnelled her fingers into his hair, that soft, silky pool of silver that could make any woman jealous. A pleasant sigh left her lips as he pressed his mouth, warm and wet, against that spot on her neck she liked so much. Tingles of pleasure shot immediately down her spine to curl her toes and make her brain feel muddled.

 

Eventually she realized he'd said something and responded with a half-attentive “Mmm hmmm?” He snickered against her skin.

 

Turning her head, she brushed her lips against his temple, breathing in the fresh scent of shampoo on his hair. It was still slightly damp from the shower they'd shared earlier. Curled up naked beneath her sheets, their legs hopelessly tangled, she couldn't think of anywhere she'd rather be at the moment.

 

Her hand brushed delicately across the firm muscles of his arm; the skin covering his biceps felt impossibly soft. Unable to resist the temptation, she bent her head and placed a gentle kiss against his shoulder before seeking out his mouth. He met her half-way, capturing her lips in a brief yet sensuous kiss. He lingered close before slipping away; she could hear him breathing in her scent. His claws combed easily through her hair, tucking a few wayward strands behind her ear.

 

She'd never allowed herself to be this exposed in front of a man. Here she sat, her hair hanging about her face in damp tendrils, naked, without a stick of makeup on, and yet she couldn't ever remember feeling more at ease. If she wanted to be perfectly honest about it she'd never felt like this before, with anyone. Propping her head up on her hand she rested her weight on her elbow and took a moment to study him.

 

The afternoon light streaming through her shutters in broken gold rays brought his amber eyes life. The colour within them seemed to move and shift about, like unassuming ripples across a glass lake. The way he looked at her now - no man had ever looked at her like that before. She was used to seeing hunger, lust, competition and jealousy, even from him, but not now. There was something warm in his gaze, soft even.

 

At least for the moment he wasn't the abrasive, rude, arrogant Detective she'd come to know. He'd become someone else entirely, someone she thought she wouldn't mind seeing more of. There was no hesitation in his movements when he leaned forward, quite unexpectedly, and pressed a kiss along the bridge of her nose. She blinked and wrinkled it, casting him a curious look.

 

“Has anyone ever told you you have freckles?” he inquired playfully.

 

She scoffed and covered her nose in disbelief, the touch of his lips still tingling against her skin. “I do not have freckles!”

 

“You do…right there,” he explained, gesturing to the spot he'd kissed. “I didn't notice them before, but they're definitely there.”

 

She shot a glare his way and gently rubbed her fingers across the bridge of her nose as if she could simply wipe them off. He smirked at her movements and reached up, his fingers covering hers.

 

“Don't,” he commanded gently and she obeyed, letting him steal her hand away. “I like them. They make you seem softer…less intimidating.”

 

She laughed, falling back against the mattress, her head sinking into the pillow. “Am I really that intimidating?” she wondered half seriously.

 

He shrugged, seeming to contemplate the question. “You can be. I was pretty sure you hated my guts the first few times we met.”

 

She shot him a shrewd smile. “Baka. That's because I did.”

 

He chuckled quietly to himself. Stretching backwards, he combed his claws lazily through his tousled hair and glanced out the window. The sun was already setting and they hadn't emerged from the apartment all day. Not that that mattered of course, they'd been rather occupied.

 

Her eyes wandered over his naked chest, admiring the way the dying light made his skin look like it was crafted out of the finest bronze. When his eyes returned to her she caught herself and looked away sheepishly, swallowing down the lump that'd risen in her throat.

 

She'd dated a lot in her life and many of those men had been what you would call the good looking sort, but none of them affected her like he did. It was frightening, unnerving and utterly exhilarating, how he could capture her interest with a mere glance?

 

Drawn towards him like a magnet she shimmied closer, wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled into his warmth. His hand dropped to settle lightly, familiarly, against the curve of her waist, his thumb absently tracing small circles against her skin.

 

“But you know…,” she confessed slyly, “I like you a bit better now.”

 

“Oh really?” One of his eyebrows quirked up curiously and she found herself smiling at the expression.

 

“Yeah, really.”

 

“Is that because you realized I'm an animal in the sack?” he joked, shifting his weight so he was resting on top of her, pinning her to the mattress. He growled lightly before burying his face in the crook of her neck to steal kisses against the sensitive skin hidden there.

 

“Hardly!” she chided, hoping to goad him.

