InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Persistence ❯ Chapter 13 ( Chapter 13 )

Brown dress: http :// i181.photobucket. com/ albums/ x128/ gradualwisd0m/ 153983_brn_fr.jpg?t=1209850904

 

His clothes as drawn by Eldanis (and yes, you WILL drooooool): http :// eldanis. deviantart. com/ art/ Sesshoumaru-in-a-Suit- 43774017

 

I named Shiori and Shippo's son Simon after one of our cats: http :// i181.photobucket.com/ albums/ x128/ gradualwisd0m/ Picture001Medium.jpg?t=1209851339

 

Thank you sincerely for all of the reviews. They drive the muse train. You all have such GREAT ideas and they may or may not be steering the plot in the future.

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I also have nothing to do with Prince Hisahito or Japanese Emperors/Empresses. Just a little pop culture/history for you.

 

Chapter 13

 

“Hello Kagome, this is Sesshomaru. Shiori is out of town with Shippo the rest of this week and I really prefer to not eat alone. Would you be so kind as to accompany me to dinner tonight? Please give me a call back if you would be interested. Thanks, Bye.”

 

Kagome blinked at her cell phone. There was no way in hell that was a legitimate phone call. Sure, it was Sesshomaru's smooth and sexy voice but asking her to have dinner with him? Maybe he's looking for a friend. It must be really tough for him right now what with trying to find a mate and all. She tapped her phone against her chin and bit the inside of her mouth. But wouldn't it be weird to go out to dinner with him while he's doing all this mate-looking? What will people think when they see us together? Kagome shrugged and began to dial Sesshomaru's number. What could it hurt? Everyone needs a friendly face sometimes. Even Sesshomaru.

 

“Sesshomaru,” his deep, silky voice said after two rings. Kagome was glad she was sitting. Yes, this was Sesshomaru, but wow the guy had a voice that could melt.

 

“Hey, it's Kagome. Uhm, to answer your question, yes. I'll go to dinner with you tonight.”

 

She didn't hear it but Sesshomaru's mouth was bordering between a smirk and a full-blown smile. “That is good to hear. Did you want to meet me at the shop around 5pm and we will go from there?” he asked.

 

“Okay,” she said. “Oh, Sesshomaru, is it… Well, how should I dress?” She didn't want to show up wearing a nice dress and end up going to a bar or a hole in the wall type place. Nor did she want to wear jeans and a t-shirt and find out they were going to a tie-and-sports-coat type of place. She wasn't sure WHAT `modern' Sesshomaru's tastes were.

 

“Dress similar to when we had tea together,” he said, hearing the uncertainty in her voice. “It's okay, Kagome. It won't be anywhere super fancy, all right? Just dinner.”

 

“Okay, Sesshomaru. I guess I'll see you at 5pm at the shop. Bye until then!” He heard the beep of the phone as she terminated the connection. The easiest part of the evening was done. Now he had to survive dinner with her and somehow begin convincing her that he isn't the cold hearted demon she remembers. Shiori had opened the gates a little for him but he needed to pull them wide open to prove it to her himself.

 

Kagome rinsed her hair under the stream of warm water in the shower. She had helped her grandfather on the shrine grounds during the morning and her skin felt grimy and dusty. The hot water had felt good on her skin, not to mention cleaning the sweat off of her. Turning the water off, she wrung out her hair and reached past the shower curtain for a towel. Wrapping it around her, she stepped out and approached the mirror. She sighed contentedly. Nothing like a hot shower to relax a girl.

 

Kagome opened a cupboard door and pulled out a smaller towel and threw it over her head. Rubbing her hair with it, she thought about how devastated Sesshomaru must feel. A guy being forced to find a mate and have a kid. It sounded so… archaic and primal. A Lord shouldn't have to produce an heir in order to keep his throne. Then again, she recalled most of Japan nearly pissing its pants with joy when Prince Hisahito was born in 2006. It had been such a huge deal that there is an heir to the throne (especially male). She smirked to herself. Wouldn't it be the shit if he found a mate and had a baby and it turned out to be a girl? She hummed to herself as she walked from the bathroom to her room, closing the door behind her.

 

Here we go again. What do I wear? Kagome huffed, a puff of air sending her bangs fluttering over her forehead. She opened the doors to her closet and inspected her choices. Let's see. Something formal but not too formal and cute but not improper. Given that it was a slightly warm day, she opted for a thin brown dress with straps. She slipped the dress on, ran a brush through her now dry hair, and left the house. Luckily, Sesshomaru's shop was only a 15 minute walk from the shrine. It was a beautiful afternoon with warm sunlight and a very light breeze.

