InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Taisho's Darling ❯ Miroku's Hand and Kagome's Tears ( Chapter 22 )

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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 22

Miroku's Hand and Kagome's Tears

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Dinner was a relatively silent affair. Kagome sat in a zombie-like trance, half-heartedly moving her chopsticks whenever Sesshomaru nudged her and pointed to her plate with a frown. Taisho-sama was able to join them for the meal, but was too weak to do much besides eat. Inu-Yasha had not yet returned from the emergency at Club Lavanda, leaving an empty place next to Sango, who seemed to be off somewhere in a daydream. Kaede noted that Bankotsu was still closeted in his room, presumably with an anxious Jakotsu tending to his injury, and that Koharu and Nazuna were absent, which seemed to be the norm these days. That left only Miroku, who had called Kaede earlier to tell her that he had been delayed by a business meeting, and would Kaede please entertain Kagura if she happened to arrive at the mansion before his return.

"Where are Rin and Shippo?" Taisho asked, breaking the silence.

"They are spending the night with Kanna," Sesshomaru answered as he once again directed Kagome's attention to her food.

The young woman was really out of it, Kaede noticed. When she'd brought the girl to see Taisho-sama earlier, the miko had mumbled something vague before fleeing the room after the briefest of polite formalities. Kaede hadn't failed to notice the crushed look on Taisho-sama's face after receiving such a cold dismissal from his Favorite Darling, and as angry as she was with her master, the incident made her heart ache for his sake.

Earlier that afternoon, everyone in the household had been made aware of the relationship between Kanna and Kohaku, as well as Sakura's threat to Taisho's well-being, so it was with some concern that Sango posed her question. "If the children are with Kanna, they're not in any danger, are they? I mean, you don't think Sakura would take her anger out on them, do you?"

The younger inuyoukai reached out to calm Kagome, who had shot up at Sango's mention of danger. "Kanna and our pups are at Kohaku's apartment, not Sakura's home," Sesshomaru said soothingly to Kagome as he pried her fingers from their death-grip on his shirt. "Kanna has…relocated to a more hospitable environment."

"In other words, her mother kicked her out this morning when she found out about Kohaku," Sango translated with disgust. She jabbed at her food angrily. "That's going to be another problem. Isn't Kohaku's apartment complex classified as 'human only'? Management looks the other way when it's just an overnight guest, but Kanna can't stay there permanently!"

"The couple is very aware of this," Sesshomaru informed the group. "Kagura and I have discussed this at length with the two of them. I've offered the mansion as a place to stay, as opposed to living on the streets, but I have no idea where we'll put them."

"They can have my room," Sango offered. "I'm sure one of the other girls won't mind sharing her space with me for a while, at least until Kohaku can find another place for them to live."

"I'm certain someone will offer to share space with you," Taisho-sama commented dryly, causing Kaede to send him a scorching look. Like her master, she knew very well where Sango had been sleeping, but she wasn't going to be so unladylike as to mention it at the dinner table.

Sango tried to cover her blush with a cough. In doing so, she accidentally knocked elbows with Kagome, spilling the other girl's tea. "Kagome, I'm so sorry!" Sango cried, dabbing at the front of Kagome's shirt with her napkin. "I didn't burn you, did I?"

"It's all right, Sango," Kagome answered tonelessly. She continued to eat as if nothing had happened.

"Um, this tea still feels kind of warm, Kagome." Sango was clearly worried by the girl's lack of response. "There's this big red blotch forming on your arm. Are you sure you're not burned?"

"I don't think she's listening," Sesshomaru said as he picked up the silent girl. "Allow me to take care of this. Where do you keep the first aid kit, Sango?"

"It's in the kitchen, first drawer on the right of the oven," Sango told him. "Do you need my help?"

"Any help she needs is far beyond what you can give her," the inuyoukai replied as he carried Kagome from the room.

