InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Taisho's Darling ❯ Comfort ( Chapter 10 )

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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 10

Comfort

……

"Have you finished the presentation for tomorrow's meeting, Higurashi?" Sesshomaru's question interrupted Kagome's wandering thoughts. His voice was colder than ever, she noticed, and had been that way for the last two days. The Arctic Tundra had nothing on the frozen male sitting at the desk across from her. "Our purchasing agents from Egypt will be there as well, so take care to dress appropriately," Sesshomaru added unnecessarily, reminding her of the incident with her unbuttoned blouse.

Kagome glared at the inuyoukai and lost her temper. "Why don't you have Inu-Yasha check out my goods like he did last time?" she snapped. "He seems to appreciate the view!"

Inu-Yasha ducked behind his desk and grabbed his tie protectively. "Leave me out of this," he complained. "It's amazing the two of you can get any work done with the way you're constantly bitching at each other." Sesshomaru answered with a snarl and Kagome huffed before returning her attention to the real-estate bids on her desk.

The three continued to work, the rustling of paper being the only sound to disturb the angry silence. Kagome's mind raced in circles as she tried to comprehend Sesshomaru's change in attitude. Before, he had at least been civil. Now it was as if he could hardly stand to be in the same room with her. She didn't understand how someone who demonstrated such care for Rin could turn around and treat the rest of the population as if they were dirt beneath his feet.

Come to think of it, everything Sesshomaru did was beyond her understanding, including that kiss he gave her the other night. His kiss. Her stomach still flipped when she thought of it, making Kagome shudder with a desire completely foreign to her. She had never felt anything but revulsion and horror when she had been touched before, even when she had liked the one doing the touching. How could kissing this icy demon feel so good?

Painful memories she thought to be long buried suddenly rose to the surface of her mind with startling clarity. Hello, pretty thing…got any sugar for me tonight? Disgust clogged her throat, and Kagome pressed her face into her hands. She didn't want to relive the anger she felt towards both the human and youkai males who had forced a helpless girl to endure such horrible acts at their hands.

The human men had been the worst. The demons showed nothing but contempt for her, never giving notice to anything other than her body and how it could pleasure them. But the humans had been angry, hating her for standing there as a living, breathing reminder of their low status among the citizens of the world. The daughters of youkai never spent their days as prostitutes in the dirty streets; it was only the humans who wound up in this condition. And so the human men took their hatred and anger out upon her, even as they satisfied their twisted lusts.

*Demon's whore…worthless trash…you deserve this, bitch! You deserve everything I'm going to do to you tonight!*

Kagome's ears picked up a faint whimper as she buried her face deeper within her hands. Make it go away, she silently cried out. Don't remember these things! They're gone; they're in the past!

"Higurashi? Is everything okay?" Kagome could hear Hojo, her subordinate in the real estate acquisitions department. The whimpering, whining sound was growing louder.

Kagome ruthlessly pushed the memories away and forced her face back into a mask of composure before lowering her hands. "Just a headache," she muttered grimly, meeting Hojo's concerned eyes with deceptive calm. "I'll be all right." She reached for the contract Hojo was holding out to her.

The whimpering emanating from the vicinity of Sesshomaru's desk abruptly ceased. Confused, Hojo switched his gaze to the inuyoukai. Sesshomaru continued to read through his financial reports, acting as if he hadn't made a single sound.

Inu-Yasha was looking equally confused. His ears had flattened against his skull and his claws had extended. He sent a questioning growl in Sesshomaru's direction, causing Hojo to back out of the office with a hurried apology.

"Settle down, Inu-Yasha," Kagome ordered softly. The hanyou ignored her, crossing from his desk to hers and leaning in close to her. Kagome flinched as he snuffled around her, trying to locate the source of the obvious distress to her scent.

Inu-Yasha drew back when Sesshomaru snarled loudly and bared his teeth at him. His brother's eyes were tinged with red, a sure sign that Sesshomaru was barely controlling the flare of his youki. Inu-Yasha was clearly too close to something Sesshomaru valued as his own. Casting another confused look at his brother and Kagome, Inu-Yasha slunk from the room.