 

As she walked, Kagome's mind flitted back to the night Sesshomaru had escorted her to the well. He had almost been… flirtatious. Come to think of it, he was sort of starting to get a sense of humor back then. A creepy, dry sense of humor but one nonetheless. She remembered how close he had gotten before she slipped down the well. She had felt the heat from his skin with how close his face had been to hers. He had saved her from Kagura's dance of blades during the battle against Naraku and he had taken her to the well in his ball of light so that she could get home faster to get supplies. Could he have already started being `nice Sesshomaru' as far back as that? No, it wasn't possible. Well, maybe. He was still stuck up and full of himself when he did it, though. Kagome sighed. Men were confusing.

 

She turned the corner on the block of Sesshomaru's shop and faltered in her steps. There, leaning against the front window of the shop was Sesshomaru. He was wearing black slacks, a white dress shirt, black tie and sports coat. His hair was tied back at the nape of his neck and his hands were jammed into his pockets. Kagome could have sworn she had just walked into a modeling photo shoot. My god he's handsome, she thought. She put a smile on her face before he could see her slack-jawed ogling of him.

 

“And I thought you said to dress like when we had tea together. I do seem to recall you were wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and ratty sandals on that occasion,” she said, walking up to him. He pushed away from the wall he had been leaning against and smirked, his eyes sliding sideways to look at her.

 

“Laundry day,” he drawled. She has a good memory. Kagome rolled her eyes at him. “So, where are we going?”

 

“I thought we would go to the 101 Main restaurant,” he said, watching her face light up. The 101 Main restaurant was an exclusive restaurant located in a very nice hotel on the east side of town. Most times it took a reservation a week ahead just to get in. Kagome realized he had been lying about it being laundry day and that he had purposefully dressed for the occasion. Thank god I chose a dress, she thought. She looks good, he thought, eyeing the dress she wore. The waist was cinched with a white ribbon, creating the soft curves of her bosom and her hips.

 

“That sounds like it would be enjoyable,” she said, mocking his vocabulary. “Though, I do find it odd that you just happen to be wearing a tie and jacket on the day you invite me to dinner.”

 

“Yes, it's weird how things work out like that,” he said, offering her his elbow. She slipped her hand onto his offered arm and he led them toward the back parking lot to his waiting car. So far so good. He seems happy. Sesshomaru noticed that Kagome was relaxed when he had offered her his arm. The first time he did this had been at the castle and she had hesitated. Perhaps Shiori's talk had opened the door wider than he thought.

 

The drive to the restaurant was short. Kagome felt slightly dizzy while they spiraled up the parking ramp, looking for a parking spot. Once safely parked, they took the elevator to the 23rd floor where the restaurant was located. The doors pulled open and Kagome was bubbling with excitement and curiosity. She had never been somewhere this fancy. Granted, it wasn't incredibly fancy but it was nothing she had ever experienced before. There was a motif of white marble, ivory, gold, and ivy about the place. There were couples waiting in the lobby area on burgundy chase lounges, seemingly anxious to get in. Kagome contemplated if they would have to wait or if Sesshomaru would set off his inner demon and threaten the Host with red eyes and feral noises. Sesshomaru led them up to the front desk area.

 

“Good evening, sir and madam. Do you have reservations with us?” the Host behind the counter asked. He eyed Sesshomaru's facial markings with a weary look but smiled when his eyes turned to Kagome.

 

“Yes, it would be under Sesshomaru Misaki and guest,” he answered coolly. The man took a finger and drew it down a lengthy list of names. Wait. If it usually takes a week to secure a reservation then it can't be coincidental that we'd go to dinner here, Kagome thought. This is sort of weird.

 

“Ah, yes, here you are; Sesshomaru Misaki and guest. It will just be a moment,” he said. Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru for a moment then shrugged. Maybe he and Shiori or Shippo have dinner once every week or so to go over Western Lands type business. That's gotta be it. A man sitting beside the desk grunted and stood up suddenly.

 

“That's it! What kind of service is this? My wife and I have been waiting for 30 minutes for a table that I specifically reserved for our anniversary. Then this guy comes in and you wait on him right away to get him a table? That's such bullsh*t!” he yelled. Kagome was startled and glanced up at Sesshomaru. She expected his eyes to bleed red and his poison whip to shoot out and lash the man across the chest. Instead, he did something she never saw coming.

