InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Taisho's Darling ❯ Throwing a Stupid Rock ( Chapter 9 )

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Disclaimer: I don't own these marvelous characters; they are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I merely torture them at will and put them in uncomfortable situations whenever possible.

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Chapter 9

Throwing a Stupid Rock

……

Plink.

Kagome blinked as the sound trickled through to her sleep-fogged brain. Gradually, she became aware that she had fallen asleep in Rin's bed, the young girl half-cradled in her arms. Carefully, Kagome pushed herself away from the child and rose from the bed. Rin let out a soft sigh but remained asleep.

Plink.

She heard the sound again as she shook her wrist in an effort to restore feeling to her hand. The sound appeared to be coming from outside, so Kagome walked over to Rin's window and pulled the curtain back to investigate. The small sliver of moon gave just enough light to view the grounds below.

Plink.

What in the world is he doing? Kagome wondered as she observed her new master down on the grounds next to the large fountain. He was walking along the wide edge, stopping every now and then to fish something out of the water. His long silver hair had come loose from its customary tie-back and the slight breeze lifted the strands about him, giving him an almost ghostly appearance in the slight amount of moonlight available. Sesshomaru was weaving back and forth in a strange pattern, his arms flung wide open. Kagome strained her ears, catching the plinking sound again. Curious, she left the room to investigate.

……

He could smell her approaching, even before his sensitive hearing picked up the sound of her footsteps on the walkway. Part of him cursed the annoying wench for leaving the house and disturbing his drunken solitude. The other part of him, the irrational, unreasonable, damnable part of him, rejoiced at the scent that drifted towards him.

"What on earth are you doing out here?" Kagome asked him as she drew near. She pointed to the smooth rock in his hand. He had obviously removed it from the fountain. "Is that what's making that strange noise? What are you hitting with the rocks?" She looked around her, seeing nothing but the bushes and the nearby fountain.

"That," Sesshomaru pointed to a small metal building far off toward the edge of the property. A ridiculous surge of pride flared through him as he saw Kagome's eyes widen with amazement at the distance his rock was thrown. The youkai within him wanted to demonstrate his skills, his strength, his ability to protect his mate. She's not a mate! The rational part of him screamed. And you're just throwing a stupid rock!

Kagome was standing next to him, giving a delicate sniff. "You reek of alcohol," she stated accusingly. "You've been drinking! No wonder you can't walk in a straight line! And what were you doing when I looked out the window? You had your arms open like this," she demonstrated.

"Tango," Sesshomaru explained as he caught Kagome in his arms and twirled her around unsteadily. "I was dancing. Do you never dance, Higurashi?" he asked as he dipped her back.

"If you drop me, I'm going to break your arms," Kagome informed him. "I didn't think a youkai could become intoxicated. How much did you have to drink, anyway?" She yelped as Sesshomaru swung her around and pressed her against him in a complicated dance maneuver.

"Do you always sleep fully clothed?" he asked instead of answering her question. His eyes traveled down the rumpled business suit that effectively hid her curves. "It's too warm a night to be wearing that jacket." He quickly ran his claws down the back of the material and the jacket fell in several pieces to the ground.

"Sesshomaru! That was my best suit jacket! You could have just asked me to remove it, you know!" Kagome shrieked as she broke away from him.

He winced and covered his ears. "Woman, you have lived with youkai long enough to know better than to yell like that!" he scolded. "And I will do as I please with what is mine," Sesshomaru added in an arrogant tone.

"Oh, really?" Kagome hissed, her temper rising. Before Sesshomaru could comprehend what she was about to do, she grabbed the front of his white shirt in her two fists and yanked it open. The buttons popped off and hit the ground as she tore the fine silk down the middle.

Sesshomaru looked at his ruined shirt and then at the angry little hellcat in front of him. Kagome met his stare with a defiant look of her own. Not a single trace of fear could be found in her scent. The woman was either completely courageous, or she was completely insane and had a death wish. Sesshomaru decided right then and there to find out which one it was.

"So you want to challenge my authority, do you?" His voice dropped to a low growl. He was pleased to see Kagome stiffen slightly. Her scent however, remained unchanged. She still did not fear him. Sesshomaru grasped her slender wrist tightly within his hand and pulled her tightly against the front of him. "These no longer contain poison, little one, but they can still tear your throat apart easily," he said as he placed the tips of his sharp claws against the pulsing point of her neck.

