InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Taisho's Darling ❯ Hook, Line & Sinker ( Chapter 18 )

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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 18

Hook, Line and Sinker

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"Sesshomaru? What on earth are you doing?"

The inuyoukai paused in the middle of sweeping the broken glass from the kitchen floor. "Cleaning the mess," he answered calmly. He gave her a look that clearly questioned her intelligence.

"Yes, but what are you doing with the broom?" After so many centuries of servitude, Sango was scandalized at the thought of her master's son performing such menial labor. "And why aren't you at work? It's the middle of the morning! And why didn't you wake me so I could take care of the children?" She moved to take the dustpan from his hands.

He effortlessly picked her up and moved her to the now clean area by the stove. "If you wish to assist, kindly fix something for Kagome to eat. She has not yet partaken of a morning meal." Sesshomaru continued talking as he swept. "The pups are at your brother's apartment; Kanna has offered to see to their care today. Given the current state of things, I felt such an action was for the best."

"Oh…so you know about Kanna and Kohaku, then?" Sango asked. "I wasn't aware of what was going on until a couple of days ago. When did they tell you?"

"They didn't. Kagura called me at the office to share the news. She was most upset," Sesshomaru commented.

"No kidding," Sango gave a snort. "This has got to be quite a shock to a human-hater like her. She's not going to try and stop them, is she?"

"I have no idea what Kagura's intentions are," Sesshomaru answered distractedly as she turned to face him while she spoke. He had finally noticed her disheveled appearance. The cook was standing there wrapped in his brother's silk robe, her eyes swollen and red from the tears that had left stains upon her cheeks. "Sango, what did that idiot hanyou do to bring about this level of destruction in the kitchen?"

"Don't call him an idiot," Sango countered, "because he's far more intelligent than he likes to appear." She shrugged. "And I don't want to talk about the argument."

"Very well," Sesshomaru responded. "But in the future, I would appreciate it if you would keep the dish breakage to a minimum. Is that ready for Kagome?" He pointed to the tray Sango was holding.

He left Sango in the kitchen and entered his bedroom with the tray of food in hand. Kagome hadn't moved from where he'd left her this morning. In fact, she didn't so much as acknowledge his entrance with a look. So still did she lie that if it had it not been for the rising of her chest, Sesshomaru would have had cause to wonder if the woman was still alive.

"You will eat, Kagome," Sesshomaru ordered, setting down the tray and sitting beside her. He pulled her to a sitting position. "This is neither a request, nor a suggestion," he informed the vacant-eyed miko as she absently toyed with her chopsticks.

"Not hungry," she mumbled, laying the utensils down on the tray. She leaned against his arm, resting her head on his bicep. "Why bother eating?"

Sesshomaru cringed internally at the sound of her voice. She would not wither away before his eyes; he simply would not allow it. "You will eat to maintain your strength. How else will you care for Rin and Shippo?" he asked her as he picked up the chopsticks and speared a morsel of food.

As he hoped, the reminder of the kitsune and the human girl did the trick. Without another word of protest, Kagome opened her mouth and took the bite of food. He repeated the action, and she allowed him to feed her as if she were a small child.

……

When Sesshomaru returned to the kitchen, empty tray in hand, he found the room had once again become the center of a battle. His brother, who was supposed to be out doing field studies, was deep into a fierce argument with Sango.

"You have a doctor's appointment this morning, and you will go!" the hanyou was shouting as he crossed his arms across his chest in a stubborn posture. "Hurry up and get dressed so you can leave; it's on the other side of town!"

"What?" Sango's fury visibly spiked. "You can't waltz in here and order me around, Inu-Yasha! I already told you why I don't want to see any doctor, so I'm not going!" she insisted as she stabbed his chest with a finger.

Sesshomaru had heard enough. "Sango," he interjected, his patience thinning, "as much as this pains me to say it, Inu-Yasha is correct in this matter. Do not allow your anger towards the half-wit to endanger your own life. Besides," he added in an attempt to mollify the former demon-slayer, "Father would wish for you to receive the best of care. Will you go against his concern for you?"

