InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Naraku's Expiriment ❯ Excuses ( Chapter 17 )

Chapter 17 ~ Excuses

 

Autumn turned looking for Sesshoumaru, but he had seemingly vanished in the darkness. Then someone grabbed her by the wrist, spinning her around so that she was facing him.

 

“Now, I will ask you a question. And you will answer it.” It was not a request. He almost never made requests. Sesshoumaru waited until she had nodded and then said, “Who are you.”

 

“Autumn.” She wondered what this was. Was this a trick? Was he going to kill her after a long session of twenty questions?

 

“Autumn,” he repeated quietly. “I see. And why are you here.”

 

Somehow knowing that he would be able to sense if she were lying, she launched into her story, started from being kidnapped and finishing with being in Rin's garden. He had been quiet and attentive during the whole thing. So attentive that she had accidentally told him more than she had meant to (like the Miroku encounter). But damn it, he was such a good listener…or maybe he just didn't say much. Either way…

 

She looked up at him. “I understand that I have overstayed my welcome. I shall be on my way now. Thank you very much for healing me.”

 

Sesshoumaru looked at her. Did he want her to leave? Yesterday he would've said yes, but today…he wanted her to stay. Maybe she could leave tomorrow. Crap. She was turning to go now. “Wait.”

 

Autumn paused in the doorway. “What?”

 

“No. I want you to…” Damn. Why couldn't he say it? The words rang as clear as a bell in his head. “Stay…with Rin. I don't have time to watch her myself and Jaken is a fool in need of supervision as well.” He gauged her reaction. She seemed…hurt, somehow. Had he said the wrong thing? WHY IN THE HELLS DOES IT MATTER? SHE'S A HANYOU! Sesshoumaru found he had an intense headache and needed to lie down. These internal battles would drive him insane.

 

“Stay with Rin?” she asked. He nodded in response. It didn't look like he was going to say anymore tonight. Still, there had been progress. Rather than single words and simple sentences he had delivered perhaps a whole paragraph of speech, but even that seemed forced.

 

I wonder why he doesn't like talking. Did he take a vow of silence or something?

 

Still, she could help but feel disappointed. For a moment there, she thought he was going to say he wanted her to stay with him. That was ludicrous. He had no time for a cat hanyou. The mighty lord Sesshoumaru probably had a mighty lady Sesshoumaru that ruled by his side. And she's probably a beautiful dog demon of the finest pedigree, she thought bitterly.

 

There was a light tap on her shoulder and she turned around. He leaned close and said, “If you're going to tell Rin goodnight, please tell her I said so as well.” Then he was gone.

 

Actually he wasn't gone. He was going to the gardens to think. They were outdoors, but enclosed so it seemed more like a room made out of trees and ivy. It always made him feel better. He took his place, leaning against the trunk of a sakura blossom, and closed his eyes, breathing in the perfumed fragrance.

 

Then one gold eye cracked open. She had been here. He could imagine her laughing with Rin…playing with in the petals. Perhaps wearing Rin-made crowns and necklaces from the posies and daisies in the grass. This was exactly what he had come here to escape from and look where it led. He was thinking about it again.

 

I have to stop this…but Gods, why does she have to be so beautiful?

 

He must've dozed off, because when he opened his eyes again, the sky was darker than before. And he could hear shouting outside. Sesshoumaru yawned and hopped to the top of the sakura tree so he could see. Curses, his half brother was here with the monk, the taijiya, and the wench. They were shouting his name, probably expecting him to come out. He didn't want to bother with them, but if he didn't, then most likely the hanyou would.

 

That in mind, Sesshoumaru hopped out of the tree and into the vision of the group.

 

“Well,” Inuyasha said. “It's about time you showed up.”

 

“What are you doing here.”

 

There was enough implication on the word `you' that Inuyasha growled. “We're here for Autumn. I know you have her. I know her scent. She is here, now tell me where.”