"So do it then," Kagome said. "Kill me. Spill my blood across your hands. Then go upstairs and face that little girl lying in her bed and tell her what you did. She didn't want to fall asleep tonight, did you know that? Rin wanted to stay awake until her the father she hero-worships came home."

"You play this game well, wench." Sesshomaru removed his sharp claws from her throat but did not release her. "You are correct in your assumption that Rin is my weakness, for I could never allow myself to be lowered in her eyes. But let me warn you, Higurashi Kagome, you have a weakness as well. And I am not referring to the kitsune."

A cloud passed over the slight moon shining down upon them, casting them into darkness. Sesshomaru's eyes adjusted immediately to the change, but he knew the woman he held so closely against him was as good as blind. As she instinctively raised her face to search him out, temptation surged within him and he surrendered.

He blamed the alcohol, he blamed the absence of any real relationship in his life, he blamed the slave bond and he blamed the temptress in his arms. With a muttered oath, he pressed her mouth against his own and forced her lips to allow him entry. Sesshomaru wanted to taste her, wanted it worse than he'd ever wanted anything in his long life.

She whimpered then, a tiny sound signaling her own surrender to the fire between them. Sesshomaru eased his tight hold around Kagome and softened the kiss. He slid a fang gently across her lower lip and delighted in the visible shudder that ran through her. In return, she wrapped her arms around his waist and moved her soft body against him.

It was all too much for Sesshomaru's already overloaded senses. Kagome's hands were beneath the tattered remains of his shirt, stroking up and down the taut skin of his back. Her breath was coming out in rapid gasps as Sesshomaru traced a path down her jaw and neck with his mouth. He could smell the desire lacing through her; could taste her sweet scent and feel her pulse just beneath the soft skin of her neck. The youkai within him flared and demanded that he claim her and mark her as his own. Mindlessly, Sesshomaru gathered Kagome in his arms and moved to take her where they could mate undisturbed.

Perhaps the alcohol really did have something to do with all of this, for Sesshomaru had taken just a single step when he stumbled and sent the pair of them headlong into the fountain.

……

"Will you hold still woman? I'm trying to help you!" Taisho warned, earning a groan in response from Kaede as he struggled with the clasp of her bra. "Confounded piece of clothing from hell! Why does your sex insist on wearing these instruments of torture!"

"Taisho-sama," Kaede whimpered. She sucked in her breath sharply as Taisho's sharp claws brushed against her ribs. "Please hurry!" she begged.

Growling in frustration, Taisho sliced a single claw through the lacy material without a second thought. "Assume the position," he ordered Kaede, turning her to place her hands up against the wall. "And yes, this is going to hurt some more before it gets better. Of course, you already know that because this certainly isn't the first time you've cracked your ribs. You really should be more careful climbing out of the shower, Kaede."

Kaede bit her lip to keep from crying out as her master began wrapping the material around her ribcage. "I would not have been in the shower if I was not covered with sand after falling out of the hammock," she pointed out. She strangled another cry in her throat as her master crossed a particularly painful spot.

"There," Taisho soothed in a low rumbling voice as he tightened her binding in order to constrict the movement of her injured ribs. "I know this has to be painful. I would give anything to heal you of this, dear girl," he continued mournfully. "Add that to the list of magic I can no longer control. I'm rather useless these days."

As soon as he was finished, Kaede lowered her hands from the wall and slowly turned to glare at the inuyoukai. "How dare thee! I would strike thee right this very moment if it would not hurt so badly!" she snapped, too angry with Taisho to watch her words.

Not understanding the cause of her anger, the white-haired youkai backed away from her and allowed his hands to fall to his side. He wore such a hurt look on his face that Kaede hastened to explain. "To call thyself 'useless' is a terrible lie from such an honorable being! Taisho-sama, thou art many things, but never useless! Promise this lowly servant that such words will never fall from thy mouth again!"

Relief washed across the demon's face and Taisho reached out to hook a finger underneath Kaede's chin. "I will do this, if you will never again refer to yourself as a 'lowly servant', Kaede." He was now standing before her, lowering his head to place his face next to her own. The hand holding Kaede's chin moved to cup her cheek in a gentle caress. "No Kaede," he whispered, his breath warm on her face, "you are so much more than that."