Sango's lips drew into a thin line. "Fine," she hissed. "I'll go to this appointment. But you're driving me there, Inu-Yasha, seeing how this was your idea!" She stomped out of the kitchen.

"What are you doing here in the middle of the morning?" Inu-Yasha asked Sesshomaru, seeming to become aware of his presence now that he'd won the argument.

"I was about to ask you the same question, Inu-Yasha. What happened to the field studies you were supposed to be completing?" As he spoke, Sesshomaru's eyes focused on a smear of food gracing the wall behind his brother. More chocolate pudding, he realized, reaching for a nearby dishcloth. "As for myself," he continued, "I found I was unable to concentrate on the matters at the office."

"Those field studies are already complete," Inu-Yasha answered with a grunt. "Yura out-sourced the work a few days ago. There's this company in Kyoto that does this sort of thing for half the cost of doing it ourselves, and they're faster about it as well." He shook his head in wonderment. "I never realized Yura had so much business sense."

"She appears to have a number of hidden talents," Sesshomaru agreed. "Of course, one wonders where on earth she has hidden them, considering her manner of dress." His mouth tilted ever so slightly at the corners as he spoke.

"What's going on? First you tell Sango that I'm right about something, then you start scrubbing the walls, and now you're cracking a joke?" Inu-Yasha frowned with concern. "I'm starting to think you've fallen under some kind of mind-control spell. What the hell has happened to you, Sesshomaru?"

"I'm not quite certain," Sesshomaru confessed. He gave the wall a final swipe with the rag to ensure the removal of all chocolate pudding. "If I must hazard a guess, I believe everything can be traced back to a phenomenon known as Higurashi Kagome."

"How the mighty have fallen," Inu-Yasha barked with laughter.

……

The electronic bell of the shop chimed, announcing Kagura's presence as she stepped across the threshold. "Welcome to Long John's Lingerie," Koharu's sweet voice floated across the room. "How may I assist your shopping experience? Oh hello, Kagura," the human girl said, slumping as her voice returning to one of sorrow.

"Hello, Koharu." Kagura eyed with concern the forlorn woman standing before her. Koharu's red-rimmed and puffy eyes were at odds with her Bo-Peep costume. "I called Miroku's number at work and Yura told me he was headed this way. Is he here?"

Before Koharu could answer, a loud slap was heard from behind a rack of velvet cat-suits. "Never mind," Kagura sighed. She stalked over to the source of the commotion. "There you are," she said to the purple-eyed pervert. "I've been looking all over town for you."

Miroku rubbed the red hand-print mark currently occupying his face. "Kagura!" he said brightly. "What a pleasure to know you've missed my company so much that you'd come here, of all places!"

"You wish," Kagura smirked. "How do you know I wasn't just doing some shopping?" She waved a hand at the racks of adult lingerie.

She should have known better than to joke around with a dedicated pervert like Miroku. Without skipping a beat, he grabbed her hand and led her to the back room. "The best stuff is back here," he told her, grabbing a leather dominatrix outfit. "How about something like this?" He held the bustier up to her chest.

"Not really my thing," Kagura told him, swatting his hand away. "What's wrong with Koharu? She looks like she spent the night crying."

"Lover's spat," Miroku said airily. "I'm sure things will work out, however. Now this," he held up a vinyl white nurse outfit, "would look incredible on you." He leaned forward. "Just think, Kagura…we could cos-play Specific Hospital! I'll be the doctor who has just lost his wife to a fatal car accident, and you can be the nurse who consoles me -"

"Oh, give it a rest!" Kagura pushed him away. His reference to soap-operas hit a little too close to home for her. She'd known he was a soap-fan; she'd seen the DVD collection in his room. But that didn't mean she wanted him to know about her little 'hobby'!

"Don't tell me you're the romantic, kiss-me-you-fool type," Miroku said contemplatively. "Of course, there are plenty of items here in the shop to fit that scenario." He started sorting through another rack.

