InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Much Needed Healing ❯ Denial ( Chapter 19 )

Kouga had been sitting apprehensively in Sesshomaru's living room for almost an hour, trying to ignore the moans and lusty sighs coming from the bedroom, wishing that he could leave. Unfortunately, he had come here with a purpose and a task, and if he left, the taiyoukai would surely be even angrier than he was already. So, he was forced to sit, waiting, listening as Sesshomaru had his way with the miko who had held Kouga's heart for centuries.

 

Sure, they had been other women since the day that she had disappeared from his life in the Feudal Era, but he had never had the smallest inclination to mate a single one of them. He had, deep within his heart, been holding out the hope that his woman would one day pop back into his life as suddenly as she had left it. It was a simple and thin hope, but it had finally happened. But now that it had, he found that he was once again too late; once again she was in the arms of one of the inu brothers. Of course, the brother that currently held her was a surprise. Sesshomaru had never been one to latch onto a woman. Not a demon, and certainly not a human. As a matter of fact, Kouga had never seen the taiyoukai with a human female unless it was a business meeting. His relationships with women were nonexistent.

 

But somehow, he had found the miko, and now he was having some sort of a relationship with her. Despite the fact that Kouga had lost her to another for the second time, he smiled. It only went to show how special his woman was. But surely Sesshomaru understood that things would be different when Inuyasha returned tomorrow. A deep frown crossed Kouga's features at the thought. No matter how this played out, the shit was going to hit the fan, and it was going to do so epically.

 

The ookami's internal musings were cut short by the sound of a deafening roar from the bedroom. He cringed. That roar meant only one thing, and that meant that he was going to have to face the proverbial music shortly. He wanted to bolt, and found it very difficult indeed to remain sitting on the couch.

 

Fifteen minutes passed before Kouga heard the door to the bedroom open and click closed quietly and Sesshomaru entered the living room. The towering taiyoukai wore only a pair of black slacks and a smile, his long white locks still slightly damp from his shower earlier. He sat down in a chair opposite Kouga languidly crossing his long legs, one ankle sitting on top of his other thigh. He steepled his fingers and focused mellow amber eyes on the wolf in front of him.

 

“She sleeps.” He said simply without the slightest hint of embarrassment. “Now, what is it that you came here for?”

 

Kouga had never seen Sesshomaru so relaxed and comfortable. Even in his own home, the tauyoukai had always seemed somehow busy and restless. He marveled again at the strange powers of his woman over others.

 

“Does she know?” Kouga asked seriously.

 

“She has not asked.”

 

“And you haven't seen fit to tell her? You think she doesn't care that he's alive?” Kouga was shocked. Of course, one didn't cruise their way to the top of the business world without the ability of being ruthless and secretive, but taking those skills and applying them to this situation was outlandish. “What are you going to do? Keep her hidden away here? Hope that they never run into each other?”

 

Sesshomaru snorted. “Not at all. I fully intend on reintroducing them at the dinner that will be held in honor of his return.”

 

Kouga's mouth dropped open, and hung that way. Gathering himself together, he looked seriously into the eyes of the relaxed taiyoukai. “And then what? Don't you think she's going to be incredibly pissed off that you didn't tell her? Do you think that she'll thank you?”

 

When Sesshomaru didn't respond, Kouga understood. “You think she'll stay with you. You believe that she will be happy to see Inuyasha, but that she'll choose you.”

 

“I hold no such expectations.”

 

Again, Kouga looked into the taiyoukai's eyes, and on the surface what he said seemed true. The windows to his soul, typically so cold and vacant held a hint of sadness. But Kouga knew him and his tactics too well. “You do. You want to believe that she will run into Inuyasha's arms, and that all debt to him will be repaid after they establish a life together. But what you really want to happen is for her to stay with you. You actually care about her.”

 

“Indeed.”

 

“You have a pretty fucked up way of showing it.”

 

“I fail to see how any of this is of your concern Kouga. She is not your mate, she never has been.”

 

“But she's my friend! And I won't sit by and watch you destroy her!”

 

“She has already destroyed herself Kouga. I only wished to restore her to her former glory for the half-breed.” Noticing Kouga's questoning expression, Sesshomaru continued, “So you, ookami, who knows so much in truth knows so very little. Do you know how I discovered her?”

 

“No.”

 

“This Sesshomaru spoke his first words to the miko while she was a sobbing drunken mess on a public bathroom floor in a seedy bar. I watched as she drank herself into oblivion each night, taking home random strangers to share her bed on a nightly basis. I listened to her sad ramblings of a lost love who never came for her. I could smell the alcohol on her breath each and every afternoon that she left her home and headed directly for the bar. And then I confronted her, brought her here with the intention of polishing clean what was so disgustingly tarnished. And what you saw before, the happy woman with great powers, who's body heals itself as we speak, that is the result of my endeavors. So before you say that I am the one who will bring devestation upon her, think well of what I have told you. She was a woman bent on destroying herself until I took her away. Now she as she should be.”

 

What he spoke had meaning, and Kouga now understood the miko's earlier remarks about being previously bad off and her apparent shame. But it didn't change the outcome. “So she is saved now. But what will she be tomorrow when he returns?”

 

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed to slits for q fraction of a second before he coolly responded, “I will be the one to retrieve the whelp when he arrives in the morning. If there is nothing more on that issue that you wish to discuss, I have other obligations at the moment.” The conversation was obviously at a close as the taiyoukai was now standing and looking expectantly at the wolf.

 

“Yeah, I guess that's it.” Kouga was no fool, he to had heard the muffled sigh of the miko as she called the taiyoukai's name from the bedroom. He stood and walked to the door. Opening it and stepping out into the cool night air he stopped and without looking back into the home stated, “Mark my words Sesshomaru, this is going to kill her.” With a slam of the door, he disappeared into the night.

 

Sesshomaru stood for a moment, angry and possessed by a deep sense of foreboding until he heard small feet pad softly up behind him. Lithe arms wrapped around his bare chest and small hands gripped his shoulders. He felt pert cloth covered breasts push against his bare back and knew instinctively that the miko was wearing another of his shirts. Her hair was soft and damp as she laid her head against his back.

 

“Did Kouga leave?”

 

“The ookami is indeed gone.” Sesshomaru absentmindedly placed his large hands over the miko's.

 

`That's a shame. I was looking forward to talking to an old friend.” She placed a light kiss on his back.

 

“You will see him again.”

 

“I guess that's true.” Her hands slid from his shoulders and began to slide down his chest to the waist band of his slacks. “It's getting late. You should come to bed.” Sesshomaru felt the button on his slacks pop free.

 

Sesshomaru was also no one's fool. Quickly turning with a warm growl, he scooped the miko into his arms and carried her into the bedroom while she giggled.