Kagome's head was beginning to hurt in earnest. She lifted a hand to rub the back of her neck, only to have it held fast by Sesshomaru. What is happening between us? Before she could voice the question, Sesshomaru had buried his face against her neck. He nuzzled her softly, a low rumble coming from deep within his chest. Kagome found herself pressed against him as a feeling of comfort washed over her. The mark, she realized. The slave bond forced Sesshomaru to share her pain, however unwilling the youkai might be. No wonder he hates me so much, Kagome thought despairingly. No one would want to feel this kind of hurt.

"Stop," Sesshomaru growled, pulling her closer. "Do not remember…"

Kagome consciously forced her mind to clear and she relaxed into Sesshomaru's arms. Waves of comfort settled about her, filling her soul with a peace she rarely enjoyed. Sesshomaru continued to move his face against her neck, his fangs scraping lightly across her pulse as he placed small kisses on her throat. When his mouth left her neck to trace a pattern along her cheek and jaw, Kagome felt a surge of panic rise once more to the surface. "Stop," Sesshomaru commanded again as Kagome shrunk away. "I am not one who would hurt you."

His deep voice touched against Kagome's spine with light fingers and caused her to shiver with something other than fear. Instinctively, she moved her face in order to nudge Sesshomaru's chin with her nose. She was responding on a very basic level to the youkai's need to comfort his mate. But I'm not his mate!

And then, as suddenly as he had embraced her, Sesshomaru released her from his hold. "You dwell in your past too much," he said in frosted tones as he pushed himself away from the astonished Kagome. "It causes nothing but distress. Can you not control your emotions?"

A hurt rage shot through Kagome, and her azure eyes turned a deep, stormy blue. "As a matter of fact, I can't!" she yelled at him, her voice rising louder with each syllable. A pink glow built around her hands and flared out. "I happen to be a human and I feel things! By all that's holy, Sesshomaru, do you think I enjoy this pain?" she shrieked. A few objects on her desk rose in the air and circled around her. The juice box she'd been sipping from earlier that morning floated from the circle and then darted straight for Sesshomaru. Kagome ignored the impact between the box and Sesshomaru's head as she stomped from the room.

……

"Sesshomaru-sama! What has that…that…human vermin done to you?" Jaken's bulging yellow eyes took in the unbelievable vision of his beloved employer drenched from head to toe in red fruit punch. The sticky juice streaked Sesshomaru's normally pristine silver hair and white shirt front, dripping down to the floor and sprinkling the papers on Jaken's desk.

The inuyoukai walked slowly past his shocked assistant before coming to a halt. He appeared to be in a trance of some sort. "Jaken…" Sesshomaru began uncertainly. "What is my name?"

"Why, you are none other than Sesshomaru-sama," Jaken responded, horrified. Had the great Sesshomaru sustained an injury to his head? What grievous harm had the human wretch inflicted on his poor Sesshomaru-sama?

"Just checking," Sesshomaru replied wearily. "Ever since I set foot in this building, I've begun to wonder if I haven't stepped into another dimension." Sesshomaru left the office muttering something about `volatile women' and `a damned, interfering, manipulative father.'

Jaken could only stare after him in wonder. He had served as Sesshomaru's faithful retainer for centuries, and in this modern age, as his devoted assistant. Never had he seen the youkai in such a state. Surely the end of the world was fast approaching if a mere slip of a human could so overset the great Sesshomaru.

……

"I'm not even going to ask how this happened, Kaede." Miroku finished replacing the strapping around her ribs and gently touched her side. "How does that feel? Too tight?" he asked, inspecting his work. Years of having to tend to the wounds of his fellow slaves had made him something of an expert with the bandages. The women were accustomed to coming to him for aid, in spite of his roving hands.

"The strapping is comfortable, Miroku. Thank the heavens I heal quickly," Kaede sighed. She grunted slightly as she picked up her clothing from the nearby chair.

"So how did this happen, anyway?"

"I thought thou didst not wish to know," Kaede reminded him.