"I don't know why you don't work here yourself," Kagura grumbled. "You certainly know the merchandise." She grabbed him by the tie. "Goodbye, Koharu! I'm taking the sex-menace off your hands!" she called out as she dragged him from the store.

……

"Ah! What happened to you?" Sango screeched. Inu-Yasha had returned from parking the car, but he was barely recognizable. Gone were the dog-ears and silver hair, only to be replaced by the features of his human form. "It's the middle of the day, not the night of the new moon!"

"Quiet, woman! You want to let the whole world know my secret?" Inu-Yasha clapped a hand over her mouth and glared at her. "I'm using a temporary spell. A youkai would smell the truth, but a bunch of humans won't be able to tell the difference. You don't expect me to walk into that clinic looking like a demon, do you? We'll be thrown out on our asses before we're completely inside the door!"

Sango yanked his hand away from her mouth. "What? I knew this was a bad idea! How am I supposed to be getting any kind of prenatal care? Once they discover I'm carrying hanyou pups, they'll - "

"I said I'd take care of it!" Inu-Yasha interrupted her. His voice fell to a harsh whisper. "One of the doctors in here is willing to see you, strictly as a favor to me, mind you. But you have to keep quiet about it. If word got out, the human medical board would yank her license. Now come on; you're going to be late."

"This 'separate but equal' crap has got to go," Sango snarled as she stomped along behind him. "No one takes into account what mixed races are supposed to do. And what do you mean, 'her' license? This doctor's a woman?" she asked jealously.

"You'd prefer a male? Sorry, but I can't exactly accommodate your request," Inu-Yasha answered sarcastically, misunderstanding her anger. "Not only do we have the mixed race issue, but there's your other little 'problem' we're dealing with as well. I could only think of one person who would help us without reporting it."

"Who?" Sango asked suspiciously.

"Promise me you won't freak out when I tell you?"

"Inu-Yasha…"

They arrived at the front entrance of the clinic and he gave her a gentle push through the revolving door. "Just shut up and trust me for once, will you? I promise I'll protect you!" He put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her close as they stood at the front desk.

The receptionist beamed at the seemingly happy couple. "How may I help you?" she chirped, smiling tenderly at Sango's slightly rounded abdomen. She failed to notice the way the former slayer was painfully twisting the hand of her 'husband.'

"Find the interior designer who did this place and put her in front of the firing squad," Sango snapped, looking around the office with undisguised loathing. Pastel shades of pink, blue, yellow and green covered the walls in an annoying blend of overdone cuteness. "It looks like someone puked up a rainbow."

"We have an appointment," Inu-Yasha quickly spoke, giving the receptionist their assumed names while nudging Sango with his elbow in an attempt to keep her quiet. "Why don't you take a seat while I give this nice lady our information, dear?" he said with a forced smile in Sango's direction.

"Oh, that won't be necessary," the receptionist said brightly, her expression never wavering. "We've had a couple of last minute cancellations this morning, so the doctor will see you right now. Just follow that nurse," she instructed, pointing to the tired-looking human standing with a chart in her hands. "And don't worry about your wife," she whispered conspiratorially to Inu-Yasha. "That's just her pregnancy hormones doing the talking."

"I'll show you hormones, you overly-cheerful - " Sango began.

"Come on, sweetheart," Inu-Yasha dragged her away before she could start a fight.

"Certainly, darling," Sango responded, purposely stepping on his foot as she moved ahead of him.

The nurse directed them into the examination room. The moment the door closed behind them, Inu-Yasha released Sango's hand and scowled at her. "Look, you're going to see the doctor whether you like it or not, so just settle down and quit acting like a brat! Hell, Shiori is a better patient than you are!"

"Who's Shiori?" Sango demanded to know.

"My little daughter," the nurse spoke up. She began to take Sango's vital signs. "Now, I can understand your reluctance to see the doctor," she continued in a soft tone, "but you need to relax. You're safe here."