 

Sesshomaru turned to the Host, “Sir, if what this man says is true, please allow them to take my table. We can wait a few moments.” Kagome froze in place. Oh wow. That was so kind of him to do. He led Kagome over to the lounge chairs the couple vacated and sat down. Kagome sat and stared at Sesshomaru. He noticed her staring and it made him feel uneasy.

 

“What?”

 

“Sorry. I'm just not used to all this yet. You're usually so self-important,” she said in disbelief.

 

“Oh, I'm still very self-important,” he said with a cocky grin, “but they were hungry and wanted to celebrate a special event. We're here for a meal, not a celebration.” Sesshomaru hoped and prayed that he wasn't bewildering Kagome with how he was acting. Normally he wouldn't dine here but since she would be with him he wanted her to have an enjoyable time. A girl like her who has been through so much needs to be treated to a nice meal once in a while. Sure, he could have taken her to some five star restaurant where a simple glass of wine would cost $50 but he was never one to frivolously spend money.

 

Shortly thereafter they were led to a table and seated. The table was covered in white linen with burgundy linen napkins. She looked around, smiling at all of the couples and what appeared to be business associates. Her happiness came crashing to a halt when she looked down and realized there was more silverware present than she had ever seen at one sitting. Sesshomaru noticed her wide eyes when she looked down at the table.

 

“Start from the outside in. Actually, it doesn't really matter. No one's looking and if they say anything just pick what looks like the sharpest fork and stab `em right in the eye,” he said matter-of-factly. She looked up and saw his teasing smile and began to giggle at his joke. She was beginning to like him this way.

 

A young male waiter came to their table to take their drink orders. He was especially attentive to Sesshomaru, recommending wines that he thought he might like.

 

“I think he likes you,” Kagome chuckled, taking a sip from her water after the waiter walked away.

 

“I can't mate a male,” Sesshomaru replied flatly, “nor am I interested.”

 

“He doesn't know that,” she said, unsuccessfully hiding her laughter. “Oh, come on. You gotta admit. You are a good looking male specimen so you can't blame him for being attracted to you.”

 

“You think I am good looking?” he asked, leaning forward and leveling his eyes with hers. He watched her blush and felt satisfaction well up inside of him.

 

“I uh, well, that's what the women are saying at least,” she said. She felt embarrassed that she had let that little bit of information slip. Oops!

 

“Are you one of those women?” he asked, prodding her some more as he glanced over the menu.

 

Oh jeez. Kagome sighed, feeling flustered. “If I say yes can we drop it?”

 

“Maybe,” he said, not looking up, “but you started it”. Kagome glared at him then took a deep breath and smirked. She leaned forward and made her voice sultry.

 

“Of course I think you're good looking. I can hardly keep myself in my own seat because you're so attractive, Sesshomaru. Let's blow this place and go somewhere where it can be just the two of us. Alone.”

 

Sesshomaru's eyes widened and shot up to look at her. Is it possible that she wants me? Lusts for me even? He immediately saw the satisfied smirk on her face and heard her soft, ringing laughter. “Hnn…” Ah ha, caught him, she thought.

 

“Speaking of how good looking you are,” she said sardonically after settling down from her giggles, “how is your search for a mate coming along?” she asked. Sesshomaru set his menu down and laced his fingers together. Kagome looked at him with concern. “Sorry, did you not want to talk about it? It's such a huge thing. I mean, I can't imagine how I would feel if my uncle came and told me that I needed to find a husband and get pregnant within four months.”

 

“No, it's okay Kagome. It's nice to have someone to talk to about it. I am looking around for eligible women,” he said.

 

“Are there many eligible demonesses around? Or will you have to travel away from Japan?” she asked innocently. Truth be told, Kagome really didn't know much about demon mating or courting. All she could remember was what she had learned while in the feudal era. Demons mated demons and it was not looked well upon for a demon and human to mate. Hanyou like Inuyasha were hugely discriminated against.

 

“There are a few. But I don't necessarily have to mate a demoness. If it suits me, I can mate with a hanyou or a human. We don't have those outdated laws in place anymore. I had them abolished about 475 years ago” because I knew the day would come when I would find you again.