"I lied," Miroku confessed as he watched the woman before him move stiffly to sit on the edge of his bed. "You're limping as well, as if your knee is painful. Don't tell me you had to beat off some assassins."

"Nay. I slipped and hurt my knee whilst bathing. The ribs are another story." Kaede winced as she attempted to dress herself. "I fell during an attempt to dress in the shower. The space is rather limited."

Miroku raised a questioning eyebrow. "Do you always put your clothing on in the shower? That's odd, Kaede, even for you. Do you turn off the water first, or do you wash your clothes at the same time as your body?"

"The beach house has been vacant for some time, Miroku. Some of the furnishings are missing and there is no covering on the bath window," Kaede explained, sending the purple-eyed man a look of exasperation. "Were I to dress in front of the open window a passerby might receive an unexpected show, so I decided to dress inside the shower enclosure." She stopped speaking in order to struggle with the hooks on her brassiere.

"Seeing how you were on an isolated island, the only passerby in question would be Taisho-sama," Miroku noted aloud. "So instead of successfully avoiding a strip tease, you wound up having to get your ribs strapped. Kind of defeats the purpose of your modest behavior, doesn't it?"

"Cease your chatter, impudent monk," Kaede ordered as she sent Miroku a death-glare. "I was trying to be considerate of the master's feelings. Thou shouldst not make light of mine efforts."

Growing tired of watching her struggle, Miroku took the bra from Kaede's hands and began to fasten it with a swiftness obtained from years of practice in the undressing of women. "Taisho-sama wouldn't care if you danced naked in his living room with a rose between your teeth, Kaede. In fact, he'd probably prefer it if you did, so you certainly didn't need to go to such extremes to keep yourself covered. It's not like you to display such a concern for modesty - are you sure you're telling me the real story? I think you and Taisho-sama were just getting too rough in the bedroom," he teased as he adjusted the straps of her lingerie.

Kaede stiffened and Miroku tensed, waiting for her to deliver a sharp put-down. When that event failed to happen, he looked at the older woman with concern. "Kaede? You know I'm only joking, right?" he asked, turning her to face him while he buttoned her shirt.

Her eyes shone wet with unshed tears. Shocked, Miroku tipped her chin with a hand and forced her to meet his stare. "Oh, Kaede," he groaned, suddenly understanding the cause of her sadness. "How far has this gone?"

"All the way," Kaede whispered sadly. "Not physically, that is, but I've given him my heart. Oh, Miroku, how could I be so foolish as to fall in love with the master? Nothing can ever come of this," she sniffled.

"Hells, Kaede," Miroku swore. This was bad news indeed. "You do realize that Kagura is out there searching for mates for all of us as we speak? And since we're on the subject, why are you wearing your `old lady' disguise outside of the rooms? You haven't even allowed Kagura or the master's sons to see your true image. Are you purposely trying to sabotage your prospects?"

"Yes," Kaede admitted in a grim tone. "I have no need of a mate. I intend to ask for my freedom instead." She looked at the floor as she spoke. "I will not take another to my bed, and I refuse to burden Taisho-sama any longer."

An intense pang of grief ran through Miroku as his long-time companion made her wishes known. "You would ask Taisho-sama to send you to your death?" he exclaimed, hurt. "Kaede, no," Miroku begged, falling to his knees before her. He grasped her hands within his own and pressed them tightly. "Please don't do this! Think of Sango and Kohaku - you are the only mother they have ever known, the only mother all of us have known! Don't leave us!"

"Ah, child," Kaede moved her hand to smooth Miroku's dark hair back from his forehead, a gesture of comfort she had used with him for centuries. "If I was truly thy mother, I would be expected to grow old and die. `Tis the natural progression of things, after all," she pointed out.

"Then take a mate and die when he does," Miroku responded in desperation. "Kaede, I want my children to know you as a grandmother. And the girls are going to need your wisdom and council more than ever as they choose their life-mates! Please stay," he pleaded with the woman before him.

She hesitated. Then, ruffling his hair, Kaede answered with a watery smile. "I could never deny thee anything, young rogue, and thou knowest this to be true. I will play mine hand as it is dealt, and see what the cards have in store for me."