"You know?" Sango asked nervously, wondering just how much Inu-Yasha had revealed.

"That you're carrying hanyou pups?" the nurse asked. As Sango nodded, she gave her a reassuring pat on the arm. "I've been in your shoes. My mate was a bat-demon, making Shiori a hanyou," she added. "I know how difficult it is to find a doctor willing to help human-demon couples, but my boss will take care of you."

"Good morning!" The door opened and another woman entered. "So you're my newest patient," she said good-naturedly to Sango. "You've made quite an impression on my receptionist. Do I need to wear body armor to protect myself before starting the examination?"

Sango's mouth fell open. "You - you're…" she gasped, unable to speak clearly. Her throat made a strange gurgling sound.

Inu-Yasha pushed himself away from where he'd been leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. "Sango, I'd like you to meet Kikyo. She's your physician," he sighed. "You can kill me later, after we get home."

……

"So that's the situation," Kagura finished telling him. "Kanna and Kohaku are serious about this, Miroku. What am I going to do?"

"What do you mean?" Miroku responded with a lifted eyebrow. "You'll step back and wish them well, Kagura. They've obviously chosen with their hearts." He lifted his glass of water to his lips and drank, wishing heartily that he was consuming something stronger. He'd never been the type to consider a salad served with a glass of water as 'lunch,' but his recent inactivity had added a bit of weight to his middle. Nothing noticeable, mind you, but the waist of his pants was a bit snug. Perhaps Sango was right about the lack of proper nutrition…

"Miroku!" Kagura interrupted his wandering thoughts by slapping her hand on the restaurant table. "Could you please try to pay attention? This is important!"

"Dear Kagura, of course I'm paying attention," Miroku grinned. "I can't help it if I was caught up in picturing you wearing that nurse outfit. If I close my eyes, I can just see you in a matching pair of stiletto heels and white stockings."

"Oddly enough, when you close your eyes you look like you're about to fall asleep over your lunch," Kagura pointed out acidly. She obviously intended to ignore his comment about the nurse outfit. "Do you find my company that boring?"

"Actually, I'm a bit tired," Miroku confessed. "I'm afraid I stayed up rather late last night. Couldn't help it really," he yawned. "I was reading the most engrossing piece of fan-fiction, and I just had to finish."

"Fan-fiction?" To her credit, the wind youkai kept a tight control of her facial expression. Had Miroku not been watching, he would have missed the slight twitch at the corner of her eye. "I'm surprised you admit to reading such nonsense, Miroku," Kagura continued with a sniff.

She was playing her part well, but he wasn't finished with her yet. "Oh yes, I've been reading soap-opera fan-fiction for some time now," Miroku replied easily. "There are some authors I follow with an almost religious devotion. ZipTrimble23, DeadLizardBreath, WinDWitch…although the quality of WinD's writing seems to have deteriorated," he added as an aside.

First the bait…

"Really?" Kagura's tone indicated she couldn't care less, but her eyes were frozen to her plate. "Why would you say something like that?"

Miroku waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, just something she posted recently. Her bedroom scene between a youkai and a human was all wrong. It's obvious she doesn't have any real-life experience. She should stick to writing what she knows."

Hook…

He checked his watch and rose from the chair. "I've got to get back to the office," Miroku told the suddenly quiet female. "So, are we still on for dinner this evening? We really need to discuss some of these prospects," he reminded her, indicating the stack of papers.

Line…

"Er, yes," Kagura stammered. Her cheeks were turning a faint shade of pink. "I'll come to the mansion to meet you, if you don't mind," she said as she rose to accompany him.

"Oh, it'll be my pleasure, Kagura." Miroku hid his grin as he kissed the back of her hand in farewell. He noticed the wind youkai's eyes kept flickering up and down his form, taking in his form-fitting clothing.