 

She squirmed beneath him, desperately trying not to giggle at the ticklish sensation of his breath and lips mapping out her exposed skin. He moved against her and she felt the tell-tale stirrings of his manhood against her thigh. Does he ever get tired? Her body was satiated, sore and exhausted beyond the point of exhaustion yet the gentle, insistent touch of his lips against her skin made her crave him like a drug addict craves a fix. It was going to be a long night.

 

“What was that? Take it back,” he growled breathily in her ear, trapping her earlobe between his lips. He snagged her unsuspecting hands and held them prisoner above her head while taking the opportunity to nibble at her helpless appendage. Tiny shivers of pleasure shivered across her skin at his touch.

 

“I'm not taking it back!” She swore defiantly, gasping aloud when his tongue found that spot on her neck that had the ability to melt her into a pile of goo every time.

 

He teased her, made her whimper beneath him, then pulled back and shot her the cockiest of smirks. She scowled darkly up at him, unwilling to let him know she was completely and utterly his prisoner. Judging from the look in his eyes though, he already knew her dirty little secret. His smirk never faded as he dipped his head and caught her lips against his.

 

She rather enjoyed the feeling of his mouth, warm and hot, pressing against her own and the needy, playful taunts of his tongue. She gave herself up to it, moaning softly into his mouth and he rewarded her with one of his own, his hands tightening around her wrists. It was then that she felt it, a sudden panicked sinking in her gut - something wasn't right. Shooting pain burned down her right shoulder. She gasped aloud in shock, her body frozen and completely paralyzed in its wake. It hurt so bad but she couldn't breathe much less speak.

 

His lips continued to move needily against hers, insistent, demanding; his hold on her wrists tightened even more with the pull of his rising lust and yet she was helpless against the tide of pain that rocked her to her very core. It was then that an unexpected moment of clarity hit her. This wasn't right. None of it was right. This day, this afternoon spent with him had already happened and it hadn't turned out like this.

 

She remembered it clearly now. There'd been no pain in her arm, no smell of fish in the air. The sun disappeared suddenly; the room became dark, darker than the darkest of moonless nights. She turned her head away from the insistent press of his lips. He was suddenly gone and she was cold without him. Her body shivered, goose bumps rising along her flesh.

 

Where the Hell am I?

 

A light somewhere in the distance caught her eye. She watched it grow steadily brighter, from a tiny speck into an all encompassing glare that burned her eyes and made her want to cower away from its brilliance. Her limbs were frozen at her sides, paralyzed by some unseen force so she was unable to shield herself from its powerful pull. Helpless to do anything else, she stood there and waited to find out what would happen next.

 

-----------------------------

 

 

Why does it smell like fish in here? was the first coherent thought to enter Kagome Higurashi's brain as she walked the tightrope of consciousness. Her nose wrinkled at the obtrusive stench and she sucked in a shallow breath.

 

Everything hurts, was her next thought before she abruptly stopped breathing. A wave of nauseating pain slammed through her. When it subsided she could feel herself trembling and dreaded the thought of ever having to feel it again. Her breath escaped slowly from her lips and with it slipped out a muffled moan. Wincing at the constant throbbing sensation in her shoulder she stilled herself to take another breath.

 

I remember…

 

She stirred in her seat. Wrong move. White hot daggers seared down her right arm and tore across her chest. Her entire body felt raw. Even the slightest touch - the brush of hair against her cheek, the rough texture of her shirt against her skin - was excruciating. It was then that she felt the persistent throb in her skull. It matched the ache in her right cheek perfectly.

 

I remember what pain like this feels like…

 

In a dizzying rush the long forgotten memories flooded the hazy fog of her mind until the face that'd once plagued her darkest nightmares emerged. She cringed at the sight of it and struggled against her bindings.

 

He smiled at her, that sick, self-satisfied smile he always wore after the fact and she felt the fear return with it. It was the kind of paralyzing fear that left her a whimpering, useless ball on the floor. She'd always been able to withstand the physical pain. Even now she knew that this was nothing compared to what he'd done to her, but she still couldn't escape the fear. It was the fear that haunted her and gave her nightmares. Even without him it would always linger, always follow her no matter where she went.

 

And to think, all this time I tried to forget.