Taisho's chopsticks clattered against the plate as he threw them down in disgust. "I demand to be told what has happened to my Darling," he growled at the two remaining women. "Sesshomaru has tried to gloss over this matter by telling me Kagome had a bad experience at the club, but this," he waved a hand indicating the miko's odd behavior, "is far more than a 'bad experience.' What haven't I been told?"

"Onigumo is back," Kaede blurted out. She hadn't agreed with Sesshomaru's intention to keep the matter from his father. "He dragged Kagome into a storage room at the nightclub and - "

She was unable to finish, for Taisho-sama interrupted her with a roar. "That hell-sent bastard has made an appearance, and no one bothers to tell me?" He shoved himself away from the table, staggering to his feet.

"Calm thyself, Master!" Kaede moved to assist him, but was stopped in her tracks by the horrifying sight of a naked Jaken that flashed across her eyes. "Ack! I mean, calm yourself!" Her breathing returned to normal, and she resumed her plea. "Master, Kagome is unharmed; allow Sesshomaru to take care of this matter!"

"I will hunt him down and kill him!" her master shouted. "How can you say my Darling Kagome is unharmed? Look at her! She walks around like the undead, barely aware of her surroundings!"

"If you want to kill him, Master, you're going to have to stand in line and wait your turn," Sango said matter-of-factly. "Sesshomaru has claimed the rights to Onigumo's blood, and I don't think he's going to hand that privilege to anyone."

"And I can't blame him," a new voice interjected. Inu-Yasha entered, removing his jacket tiredly and taking his place next to Sango at the table. "I'd do the same if someone hurt my mate. You might as well sit down and relax, Father. You ain't exactly in any condition to go kick some ass."

"Mind your language in front of the ladies," his father growled at him, but he calmed down. "Kaede, if anyone needs me, I'll be talking to the guards. I want a full report, and I want it now!"

"Mm, I don't envy Jakotsu and Bankotsu at the moment," Sango mumbled as she watched Taisho limp from the room. She turned to the hanyou, who had attacked his plate as if he were starving. "Is everything all right at the club? What happened to your ear?"

"Everything's just great if you don't count the damage inflicted to my club by a horde of angry demons," Inu-Yasha answered after swallowing. "Of course, if I'd been turned into a woman by a miscast spell, I'd be pissed, too. You wouldn't believe what I had to tell the cops because of that damn Nazuna."

"Nazuna was behind the trouble?" Kaede asked.

"Know anyone else who would pull a stunt like that?" Inu-Yasha rolled his eyes. "That girl is a menace to youkai everywhere. I'm surprised she wasn't arrested years ago."

"So where's the weapon of mass destruction right now, little brother?" Sesshomaru had reentered the room, dragging a bandaged Kagome behind him. "Finish your dinner," he ordered the miko in a soft tone.

"I left her with Hiten," Inu-Yasha said, shoveling more curry into his mouth. Between bites, he filled the rest of them in on the events at the club. "So that's one less problem to worry about," he finished. "Nazuna and Hiten are probably bonded as I speak. Although they'd better have waited until they got to his place," he scowled. "I don't want to even think about them doing anything in my bar."

"Is that all we are?" Sango asked, her voice hollow. "Are we just 'problems' that need to be fixed? I'm sorry we're such an imposition."

"Dammit Sango, I didn't mean it like that," Inu-Yasha told her. "Don't put words into my mouth! I'm not the one who put all of you into this situation, so don't take it out on me!" he said bitterly.

Sango's response was to remove the empty dishes from the table and stomp toward the kitchen. As she passed through the doorway, she bumped against Miroku, who had just entered the mansion with Kagura in tow. "Pervert!" she screamed, slapping him soundly. "You never pass up an opportunity, do you?"

"But Sango, my hand acts of its own accord!" claimed Miroku. "It's cursed! I can't control it!"