Is he going to - ? was Kaede's less than coherent thought before Taisho captured her mouth with his own. The kiss was not the hurried, frantic kiss one would find in the heat of passion. Instead, it was slow and sweet and persuasive, as if Taisho were uncertain of his own feelings as well as hers. As the pressure on her lips lightened and she felt her tongue graze against a fang, Kaede's ears began to ring with pleasure.

No, wait…that's not mine ears ringing… "Taisho-sama," Kaede murmured, pulling away from his firm mouth regretfully. "Thy phone." He gave her a dazed stare. "Thy phone is ringing," she repeated.

Taisho-sama broke away from her with a muttered curse and stomped into the next room to answer the call. Kaede watched him leave with shaking knees and her fingers pressed against her mouth. Who needed a demon bite to mark you when your lips and soul had been branded with a kiss?

……

"Taisho-sama, you know I wouldn't be calling if it wasn't extremely important," Miroku chided him gently. "May I have my head back from wherever you tossed it after you bit it off? My apologies if I'm interrupting something important."

Damn the lecherous man, he would know what he interrupted! "Get on with your report, Miroku," Taisho huffed. "It's obviously something I need to hear directly or you wouldn't risk calling me here."

"I'm calling from a bar downtown. I doubt the phones here are monitored," his trusted spy and confidant assured him. "Earlier, I left Club Lavanda, and you'll never believe what I witnessed while I was there."

"Let me guess - a bunch of humans and youkai making asses of themselves doing the latest dance steps to music played too loudly by a band with absolutely no talent. Or even worse, it was karaoke night. Cease the chatter and go straight to the important part, Miroku," Taisho threatened grouchily.

"Inu-Yasha and Kikyo are seeing each other again. They're trysting in Koga's office. I saw her sneak in there."

"Shit!" Taisho cursed loudly. "I thought he was through with that woman! Does that foolish pup of mine have any idea of the trouble Kikyo's husband will stir up if he catches wind of this? Kagewaki is a danger to all of us!"

"Love makes one do stupid things, Taisho-sama. In Inu-Yasha's case, however, I think we need to intervene. After all, he's putting everyone at the mansion at risk." The purple-eyed former monk paused long enough for Taisho to hear him take a swallow of his drink. "The truth is that I called you because I have no idea how I should handle this situation. Jealous husbands I can deal with, murderous racists are another situation altogether. What do you want me to do?"

Taisho collected his thoughts. "Don't do anything," he said after a moment. "We have no time to waste; I'm sending in a professional with years of experience in dealing with the younger generation. And trust me; Inu-Yasha won't dare to cross swords with her."

He hung up the phone and returned to the other room. "Oh Kaede," he called out, "I have a little assignment for you…"

……

He watched his beautiful Kagome as she passionately embraced the youkai. His fists clenched in anger, but he remained scentless and hidden. This was no time to make his move. His master would kill him instantly if he were to ruin his plans by making a premature move towards the human girl he so desired.

This situation could actually work in his favor. Inuyoukai were a possessive, jealous lot, and the spunky Higurashi Kagome wasn't one to roll over and play dead. Proper care would have to be taken, though. He had no wish to end up trying to breathe through several holes in his neck.

It took great effort to restrain his laughter as he observed the couple's tumble into the fountain. Perhaps the fates smiled upon him after all. The icy water might cool the passion between the two. And if it didn't, well, there were other ways to sow discord.

…….

"I don't believe I've ever seen you here before," Kagura purred. "And sitting all alone? I'm shocked, Miroku." She seated herself next to him at the small table and pulled out a small mirror to check her makeup.

The violet-eyed man looked up from his drink in surprise. "I'm afraid you have the advantage of me. Surely I would remember having been introduced to someone so breathtakingly lovely." He reached across the table and brought Kagura's hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss on the back of it and startling Kagura so much she almost dropped the mirror.

"I'm beginning to think Sesshomaru didn't do your description justice," Kagura said as she placed the mirror back in her purse. She arched a thin black eyebrow at the outrageously flirtatious human. "Are you always this friendly with complete strangers?"

"Only the pretty ones," he replied with a melting smile. "You mentioned Sesshomaru. Are you a friend of his?"

"I'm Kagura," she introduced herself; knowing Sesshomaru had informed the occupants of the mansion of her intended services. Miroku's eyes widened slightly, but he never allowed his facial expression to alter. Damn he's good, Kagura thought. I'm dealing with a professional in the art of deception.

And seduction,she added mentally as she felt Miroku's hand brush across her knee. She picked his hand up and placed it back in his lap. "I don't do humans, Miroku. Let's get that out in the open right now, shall we?"