 

She heard him whisper her name and could swear, in her half-conscious delusion, that she felt his hot breath swath across the back of her neck. It made her nauseous, made her tremble violently in her seat. Her mouth went dry and her tongue darted out to wet her parched lips. The rapidly increasing thrum of the blood rushing through her veins filled her ears. Her chest grew tight and her lungs constricted until she felt like she was suffocating.

 

Everything was rushing back, just like before, except this time she couldn't stop it. Her mind screamed, her arms strained against the ties that bound them and then it all stopped. A rough hand grabbed her chin and jerked her head upright. Her mind was wrenched awake and the nightmare slowly faded. Yet even as the last vestiges of his face faded into black she could hear his voice loud and clear, as though his mouth was pressed to the shell of her ear.

 

You can't forget me Kagome. I'll always be here, watching you, waiting for just the right moment to-

 

Her eyes fluttered open and stared blearily at the wide, tanned face of a man she didn't recognize. Any normal person would've been shocked to see him standing there staring inquisitively down at her, but Kagome could feel nothing but relief. It washed over her in such a sudden wave that she actually relaxed at his touch. She had no idea who this man was but for now it didn't matter. He wasn't him and that made all the difference in the world.

 

Recovered from her brief traumatic episode, she licked her lips and tried to speak. “Who are you?” she asked, wincing at the way her voice cracked from disuse.

 

He didn't acknowledge that she'd spoken in any way. His face remained impassive as he studied her in silence. He has kind eyes, she thought as he held her gaze with those warm, tawny orbs. Something told her she should be afraid of him, that whatever situation she was in it wasn't a good one, but for the moment she couldn't see anything but his eyes and something in them told her everything would be okay.

 

After a moment he let her go and stalked away. She watched him settle into a small folding chair, cross his arms and gaze distantly at the far wall.

 

“Where are we? What am I doing here?”

 

Her voice, though soft, seemed to echo in the overlarge room. With nothing but silence answering her, she took a moment to look around. The smell of fish was enough to tell her they were close to the docks, most likely in one of the storage houses lining the pier. Judging by the algae coated floor and rusting tin roof that was exactly where they were. The question was why?

 

“Tell me why I'm here.” Kagome narrowed her eyes at her mute companion when he continued to ignore her.

 

Well this is just fantastic Higurashi. You've really got yourself in deep this time. You're kami knows where, in a room that stinks of fish, tied to a chair next to Mr. Personality over there! Better think fast to get yourself out of this one.

 

It took a moment for the realization to travel through her mildly concussed brain, but when it finally emerged she glanced down at the thick ropes wound around her body in shock.

 

Wait…I'm tied to a chair? I'm…Shit! I'm tied to a fucking chair!

 

Jaw set, she twisted at the ropes binding her wrists together while her feet simultaneously attempted to wriggle loose from the binds around her ankles. It took just one wrong movement, one poorly planned jerk of her wrist before blinding pain paralyzed her with another nauseating wave. Groaning, she bowed her head until it nearly touched her knees and cursed.

 

“Damn…”

 

“You shouldn't move. Your shoulder is dislocated.”

 

The sound of a voice inside her head besides her own made her pause. Realizing that it'd come from the mute man sitting just as calmly as you please in front of her, she lifted her head and glared at him. She was slowly starting to remember him now. Something about a bucket of ice cold water came to mind. Taking in his slouched posture and the casual way his feet crossed at the ankles, she felt her anger begin to stir to life.

 

“No kidding…thanks but I kind of figured that part out already. Any other tidbits you wanna share while your tongue's still working in your head?”

 

He scoffed at her bitter retort and languidly pushed himself to his feet. Stepping over to a mini fridge a few steps away, he opened the door and pulled a beer from the door without bothering to peruse its other contents. He held her gaze as he twisted the top off and flung it to some distant corner of the fish-infested dive and took a sip. He swallowed slowly, his eyes cautiously surveying her. Reaching forward, the bottle still in his hand, he tipped it towards her.

 

“Your left arm's broken…a few ribs too probably. It's what you get for not keeping your mouth shut when you're told to.”

 

“Oh…so what you're some kind of hot shot? Get your jollies out of beating up women when they're tied to chairs? Too much of a coward to take me on without the restraints? You make me sick!”

 

She glared at him, hate spewing from eyes that promised vengeance if she ever tasted freedom again. He took another swig of beer, his eyebrows lifting at her.

 

“Think whatever you like Princess.”