"You've been using that excuse for at least three hundred years, houshi! Find a new one!" Sango screeched. "I'm so sick and tired of all of you!" She burst into tears, throwing down the dishes she'd been holding and storming from the room.

Inu-Yasha was in Miroku's face in an instant. "That 'cursed' hand of yours had better not touch Sango again," he snarled. "I don't share what's mine, got it?"

"This is hardly the time and place for a lover's quarrel," Sesshomaru said to Inu-Yasha, but his words met empty air. The hanyou had bolted from the room.

"Did you - did you just grope your sister?" Kagura gasped. "I knew you were perverted, but that's just sick! And what did she mean, you've been using that line for over three hundred years? Humans don't live that long!"

Miroku gave an audible gulp. "Um, I know this looks bad, but I can explain…"

"Really, Miroku, if you continue with this kind of behavior, you're never going to have any kind of a meaningful relationship with my brother," Sesshomaru scolded.

"Inu-Yasha too?" Kagura gagged. "Do you make it with anything that has a pulse, or are you particular about the species?"

"Now wait just a minute," Miroku protested, "I don't know what Sesshomaru's talking about; I've never laid a hand on Inu-Yasha! I am strictly a female-only kind of guy!"

"Yes, but when the female is your sister, you're not supposed to go there!" Kagura spat.

"Sit down and join us, Kagura," Sesshomaru sighed. "It's time you knew the truth concerning the residents of this house. Not," he added as an afterthought, "that you're going to enjoy hearing the story."

……

Taisho was hell-bent on removing the heads of his guards, but one look at Jakotsu's face convinced him that this was not the time to vent his anger. "Is there a problem?" he inquired, a strange sensation causing the hairs on the back of his neck to rise. "She's here," he growled softly, recognizing the aura.

"Kikyo-sama waits within." Jakotsu bit the words out, as if he tasted something vile. "She wishes to speak with you, Taisho-sama. Bankotsu and I forbade her from leaving this room."

"A wise decision, Jakotsu. There's no telling how the others might react to her presence," Taisho replied with a calm he didn't feel. She had come to speak with him here at the mansion instead of sending a message to meet on neutral ground…this had to be important.

Proud as always, the miko remained standing when he entered the room, refusing to ever kneel before a youkai. Unwilling to take her bait, Taisho threw himself into the nearest chair, hoping his dwindling strength would at least carry him through the interview. "Get on with it, Kikyo," he told her. "I'm missing Sango's cooking for this."

"Send these two abominations from the room first," Kikyo replied, her grey eyes filled with disgust.

At a nod from Taisho, the guards left the room, although Jakotsu made it clear with a look of hatred that he would kill the miko on the spot if so ordered. "You should be kinder to them, Kikyo. After all, it's not their fault they have such long lives."

"Don't remind me of my predecessor's foul wish," Kikyo hissed. She straightened, her shoulders held erect. "That flask you sent to me, Taisho…it was productive."

"Don't speak in riddles, woman," Taisho warned. "I take it your conversation with Toto-sai had a favorable outcome?"

"He has agreed to join us," the miko answered. She hesitated then, seeming to debate whether or not to reveal something. "His home…it's covered with all kinds of spiritual wards. Magic of that nature would not be necessary unless he was hiding something."

So she had picked up on that as well. "Perhaps a portal to the mythical free lands really does exist?" Taisho guessed aloud. "That would be of great use to us."

She frowned at him. "It's of no use to me," she replied. "Once Naraku is dead, this slave bond will disappear. And even if I were to be freed by another, I'm young enough to survive the removal of the bond."

"Unlike the slaves in this household," Taisho finished for her.

"Yes." Kikyo was quiet for a moment. "How is my sister doing?" she asked, speaking so softly that, even with his keen hearing, it was an effort to make out the words. "I heard she suffered some trauma while out clubbing."

"Trauma?" Taisho repeated. "I suppose that's one word for it. Onigumo has reappeared," he said bluntly.