……

"Kanna, why can't we see the movie? You said we were going!" Shiori whined. She tugged at her babysitter's hand. "Why did we have to leave?"

How do I explain this? Kanna's mind raced in search of an answer the young bat hanyou would understand. She tried to think of a lie, something she could fabricate from thin air. Anything would be better than the ugly truth. "The movie was sold out," Kanna finally lied. She clutched Shiori's hand tightly and led her toward a nearby park.

It had been a mistake, a terrible, horrible mistake to stay in this part of town. She should have gone downtown, where the establishments didn't have signs in the windows saying `youkai only'. Kanna had never given it a moment's thought. After all, she was youkai; all doors were open to her.

Except the door to the movie theatre, that is. She had been denied entrance because the child with her, a sweet-natured hanyou with beautiful violet eyes and silver hair, was part human. Full youkai only, the wolf-demon at the ticket office had said as he gave Shiori a disgusted sniff.

How do I tell a child she isn't welcome somewhere when she hasn't done anything wrong? She's being punished for something she has no control over! Kanna railed silently at the unfairness of it. At the same time, Kanna realized she was equally guilty, for when had she ever paid attention to the needs of humans?

Fortunately, Shiori was a forgiving and loving child. She had shrugged off her disappointment and begun a game of tag with some other children. Kanna watched her play with a sense of envy. Had she ever been this happy and carefree? She had never been able to join in the games of the others, for they were too frightened of her toneless voice and strange powers.

Not for the first time, Kanna wished she had been born as something other than what she was. Their mother was a wind youkai, why had Kagura been the only one to inherit such power? Instead, Kanna had been cursed with the freakish combination of the two. A soul-stealer father and a wind sorceress mother equaled…a void. There was no better description for Kanna. She was nothingness in its only visible form.

But I don't feel like `nothing'.

"Does this belong to you?" a male voice addressed her in a monotone.

Surprised, Kanna raised her expressionless face to the speaker. A human man was holding his leg out toward her, a grinning Shiori tightly wrapped around it. "Kanna, this is Kohaku! He's friends with my okaasan! Kanna is my favorite babysitter!" Shiori told Kohaku excitedly.

The man gave her a nod, his facial expression never altering. Kanna studied him as he sat on the bench next to her. His youthful appearance was marked by a line of scars stretching across his neck towards his face and he moved with a noticeable limp. He moved only half of his mouth when he spoke.

"Snake youkai," Kohaku answered her unspoken question. "It paralyzed most of my facial muscles and part of my vocal cords. And you?" he gestured toward her vacant stare.

"I'm a void," Kanna answered, using the familiar slang. Her interest in Kohaku was increasing by the minute. She'd never dreamed she would have anything in common with a human.

"Shiori tells me you're attending the university," Kohaku mentioned conversationally. "I'm attending as well. What's your field of study?"

Kanna hesitated. Mentioning her particular field usually resulted in an unending barrage of politician jokes. "Political Science," she muttered.

For a human, Kohaku had good ears. "Human/Youkai Anthropology," he countered. "Have you heard the one about the lawyer, the senator and - "

"I've heard it," Kanna retorted, cutting him off. "How do you get an Anthropologist off of your doorstep?"

"Pay him for the takeout food," Kohaku sighed. "Okay, truce. No more jokes."

"Kanna!" Shiori bounded up to them, running. Her face was slightly flushed. "What do those signs on the water fountains mean?"

"What signs?" Kanna asked, looking over at the fountains in question. "Oh, those signs. One drinking fountain is for youkai and the other is for humans."

Shiori looked confused. "Which one do I use?" she asked; her young face troubled.

Kanna's shoulders slumped. "I don't know, Shiori. I really don't know."

……

Kaede reached out to trace her image in the mirror. She peered closely at the faint lines etched into the corner of her eyes and around her mouth. Laughter lines, Taisho-sama had called them. Humans should wear them with pride, he had confessed with a small amount of envy, for only humans laughed so freely.