 

He strode casually away from the girl towards the dirt encrusted windows to stretch his legs. He couldn't see out for the quarter-inch thick layer of brown filth coating them but it felt nice to feel the light on his face. Casting a disgruntled look over his shoulder he debated gagging her.

 

“Ya know, I liked you a whole lot better when you were sleeping.” He couldn't stop the words from leaving his mouth.

 

Liar! his mind screamed at him. He sipped at his brew thoughtfully and watched the girl struggle, her face twisted into a determined scowl. He'd practically been bored to tears waiting around for her to wake up.

 

A part of him was relieved to see her conscious for an entirely different reason. When he'd found her buried beneath the rubble after Kagura's fantastic display she'd been so limp he'd thought for sure she was dead. Just like the stubborn little spitfire that she was though, she'd kept right on breathing. He had to admit, a part of him was impressed with her resilience but he wasn't sure if he could handle listening to her bitch at him like a shrieking harpy for the next several hours, or days, or however long it took the Boss to arrive.

 

“Ooooo…So what're you gonna do? Bludgeon me until I'm unconscious again? Real manly there big guy!”

 

Kesuke sighed wearily and collapsed into the folding chair. Planting his feet firmly on the floor he rested his elbows across his thighs and stared in contemplation at the floor.

 

“I could always gag you if that's what you want,” he suggested seriously. He glanced up from beneath heavy eyelids and noticed with a fleeting sense of satisfaction that she abruptly shut her mouth. Smart girl.

 

Never much of a talker and lacking anything better to do, he studied her quietly from where he sat. She was much better looking now that she was awake, minus the puffy bruise purpling her cheek of course. There was a certain life in her eyes that drew him to her and a confidence in the way she sat, despite being bound, that he found oddly attractive. He hadn't a clue who this girl was but a part of him was dying to find out.

 

After a few minutes she shifted uncomfortably under this scrutinizing gaze and huffed a loud sigh. “So what…you plan to just there and stare at me all day?” she demanded haughtily. “Don't you have anything better to do with your time? Like maybe a family you should be going home to?”

 

Kesuke frowned at her words. She was right. He did have a family he needed to tend to. He would've rather been curled up next to his wife sharing their warm bed or walking his kids to school. He'd rather be eating her special rice balls while watching a cricket match on TV. Hell, he'd rather be doing just about anything except what he was doing which was sitting in a too hot tin prison that stunk of rotting fish guarding a mouthy bitch reporter.

 

“Look you wanna be gagged?” he demanded angrily, his frustration at the entire situation boiling over. “I don't wanna be here any more than you do so why don't you start playing nice and stop bitching my ear off?”

 

Kagome chewed her bottom lip and turned away in a huff. Asshole…who does he think he is anyway? Wish he'd tell me what I'm doing here though.

 

Her eyes cast upwards at the dank ceiling and did another sweep of the room. It was more than nerve wracking that she hadn't a clue who'd done this to her or why. Her mind had been reeling ever since she woke up, turning over different possibilities in her mind but each time she'd come up empty handed.

 

Her eyes lingered hopefully on the door. She didn't want to admit to herself who she hoped would walk through it. The last time she'd seen him he'd been arrogant, rude and a complete asshole. She'd ended their date by giving him a face full of piping hot jasmine tea and, no surprise, hadn't heard from him since.

 

Though her heart wanted to hope for the impossible, the logical side of her brain wasn't so foolish. What were the chances that he'd even come for her, much less find her? Maybe he didn't even know she was gone. Maybe he didn't even care. A worrisome thought put her stomach in knots.

 

What if it really was all about the sex to him? In that case would he even…She couldn't bear to finish the thought. At this point she'd rather die ignorant, operating under the misapprehension that it was something more to him too than know the ugly truth.

 

“So…,” she began shakily, attempting to make conversation out of a desperate need for something else to occupy her thoughts. “How long have I been here anyway?”

 

The man stretched a pair of thick arms lazily above his head and glanced up at his watch. “Three days, maybe more. Does it matter?”

 

Kagome lowered her gaze and stared unseeingly at a small scabbed over gash on her right knee. “No…I suppose not.”

 

Three days? The words sunk in her stomach like a sack of bricks. She felt sick with the weight of them and they sent her head spinning. Three days…three days and nothing. Not a single sign of Inuyasha or anyone else who might be so inclined as to rescue her.