He'd shocked her. "How can this be?" she asked, confused. "I thought Naraku had killed him. At least, that's what he told me, and he didn't seem to be lying when he said it."

"It might be interesting to tell Naraku he's still alive," Taisho replied, "and watch his reaction closely. What's his connection to Onigumo, anyway?"

"I don't know," Kikyo sighed. "All I know is that he hates him, hates him more than you or I hate him. From what little he's said, I gather it has something to do with the original Kikyo."

"Not possible," Taisho grunted. "Onigumo is human; there's not a drop of youkai blood in him. He couldn't possibly be connected to the original Kikyo; he'd have to be as old as Inu-Yasha."

"Unless he was enslaved," Kikyo countered. "Some of your slaves were born during that time period. But who would enslave Onigumo and then allow him to create such havoc?"

"Naraku would do something like that," Taisho suggested.

"Yes, but then he would know if Onigumo was dead or not, because he'd feel the broken bond," Kikyo pointed out. She twirled a lock of hair in her finger, a nervous habit that Taisho found endearing solely because it served to remind him that this cold woman was human. There were days when he had his doubts.

Taisho scratched absently at his chest; some of his wounds were itching like crazy as they healed. "I can't help but think we're wandering down the wrong path with this," he confessed. "We need to concentrate on what we do know: Onigumo is back, and he's after Kagome. Not that Sesshomaru is going to let him get to her," he added.

"Sesshomaru?" Kikyo arched a thin eyebrow. "What, you just handed Kagome over to your son?"

"Yes," Taisho replied curtly. He didn't care for the tone of Kikyo's voice. She'd always been abrasive when it came to the matter of his relationship with her sister. Taisho wondered what she'd say if she knew Kagome had been his slave, and not his lover.

"And how does Kagome feel about this?"

He refrained from questioning why she didn't ask Kagome herself, because he knew what her answer would be. It was always the same; Kikyo would look hurt and insist that things were better this way. He settled instead for answering the miko's question with the truth.

"To be honest, Kikyo, I don't think Kagome feels much of anything at the moment," he said. "Onigumo might not have harmed her physically, but he's dealt a killing blow to her soul. I only hope she survives."

……

Sesshomaru studied the petite woman with growing worry. She hadn't even felt the hot tea burn her, for hell's sake! Something about Kagome was so off, and he was beginning to wonder if she could even hear him anymore.

Miroku was still jabbering on, trying to explain this horrific mess to Kagura. To the wind youkai's credit, she was keeping up with his explanation. He had to admire Kagura for that, considering the entire situation was giving him an enormous headache. Oh well, at least he'd discovered his brother wasn't going to take Miroku for a mate. That had to be worth something.

……

She was listening, thankfully. Miroku talked faster than he'd ever talked in his life, realizing for the first time that it would just kill him if Kagura were to wash her hands of this mess. Who would he have to play with, if his wind witch left? She was sharp; she was witty; she was sexually appealing; she was entertaining as hell; in short, Kagura was everything Miroku had ever desired in a female. And best of all, she never let him get away with anything - a definite plus, given his propensity for mischief.

While he was talking, something tickled at the back of his mind. Miroku deeply regretted having put himself outside the information loop this day; normally he was on top of everything that happened with the mansion's occupants. Instead, he'd put up that sound barrier to his room last night, causing him to miss what must have been a wildly entertaining fight in the kitchen. Even worse, he'd left the mansion this morning without discovering the end result of Kagome's trip to the clubs last night. Something must have happened, because she was acting a bit odd. He shrugged. Whatever it was, someone would tell him eventually.

……

She wasn't going to make it. The voices were too loud, hammering away at her brain. As Sesshomaru moved from her side, Kagome tensed. He was leaving her!

"So you see," Miroku's voice seemed to come from far away, "this is all just a big misunderstanding, Kagura. Sango isn't my sister; we're fellow slaves. And I'm not having a torrid affair with Inu-Yasha!"