"You reputedly despise humans, Kagura the Matchmaker," Miroku noted. "And yet, you have come to the aid of the lowly occupants of the mansion. I'm curious as to your reasons for doing so, but I doubt you'll tell me of them. So instead, I'll ask your reason for searching me out. And don't try to tell me this meeting is coincidental," he waved down her protest, "because a mixed-race bar isn't the kind of place you'd frequent. I imagine your usual haunts are decidedly upper-class and 'youkai only'." He leaned back and sipped his drink, waiting patiently for his answer.

Kagura hesitated. She could easily lie to this inferior mortal, but she sensed a potential ally within him. She had spent most of the afternoon in deep study, trying to figure out a way to keep this entire distasteful affair as quiet as possible. Repeated trips to the mansion were sure to raise comment. After much thought, Kagura had decided the best cover story was to pretend one of the male occupants was her love interest.

Deciding to take a risk, Kagura shared her idea with the handsome human before her. To her surprise, Miroku actually agreed with her plan. "But it needs a minor adjustment," he told her. "You can't have Inu-Yasha or Sesshomaru pretend to be your lover. It will raise far too many eyebrows because of Taisho's engagement to your mother."

"But they are no relation to me," Kagura pointed out. "We will be step-siblings and we are adults. Who could possibly object?"

"Regardless, it will cause comment simply because of the unusual situation. Besides that, Sesshomaru would never consent to such deception and Inu-Yasha couldn't possibly carry it off. He's far too open with his emotions."

"Well, who should it be then?" Kagura asked irritably. "What about those guards of Taisho's? The Death-Cheaters?"

Miroku winced at Kagura's unconscious racism. Jakotsu and Bankotsu were part of a large group of humans stolen back from death by a warlord intent on building an invincible army. While they could not age and were immune to disease, they could still be destroyed. It was just very, very difficult; hence, the youkai had given the group the label 'Death-Cheaters'. Naturally, they resented it. They were human and proud of it; to refer to them as anything else was an insult. "Those two humans," Miroku emphasized the term, "happen to already be in a relationship. With each other," he clarified.

"Oh," said Kagura, dismayed. "Who would you suggest, then?" She took a long swallow of her drink and choked. "What is this rot? Paint-thinner?"

"It'll make a man out of you," Miroku chuckled. "And I suggest you drink it more slowly. This stuff isn't like the watered-down frilly drinks you get at the debutante's ball."

"Youkai can't get drunk," Kagura said smugly. She drained her glass and smacked it on the table in front of her. The stuff was actually good, once you got over the initial taste of it.

"Really?" Miroku said with interest. "I must admit, I was unaware of that. Since that's the case, then, allow me to buy you another drink. Perhaps this one will go down more smoothly." He motioned for a refill.

"You never answered my question," Kagura reminded him. The overheated, noisy bar was causing her a great deal of discomfort and she loosened the top button of her blouse and pulled her hair from its confining style. It felt good to allow her hair to swing freely around her face, something she rarely did. When her drink arrived, she sipped it down gratefully.

"Why don't you pretend I'm your lover?" Miroku offered. "I'm really your best option when you think about it. No one would be surprised if I were to take an interest in a beauty such as you. I'm known for my excellent taste in female companions," he flashed a lecherous grin.

"You're known for screwing anything with a pulse," Kagura commented acidly. "And in case you haven't noticed, you're human. No one who knows me would believe I'm seeing a human." She went to take another sip of her drink and noticed her glass was empty. "Buy me another drink," she begged.

"What? You tell me I'm not good enough for you because I'm human and now you expect me to buy you a drink? Buy it yourself. In fact, buy me one while you're at it, because you've hurt my feelings," Miroku told her in an injured tone.

Kagura wasn't fooled. "It takes more than that to damage your feelings, Miroku. And you have to buy the drink because I'm out of cash and this dive doesn't accept plastic." She lurched unsteadily to her feet. "I've got to use the little wind sorceress' room. Where is it?"

Miroku pointed to a door across the room and she headed towards it. After finishing her business, she headed back to the table and came up short when a scaly hand caught her arm. "Aren't we looking fine tonight," a raspy voice said. "Not your usual haunt, is it? I would have remembered seeing you here before."

"Leave me the hell alone," Kagura spat at the lizard youkai accosting her. She yanked her arm free and stepped away, only to bump into another youkai. This one looked enough like the other to be his twin.