 

Maybe he really isn't coming...maybe…shit Higurashi what the Hell are you gonna do now? The man's unexpected movement drew her attention back to him. He'd re-settled himself in the chair, one leg crossed over the other, his eyes fixated on the slowly darkening windows along the far wall.

 

“Any chance you might wanna let me go?” she offered hopefully. It was a shot in the dark, completely hopeless, but at present she was out of other options. The man didn't move an inch except to lift his beer bottle to his lips and suck back another sip. He didn't even bother to acknowledge she'd said a word at all. She narrowed her eyes contemptuously at his meaty profile, a bitter taste settling in her mouth.

 

I'll take that as a `No'...

 

 

---------------------------------

 

The scent of freshly roasted coffee beans hung heavy in the air of the tiny corner coffee shop. The entire place was barely larger than the counter he stood at now, with just enough space for someone to walk behind him. It was essentially nothing more than a hole in the wall, but the coffee was fresh and their prices were cheap. It also happened to be conveniently located down the street from the precinct.

 

Kouga cast a wary eye towards Inuyasha while he fixed the coffees in front of him. He was standing near the window with his back to him, hands stuffed into his pockets, eyes glued to the tail lights stopped dead along the street. With a subtle shake of his head he snapped the two sugar packets in his hand before ripping their tops open and dumping them into his cup. After a quick stir he reached for another but changed his mind. A small part of him did it because he needed to punish the mutt in some small way for his stupidity. The logical side of his mind reasoned that black coffee was a better hangover cure.

 

He stalked over to where Inuyasha was standing - he might as well have been a statue since he hadn't moved an inch - and handed him his coffee. He brought it to his lips and took a sip without the slightest hint of acknowledgment. The moment the bitter, unsweetened brew touched his tongue he grimaced and shot him a scathing look.

 

Kouga cocked an eyebrow defiantly, wordlessly daring him to utter a single word of complaint about the free coffee. The moment the mutt opened his mouth he would remind him exactly why it was that they were both in this unenviable position and how little right he had to be critical of anything. Apparently aware of his precarious position, Inuyasha shut his mouth and begrudgingly sucked down another sip.

 

The wolf's mouth twisted upwards into a wry smirk and he took a sip from his own cup. So an old dog can be trained after all. For now though it was time to get down to business. They'd wasted enough time already. Correction. Inuyasha had wasted enough time already.

 

The incriminating photo, the one that would undoubtedly haunt his dreams for years to come, felt like it was burning a hole in his shirt pocket. All he had to do was open his jacket and she would be there, staring up at him imploringly with tears glistening down her ivory cheeks, begging him to help her. How the mutt could've seen that picture and not immediately leapt out his front door was beyond his comprehension. The logic or illogic rather that convinced him that drinking himself into oblivious was the better course of action was something he'd never understand. He just hoped for the mutt's sake they weren't too late. He'd seen what Kikyo did to him and he was ready to bet his pension that if this broad died too Inuyasha would go right along with her.

 

The cold air whipped against their faces as they stepped out of the shop and onto the street. At times having a squad car at your disposal had its advantages. The fact that they'd parked it directly out front made the winter breeze a heck of a lot more endurable.

 

Avoiding a rather large mound of dirty brown slush at the edge of the sidewalk, Kouga stepped around the car, unlocked his door and slipped inside. A moment later Inuyasha joined him and for a while they sat in silence, without even bothering to turn the car on. The only sound that passed between them in the cramped space was the self-conscious sips of steadily cooling coffee from paper cups.

 

When the silence got to be too much Kouga set his coffee down in the cup holder and jammed his keys into the ignition. The engine faltered before turning over and revving to life sending cold air gushing into the car through the vents. He cranked the dashboard dial to HOT and chaffed his hands together. Every movement felt awkward and pretentious.

 

“So I guess the first step is to file a `missing persons,” he began, a little unsure about how the mutt wanted to proceed with things. Was he even in any kind of condition to be working?

 

“We can do that from my precinct to get the ball rolling. We need some manpower behind this if we're-”

 

He was interrupted rather abruptly by a curt “No!” from the man sitting next to him. With his eyebrows raised in surprised he turned to him, not bothering to hide the shock that registered on his features.

 

“No? What do you mean no? If you give that much of a damn we'll file it at your place. Like I give a shit who gets stuck with the paperwork!”