 

“Oh,” she said, pausing. “I guess that makes things a little easier for you.” Kagome went back to looking over the menu, pushing a nagging voice to the back of her mind. He wants you! He's dating you right now! Sizing you up! Her eyes lost focus as she started thinking on those thoughts. Was this really a date? A more rational side of her mind decided to join in the discussion. It's not a date. It's just dinner. You had tea together, too, and that wasn't a date. He needs a friend right now. She nodded slightly at that thought. But doesn't he look delicious the other part of her mind said. She blushed and frowned at that voice. Surely it was going to get her in trouble.

 

“Don't see anything you like?” he asked, noting her bunched brows.

 

“Hmmm?” she grunted without looking up. Well, what if he IS dating me right now? That can't be too bad, can it? She wanted to cringe at the thought of dating Sesshomaru but, at the same time, she was very curious about him. He was so much more open than when she originally knew him. He was a frickin tattoo artist for pete's sake!

 

Sesshomaru watched her animated face go through several emotions while she looked at the menu. Surprise, embarrassment, frustration, contemplation, and curiosity. He could only imagine what she was thinking about. Was she possibly thinking about him? Or maybe it was the menu's selection that had her soaring through emotions. For a restaurant that was so talked about the menu was rather sparse.

 

“What do you think about just getting some appetizers?” she asked, finally looking up at him. “There doesn't seem to be anything on the menu that really looks good.” He set his menu down, letting out a relieved sigh.

 

“I agree,” he said as he set the menu aside.

 

Their dinner went well. The waiter ogled Sesshomaru a few more times which caused Kagome to titter with joyous laughter. He decided that it was wonderful to hear her laugh so he humored her. When he received and opened the bill, he saw a phone number scribbled across the top and a heart drawn next to it. “Maybe I should consider men,” he grumbled and her laughter rang out once again.

 

He's been a perfect gentleman all night. And he is pretty funny. Kagome smiled as Sesshomaru took her hand and escorted her to the elevator which would take them to the parking ramp. His sense of humor was dry at times but she didn't mind. He had been kind and considerate to the couple in the lobby. Not even Miroku would have been that courteous without letching on her. Actually, he's almost like Hojo… but with a personality. And a sense of humor. And he was hot. Oh, gods, was he hot!

 

They walked to his car in silence and enjoyed a peaceful drive to Kagome's house where he said he would drop her off after dinner. He pulled up to the curb in front of the shrine's steps and put the car in park.

 

“Oh,” he said causing her to turn to face him. He pulled two cards out of his coat pocket. “Inuyasha and Shippo wanted me to give you their cards so you could call them any time you wanted.”

 

Kagome smiled as she took the cards and looked back at Sesshomaru. “That's nice of them. Thank you.”

 

“Thank you for joining me tonight, Kagome. I had an enjoyable evening,” he said, his eyes meeting hers. The smile remained on her face. Gathering her courage, she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

 

“I had a nice time, too. We should do it again sometime. Goodnight.” Kagome opened the car door and slid out, shutting it quietly before beginning a medium paced climb up the shrine steps. Sesshomaru watched her ascend the stairs from his car window, his stomach doing cartwheels. He hadn't expected her to kiss him on the cheek. At first he thought she was going to kiss him on the lips but he realized he was being a bit too hopeful. He loosened his tie and pulled the car away from the curb, heading toward his apartment.

 

When Kagome reached her room, she flopped down on her bed. So many emotions were flitting through her. I can't believe I kissed him. She reached up and rubbed her hand over her face. Images of Sesshomaru flashed through her mind - at the tea house when she saw him sitting at the table, looking relaxed as ever. Seeing him in the kimono he used to always wear in the feudal era. And then, finally, today, when she saw him leaning against the front window of his shop wearing black slacks, a white dress shirt, black tie and sports coat. Each and every time he looked so good.

 

And what about the times back in the feudal era when she had caught him staring at her? Or the times he asked her questions and showed interest in her studies. “Oh my gosh,” she whispered. “He HAS been sizing me up all this time.” She lay silent for a moment, turning the though around in her head. How was she supposed to feel about this? She glanced over at her desk where she had laid her purse and saw the two business cards spilled half way out onto her desk. She narrowed her eyes on the cards and had an epiphany. “I'll call Inuyasha and Shippo tomorrow and drag information out of `em.”

 

 

 

---000—

 

Okay, this didn't turn out to be how I had planned but the best chapters have turned out like this anyway.