"It's a shame a pretty wench like you is here all by herself," the first demon commented. Kagura looked around in desperation for the bouncer, but was met with disinterested stares. Apparently the rougher elements were regulars at this place. Kagura could tear the place apart with a flick of her fan, but that would bring a lot of unwanted attention.

"She's not by herself." Miroku's voice never sounded as sweet to Kagura as it did that moment. He placed an arm across her shoulders and drew her close to him. "Get lost along the way, love?" Miroku asked as he planted a kiss on Kagura's cheek.

"Maybe she'd have been better off if she was alone," the second demon hissed at them. "We were going to play nice. Now we're going to have to get rid of you first, and that always makes us angry." The other demon joined him as he moved in close to Miroku.

"Can't have you getting angry, now, can we?" Miroku asked pleasantly as he shoved Kagura behind him. "The owner really hates it when his bar gets torn apart. I suggest we take this outside."

"We're not taking this anywhere, human runt!" the first lizard demon exclaimed. His long tongue snaked out and sent a nearby table crashing to the floor. The table's occupants calmly moved to another seat. "Brother, shall you have the honor of taking him apart or shall I do it myself?"

"As much as I try to get along with everyone, there is no reasoning with some individuals," Miroku sighed. With a movement so fast even Kagura almost missed it, he slapped some spell scrolls on the demons and froze them as they charged. "Shall we leave, Kagura? The hour grows late and we both have to work tomorrow." He strode from the bar.

Kagura ran as fast as her pointed heels allowed to catch up with him. "How did you do that?" she wanted to know. "You don't strike me as the religious type. Why do you have the powers of a monk?"

"You don't know me at all, Kagura," Miroku told her. "You saw that I was human and made your assumptions. You never bothered to wonder if there was anything more to me." He hailed a taxi and deposited her safely inside. "Think about my suggestion, Kagura. It would save you a lot of trouble, and you might have some fun. What are you so afraid of?" He closed the door, leaving a shocked and slightly intoxicated Kagura to ponder his parting words.

……

Inu-Yasha rolled onto his side carefully, trying not to awaken the sleeping woman next to him. Sango had finally collapsed into an exhausted sleep after spending more than an hour crying. In between her hiccups and tears, she kept telling him she never cried, leading to Inu-Yasha's grumpy suggestion that she cry more often and quit saving it up.

The bout of tears that followed his comment eventually led him to where he was now - lying on his bed with Sango tucked in beside him. He'd refused to allow her to go to her own room until she calmed down out of fear she would injure herself. She couldn't possibly see where she was walking with eyes that swollen from crying. Inu-Yasha just hadn't expected her to fall asleep in his bed with tears still running down her cheeks.

Sango shifted to her side and scooted against him, curling her back against his chest and trapping his arm. After a few minutes of discomfort, Inu-Yasha grunted and moved his arm so it draped across her body, his hand resting on the swell of her stomach. He could feel the warmth of her skin through the smooth red silk of the robe he had allowed her to use.

He grinned at the memory of her trying to pull that tiny robe of her own across her expanding body. That robe was designed to fit tightly around her curves and was clearly a piece of nightwear intended for show, not comfort. Inu-Yasha doubted that robe stayed closed even when Sango wasn't pregnant.

The thought made him snort, wondering if her previous lover had purchased the item. If so, it was a useless effort. Sango was not the type of woman to have an interest in clothes or shopping. Inu-Yasha was certain she had yet to purchase a single item in anticipation of the pup. He'd probably have to drag her kicking and screaming through the stores if she or the pup were going to have anything to wear.

As sleep overtook his own body, Inu-Yasha vaguely wondered why he gave a damn about any of this. It was the pup, he decided as his golden eyes fell closed. The unborn hanyou evoked so many memories of his own lonely childhood with a grief-stricken father and a brother incapable of showing affection.

He wanted things to be different for this pup; that was all. None of this had anything to do with the strong, resourceful woman lying by his side. Just as sleep finally claimed him, a stray thought ran through Inu-Yasha's mind.

She'll make some lucky bastard a wonderful wife. He'd better treat her and the pup right, or I'll rip his lungs right out of his chest.

……

A/N: Such excitement from my readers over Sesshomaru's intoxication! I'd do this to him more often, but he's a busy youkai and really doesn't have time for a 12-step program :>D

Thanks for reading and reviewing! I am having so much fun writing this!

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