Sinker…

……

Kagome's wet hair was tangled into several knots, and her eyes had dark circles beneath them. Her fingernails were ragged and torn, betraying her habit of chewing on them when upset. It was strange, Sesshomaru thought. In spite of her disheveled appearance, she could still appear so astonishingly beautiful to him.

The inuyoukai was aware that somehow, without being truly aware of exactly when it had happened, he had crossed a line. The broken miko had become so much more than a curiosity or entertainment to him. It was almost as if she was now a part of him, a piece of him he hadn't realized was missing. Sesshomaru had always believed he lacked nothing, yet how could he deny that she made him complete?

She knelt at his feet with her head across his lap, allowing him to work the comb through her hair. Her scent was slightly laced with the soap from her recent bath, an extremely light, delicate fragrance she used to keep from offending the noses of the youkai within the household. It was just another one of the many ways in which she tirelessly cared for others, Sesshomaru realized. She could love anyone and forgive anything, but she would not afford herself the same treatment.

"You refer to yourself as dirty, Kagome. Why?" His voice remained gentle but firm as he spoke to the limp woman. "I know of your past, for I have seen it through our bond. What has caused this renewal of self-loathing? What lies did that man tell you last night?"

"He didn't lie," Kagome croaked. "He spoke the truth! It's true, all of it!"

"And what is this truth?" Sesshomaru queried, grasping her chin so she was forced to look him in the eyes, forced to acknowledge his concern for her. "You claim you are nothing but filth, but I find no evidence to support your claim. Prove me wrong, Kagome, or never speak of this again."

"I enjoyed it," the miko answered miserably. She forced her head away, hanging it down in shame. "I tried to forget that part, but Onigumo reminded me of it!"

Her bald statement shook him to the core, but Sesshomaru continued on relentlessly. "Be specific, Higurashi Kagome," he ordered, anger tightening his gut at her revelation of who had attacked her last night. So her former master was back, was he? Good. He would take great personal pleasure in shredding the man to pieces with his own claws.

"I hate him!" Kagome shrieked, tearing herself away from the confused dog-demon and curling into a ball on the floor. "I wish he would die! But he told the truth - the truth about when I was working out on the streets!"

A glimmer of understanding came to Sesshomaru. "Kagome," he spoke carefully, not wanting to upset her further. Pink sparks were once again pouring from her fingertips, and he had no desire for a repeat encounter with her uncontrolled powers. "Do you mean to say that you wanted to be prostituting your body before you'd even reached puberty? That you enjoyed being used by a male and discarded like trash when he was finished? I didn't think so," he went on when she shook her head in violent protest. "Allow me to hazard a guess. Onigumo reminded you that you had sometimes taken pleasure from his touch."

"Yes," she moaned brokenly. She was on her knees again, rocking back and forth with her arms wrapped tightly around her body. "I'm just a whore!" She began to rake her jagged fingernails across her skin as if to remove it from her body.

Sesshomaru reached forward and grabbed her by the wrists. "Do not damage what belongs to me," he growled. When she ceased to struggle, he released one of her hands. Still gripping the other tightly, he ran a sharp claw across the skin of her arm, drawing blood. "Does that feel pleasurable?" he asked sharply as Kagome winced in pain. "Of course it doesn't," he answered for her. "Your nerve endings are designed to use pain as a method of stopping you from harming yourself."

He steeled himself for the next part, knowing it would either help her or push her over the edge completely. Slowly, he drew her bleeding arm to his mouth and gently lapped at the cut with his tongue. When she shivered, he covered the skin with his warm mouth and began to move his caress upward. Smooth lips traced a path across silken skin until he reached the pulse-point of her neck. Once there, he suckled lightly, grazing his fangs against her throbbing vein.

The youkai within him was raging, desperately wishing to sink his teeth into her soft flesh, marking her as his own forever. Sesshomaru held onto the remains of his self-control and ignored his instincts, knowing that the wrong move now would destroy the fragile Kagome. Lifting his face from her neck, he pulled her small body tightly against him.