 

“Please,” Kagome said. That wench…hadn't he tried to kill her before? Why did she look so familiar?

 

The mouth of Inuyasha interrupted his thoughts once more. “You kidnapped the hanyou wench!” Inuyasha growled. “I hope you're not treating her the way you treat me, because if you did…”

 

“She was attacked by an itachi-youkai,” he said calmly. “I saved her.”

 

“You lying son of a bitch!” Inuyasha roared. “Pehaps if you are reacquainted with the tetsusaiga you'll start talkin' the truth!”

 

“SIT BOY!” Kagome shouted. Inuyasha fell on the ground as she said, “That is not tactful. Waving that stupid sword around with a bunch of bravado is being a jackass which is exactly what I told you NOT to do!”

 

Sango was frowning at him. Sesshoumaru supposed that it was natural taijiya instinct to be distrustful of demons. This one had especially good reasons. He had heard that Naraku murdered her family and then tricked her into carrying out his orders. That alone could fuel someone's hatred for demons for life. This human, however, seemed to be taking it incredibly well. It surprised him that she would be willing to travel along with Inuyasha when she was supposed to be his enemy. Perhaps humans were more forgiving.

 

Kagome said, “You didn't hurt her, did you?”

 

“No,” he said. Inside he was thinking; Who do you think I am, wench? Do you think I am Naraku? That demon truly was the embodiment of evil.

 

Finally, the taijiya spoke. He had been waiting for this, knowing she would probably be the most rational of the four. “If it is true that she is unharmed, can she at least speak to us and tell us so herself?”

 

“That won't be necessary,” Sesshoumaru said.

 

“Oh? And why the hell not?” Inuyasha growled.

 

“Because she's right here, listening.”

 

Autumn silently made her way towards the group. No one had even heard her approach. She truly walked upon cat feet. “Hello guys, as you can see, I'm perfectly fine. I was trying to catch up to you, but my wounds were slowing me down. If he hadn't healed me, I probably wouldn't be here standing before you. There's no need for fighting”

 

“Autumn, how can you believe that rat bastard?” Inuyasha asked, causing a low growl to rise from Sesshoumaru's throat. “Anything he says is a fucking lie.”

 

“Do you really think I would've stayed here willingly if he had tried to kill me or rape me?”

 

Kagome winced at the word rape, but other than that, her words brought silence upon the group.

 

“Can you come back with us?” Sango asked.

 

Autumn looked at Sesshoumaru who nodded imperceptibly. “Uh-huh…just…let me change out of these clothes. They aren't mine.” She blushed slightly and ran back towards the castle.

 

Inuyasha glared daggers at his half-brother. “You really are a sick son of a bitch.”

 

“My mother may have been a bitch, but yours was a human,” Sesshoumaru shot back. “What does that make you?”

 

He let out an angry growl/roar and leaped towards Sesshoumaru, but a `sit boy' brought him back down. “Inuyasha, control yourself!” Kagome said, very close to swearing herself. “This is not productive behavior.”

 

“This is not productive behavior,” Inuyasha mimicked, even though he had no clue what productive meant. Uh oh… he could see it. He'd gone too far. Here it comes…

 

3…

2…

1…

 

“SIT BOY!”

 

“Damn it to hells,” he growled. “Fucking necklace.”

 

Things might have gotten ugly, but Autumn raced out just then, in her priestess attire and pack slung over her arm. “Well, I'm ready to go. Are you guys ready to go?”

 

“Hell yeah!” Inuyasha said. “I thought we'd never be outta this hole.” He was trying to piss off Sesshoumaru, but it didn't seem to be working very well. On the contrary, Inuyasha doubted that he had even heard the insult because he was looking off at another certain someone…Autumn. Well, well, he thought. What do we have here?

 

For once, Inuyasha bit his tongue but knew that this information might come in handy to him later. He might finally have a chance to use the thing Kagome had told him was called, `Blackmail.'