"You're still a pervert," Kagura shot back.

"That, dear Kagura, is just another false assumption, based on my accursed hand," Miroku said smoothly.

Where had Sesshomaru gone? Kagome looked around the room frantically, her heart racing. He was gone; he'd left her; he wasn't coming back! "Sesshomaru?" She wanted to yell, but her underused voice came out in a tiny squeak. "Where?" She jumped up from the table, intent on searching for the youkai. He'd left her!

She tripped, and then she was falling. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for the impact that was sure to come. Instead, she found herself hitting something firm, but not the hard floor. A pair of arms encircled her; a gentle voice asked her if she was all right. She opened her eyes to see the violet orbs of Miroku.

He was touching her. Miroku's hand was smoothing circles on her posterior, while his voice was saying something about a bruise. Miroku was touching her, and Sesshomaru was gone.

He'd left her. With a noise that was a cross between a sob and a scream, Kagome wailed the inuyoukai's name. Deep inside her soul, she could feel something shatter.

……

The youkai was only as far as the next room when he heard Kagome call his name, but that didn't matter. He'd have heard that heart-rending sound from another continent, he was certain. And all the minions of hell couldn't have stopped him from racing to her side.

Golden eyes turned a deep red as his protective instincts overtook his normal stoicism. His life, his love, his mate had called for his help, crying out to his very soul! He tore into the room, seeking the death of the one causing his Kagome such distress.

The next events were naught but a blur, as the terrified shrieks of the others filled his ears. It didn't matter, though, for his precious Kagome was clinging to him, her arms wrapped around his neck. She was shaking, trembling so hard it was a wonder her bones didn't ache, begging him not to leave her.

Leave her? No, never! He couldn't leave her; she was the other part of him! Clutching her tightly, he whisked her away from the others.

……

"Miroku? Kagura?" Kaede whispered, crawling out from where she'd dived behind the sideboard. "Dear heavens above us, whatever was that all about?"

"You idiot!" Kagura was yelling at Miroku. The former monk was lying on the floor, curled into the fetal position and moaning in pain. "You never, ever, ever, come between a youkai and his injured mate, especially an inu youkai! Hasn't living this long taught you anything?"

"My hand!" Miroku screamed at her. "He put a hole in my hand!"

"Oh, stop being such a baby about it," Kagura scoffed. She studied his injured palm critically. "It's not even bleeding; the skin is completely sealed around the injury. Sesshomaru must have some residual poison left in his claw, and it cauterized the wound. You're really lucky, you know." She threw his hand back at him.

"Lucky? How do you call this 'lucky'?" Miroku demanded to know. He held his palm up to his eye and looked at her through it. "He put a hole in my hand! And it hurts!" he whined.

"I say you're lucky, because he could just as easily have put a hole through your heart!" Kagura emphasized. "You just had to go and cop a feel instead of helping the girl to her feet, didn't you?"

"Am I interrupting something?"

It was Toto-sai, only he wasn't wearing his customary 'old geezer' look. Instead, he was neatly groomed and dressed to kill. He shifted his stance, sending off the faintest hint of expensive cologne. "Kaede?" the metal-smith asked, locating the woman in question. "What are you doing down there?"

"It's a long story," Kaede groaned, climbing to her feet. "I'm afraid I didn't hear you at the door, Toto-sai. Forgive our rudeness."

Toto-sai surveyed the upturned table, the broken plates with food scattered everywhere. "It seems you had other matters to take care of, dear Kaede." He offered her his arm. "Shall we depart?"

"Please," whimpered Kaede, allowing him to lead her out the door. "If I stay here, I'll likely be as insane as the rest of this bunch."

"Well," blinked Miroku, momentarily diverted from his pain. "I wasn't expecting that. I wonder how Taisho-sama feels about this."