"Tell me, Kagome, did that not bring you pleasure?" he rasped. "You cannot deny it, for I can smell the arousal in your scent. A physical response, Kagome, it is no different than your response to pain. Do you understand what I am telling you?"

"I…I'm not sure," she whispered in answer.

"Let me put it another way, little miko," Sesshomaru said, cupping her face between his hands. "If you were to give Shippo a slap to the face, it would cause him pain, would it not? Even though he loves you? It is the same for pleasure. A certain touch will cause an enjoyable sensation, even though you loathe the one giving the touch. Do not confuse a physical reaction with an emotional one."

"Oh," Kagome sighed, understanding beginning to lighten her unhappy face. Her frown returned as another thought crossed her mind. "But I should have been stronger," she said in self-rebuke. "I should have resisted the physical reaction! What kind of creature am I, just giving in to the sensation like that?"

"You are a human creature," Sesshomaru answered, unable to resist brushing her forehead with a light kiss. "Not to mention, you were a child. You were placed into a heinous life, receiving no mercy at the hands of the adults who should have cared for you. Save your hatred and loathing for Onigumo, Kagome, and forgive yourself."

Just how long they remained in that position, with her sweet form clasped tightly against his thudding heart, Sesshomaru didn't know. It seemed as though time had stopped for him; the only thing that mattered was holding Kagome in his arms and feeling her tense body relax. As the woman gradually dropped into a heavy slumber, Sesshomaru remembered his father's attempt to explain his love for Izayoi, a memory from a very long time ago.

"When I'm with her, I feel as if I've finally arrived home," Taisho had told his son.

After all these years, Sesshomaru finally understood what his father had meant. Home was neither the fortress of his youth nor the mansion he currently occupied. His home was right here, wrapped in his embrace. Within Kagome resided a promise of a safe harbor to rest his weary heart, and Sesshomaru ceased questioning the path that led him to this marvelous place.

……

"Quite a morning, wasn't it?"

Kikyo glanced at her nurse before returning her gaze to the empty flask in front of her. "It certainly wasn't boring," she replied as she picked up the container. A pink glow emerged from her fingertips and settled upon the top of the flask. Within seconds, the flask turned a bright red before fading back to its original shade.

"Did you see that look Sango gave to Inu-Yasha? I thought she was going to slay him on the spot," the nurse continued, accustomed to having only part of the doctor's attention. Kikyo was always one for multi-tasking.

"He probably deserves whatever Sango hands out," Kikyo muttered absently. "Although he must care about the woman, or he'd never risk showing his face here. Not that Kagewaki ever comes to the office, but you never know…"

"So what was in there, anyway?" her nurse asked, pointing to the now-purified flask.

"Mischief," Kikyo replied as she washed her hands. "The flask contained the remnants of a potion that would certainly annoy another demon. If you were to drink this," she explained to her confused nurse, "you would taste nothing more than some very strong sake, and your resulting intoxication would give you a horrible hangover the next day."

"Sounds like plain old alcohol to me," the woman replied doubtfully.

"That's because you don't have a keen sense of smell," Kikyo told her with a short laugh. "The sake masks the potion's real purpose, which is to cause the drinker to smell as if he or she spent the night having intimate relations with whoever made the potion."

"Huh?"

"Pretend you're a youkai male," Kikyo sighed. "You pay an early visit to the female you've been courting, and the first scent that crosses your exceptional nose seems to be the evidence of your female having sex with another male. In short, you're going to assume the worst." Kikyo rubbed a tired hand across her forehead.

"So who sent you the empty flask?" her nurse asked.

"A dog demon who doesn't appreciate having his chain yanked."

……

A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating. The bad news is that Hurricane Ivan has put a tree through my roof and my bedroom ceiling is now in pieces on the floor. The good news is that FEMA gave me a free blue tarp to cover the holes so I can live in my house. Yay!

Seriously, updates will be sporadic at best until I get the mess straightened out. Thank you for your continued patience! And an extra thanks to my wonderful beta, TitianWren! - Lavender