 

Inuyasha made a sound of disgust in the back of his throat and turned his fiery gaze out the window. Hoards of Christmas shoppers passed their car toting heavy, brightly coloured bags at their sides. All the stores along the strip were brightly lit with their doors propped wide open to entice shoppers into their warm confines. The commercialism over the holidays was astounding - a complete and utter joke.

 

“There ain't gonna be a missing persons report. This one's gotta be off the record. I can't take any chances this time,” he answered gruffly, his expression dark.

 

Kouga nodded to himself, understanding washing over his features. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the mutt blamed himself for Kagome being in trouble. Whoever had taken her obviously did it to get to him. Why else would they have targeted her? It seemed more than just coincidence that the last two women to get close to him wound up in a world of trouble.

 

Suddenly feeling a pang of empathy for the dishevelled man at his side, he softened his tone. “Hey Mutt, why don't you try to get some sleep?”

 

Inuyasha shook his head and took another sip from the cold coffee nestled between his hands. “I'm fine,” he retorted stubbornly.

 

“Yer not fine. I can tell just by lookin' at ya. At least take a nap. I'll wake you up in twenty how's that? I need you on your best game.”

 

“Look I said I was fine! Besides, sleep won't help. I haven't slept since-” she left. His throat closed up refusing to utter those last telling words. It didn't matter though. From the look on the wolf's face he understood the implication just fine.

 

Kouga cast an anxious eye at his partner. From what he'd been able to discern from his conversationally challenged friend, it'd been nearly a week since he'd last seen the girl. It was certainly possible he hadn't slept since then judging by the look of him. What kind of number had this broad done on him anyway? For him to be this torn up about it he had to be deep in it.

 

Before he could open his mouth to offer any kind of conciliatory words, even a `don't worry we'll find her' despite them both knowing that the odds were slim, the hanyou uncharacteristically spoke up.

 

“Every time I close my eyes I see her.” The sombre timber of his voice expressed more than his words just how much her disappearance affected him.

 

“We ain't talkin' about Kagome anymore are we?” he offered, having the distinct impression that the mutt's guilt had more to do with the fact that he'd already been down this road once before. They were both keenly aware of the fact that the first time hadn't turned out so pretty, for him or the girl. Inuyasha scoffed and turned his gaze out the darkened squad car window, remaining pensive and frustratingly silent.

 

“In that case, where to?”

 

Kouga watched Inuyasha's mouth harden into a thin line and took note of the way the muscles in his jaw worked overtime inside his cheek. He could understand how he felt. Nothing was more frustrating than working a missing person's case, especially when the statistics were never in your favour. Though he may be a drunk, the mutt wasn't an idiot. He had to realize by now that the head start he'd given Kagome's abductors meant that their chances of finding her alive were barely worth acknowledging.

 

He didn't envy his position, much less the guilt he had to be feeling. It made him glad that their only evidence thus far was securely hidden inside his shirt. The mutt didn't need to be reminded what they were both here for and he was sure he could do without that image being burned into his retinas.

 

After a minute of silence Inuyasha sighed heavily and re-crossed his feet at the ankles. When he spoke his voice sounded strong, more confident than he'd expected given the circumstances but there was a distinct sense of exhaustion underlying his tone.

 

“Her apartment. We'll start there.”

 

Kouga wanted to shoot him a sympathetic look but kept his eyes glued on the road in front of him. The mutt wouldn't appreciate his pity, nor would he want it. There was no delusions over the circumstances under which they were speaking civilly to one another, much less working side-by-side. Once they found her things would go right back to the way they'd always been. That was the way it should be, the way it was going to be. No sense getting all sentimental about it.

 

 

------------------------

 

Author's Note: I am SOOO excited to finally post this chapter! I know it's been a long time coming and I've been working on it forever. There was just one part I couldn't seem to get right but after watching Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice last night (specifically the “pond scene” - those of you who've seen it will know what I mean) it just suddenly hit me so here we have it - the newest instalment of LSR.

 

My muses have been working overtime this week on all my stories…must be because they know I have school work to do. Ain't that always the way? I'd really appreciate it if you guys left a review to let me know what you think of this latest bit. What do you think of this Kesuke guy so far? Like him? Hate him? I'm just curious.

 

Anyhoodle...while my muses are still with me I think I should get back to writing. Hopefully the next update won't be three months coming. Thank you all for the wonderful reception you've given this story so far!

 

Until next time…

 

Langus