It was strange that she had found so much to laugh about before her enslavement all those years ago. Her life in the village had not been an easy one. Disease, famine and marauding armies shortened what should already have been a miserable existence, and yet…her life hadn't been miserable. Kaede had lived and laughed and loved as easily as she had wept and grieved and shouted.

And she had continued to laugh, even after the death of her lover and the enslavement of her and her adopted children. Certainly Kaede hadn't found cause for laughter while bound to their cruel first master, but countless happy moments had arisen when bound to Inu-sama. The cousin of Taisho-sama had been a merry, fun-loving youkai with a penchant for mischief…unlike his namesake, Inu-Yasha.

Kaede groaned inwardly. Placing Taisho-sama's unruly son under constant watch was a tiresome task indeed. Kaede had kept Inu-Yasha hopping with one fabricated duty or another since her arrival at the mansion, but she was fast running out of excuses to keep him from going out at night.

Checking the time, Kaede mentally scolded herself for daydreaming when there was work to be done. The others would soon be arriving home from work and she needed to change her appearance, although she was rapidly growing to loathe the idea of taking her disguised form. Kaede wanted to look beautiful, even if the one she did this for was not around to appreciate it. It was strange, for she thought she'd buried that vain part of her soul many years ago, along with her beloved demon exterminator.

The idea of personal vanity made her laugh. Who would she have wanted to impress back then? Unlike the others, Kaede had never given casual sex a moment's consideration. Although she had been lonely, she could never bring herself to indulge in a moment of passion with someone she couldn't love with all her heart. And until recently, Kaede had thought her heart was as dead as her former love.

She cast the spell and watched the woman in the mirror change into an old woman with gray hair and an eye patch. Her figure bloused and her shoulders hunched. Checking the calendar before she left her room, Kaede breathed a silent prayer of thanks. Tonight was the new moon. She had no need to persuade Inu-Yasha to stay close to home tonight. The hanyou would never venture out in his human form.

……

"Of course I'm going out tonight," Inu-Yasha answered Miroku's inquiry as he cleared the last of the rice from his bowl. "I've got business to take care of at the club. The old hag," he referred unfavorably to Kaede, "has been running me ragged with errands since she got here. I need a break from this place."

"Do you have to go tonight, Inu-Yasha?" Sango asked quietly as she pushed the platter of sushi rolls closer to the half-demon. "I was hoping for some time to talk to you about that project we discussed last night. I've been searching through the old vaults and you wouldn't believe some of the items I've come across."

"Really?" he asked, interested. He and Sango had been discussing Inu-Yasha's favorite subject - food - and Inu-Yasha had come up with the idea of compiling a cookbook of old and unique recipes. After four hundred plus years of cooking, Sango had access to a wealth of information. "What was the oldest recipe you found?"

"Something served at your cousin Inu-sama's first wedding," laughed Sango, her brown eyes dancing. "Trust me; I don't think you want me to prepare it for you. It's definitely a dish that would only appeal to the older youkai."

"I wish I didn't have to go the club, but someone's expecting me," Inu-Yasha told Sango, feeling strangely disappointed. You just want to stay up half the night talking about food again, he told himself, feeling a twinge of guilt for having kept the pregnant woman up so late last night. Sango was already half-asleep at the dinner table, trying to cover her yawns.

Sesshomaru was giving him a strange look from across the table. "You venture out on a night such as this?" his half-brother asked delicately. When Inu-Yasha didn't seem to comprehend, Sesshomaru gave a slight nod toward the calendar hanging on the wall.

Shit! The new moon is tonight! How could I have lost track? Inu-Yasha wondered frantically. Sango caught his flush and opened her mouth to question him, but Inu-Yasha shook his head at her. Later, he mouthed. He was going to need her help.

……

AAN (Annoying Author Notes): Hopefully, there's enough fluff in this chapter to satisfy the insatiable appetites of my readers. More fluff will follow…

A huge thanks to TitianWren, who has so graciously agreed to act as beta. May her pathway be littered with cyber chocolate!

As always, thanks for reading and reviewing! It means a lot to me :>D Lavender