"You can ask him in the morning," Kagura harrumphed. "Come on, let's get you up to your room before you cause any more trouble. Where have you been this evening, anyway?"

Miroku followed her willingly. "I was at a club meeting, and it ran late. I'm a member of The Society for the Ongoing Reenactment of Daytime Interpretive Drama," he announced proudly.

She stopped long enough to allow him to open his door. "You've got to be kidding," Kagura said in disbelief. "You kept me waiting because of a bunch of soap-opera cosplayers?" She slammed his bedroom door shut and activated the soundproof barrier. "Don't you think that's carrying fandom just a little too far?"

"Is belonging to S.O.R.D.I.D. any worse than writing pornographic fan-fiction?" Miroku countered.

"Hey, I'm just sharpening my writing skills!" Kagura began to argue, but broke off when she realized what he had just said. A red flush crept into her cheeks. "All right, how long have you known?" she asked.

"Not long," Miroku gave her a wicked grin. His smile faltered when he noticed Kagura was removing her blouse. "Although I've been a fan…of your work," he croaked as she trailed kisses down the side of his throat, "for a long…time…"

"Really?" she murmured against the hollow of his chest as she unbuttoned his shirt. "What fic did you enjoy the most?" A flick of her hand, and his shirt joined hers on the floor.

"Kagura, do you have any idea what you are doing?" Miroku gasped as her mouth moved lower.

"Comparing notes," she answered, before standing on tiptoe to claim his mouth in a passionate kiss. "You said that my scenes weren't realistic. Show me what I'm doing wrong."

Miroku was too shocked to offer even a token protest. Kagura was so bold, so daring -she was probably going to kill him before the night was out. Miroku prayed he'd survive, but if he didn't, well…he'd be the happiest dead man on the planet.

……

Red orbs turned back to their customary gold as Kagome's heart pounded next to his. Sesshomaru nuzzled her neck, placing tiny, nipping kisses along the line of her pulse. She whimpered at this, winding her tiny hands into his silver locks, pulling his head closer to hers.

"Kagome," begged the youkai, "please open our bond. I need to feel you!"

"I'm scared," she confessed as Sesshomaru molded her form against his own. They were lying on the bed in his room, cradled against each other. She could feel the heat burning from him, threatening to consume her in the inferno. "If I open the bond, you'll leave me!"

"Never," he vowed. "Kagome, look at me! Look at me!" His large hands framed her face, forcing her to see the youkai before her.

She looked then, truly seeing into his soul for the first time. "You won't leave," she gasped in wonder. She allowed the bond to open just the tiniest amount. Sesshomaru didn't flinch, didn't move away from her. Instead, his hold around her tightened. A strange, burning sensation formed behind her eyelids, and she felt something wet slide down her cheek.

"Tears," Sesshomaru said, his voice full of wonder. "Kagome, you're…you're crying." A clawed finger moved to catch the salty drop, his tongue flicking across the pad in order to taste it.

The dam broke, then, and a torrent of emotion poured from the hurting girl. Her barriers were down completely, and Sesshomaru felt every bit of the pain, the humiliation and torment that this woman had suffered. He held her against him tightly, crushing her against his broad chest as she wept. So wrapped in her pain was he that he didn't even notice the trails of water coursing down his own face.

……

He lost track of the passing time. It could have been hours or mere minutes, but at some point Kagome's tears slowed to a mere trickle, and her sobs became sighs. The bond began to close up again, but it reopened when Sesshomaru gave a soft growl. "Leave it," he ordered his love. "Never close what is between us again."

She gave a watery smile and bumped his chin softly with her nose. She understood him on every level, it seemed, even the most primitive and basic. "I don't like causing you pain," she whispered. "That's why I close it."

"You cause me more pain by shutting me out," Sesshomaru told her. He shifted, rolling onto his back and tucking her curves against him. Kagome's head was pillowed in the hollow of his shoulder, seeming to fit as if it were made just for her.

So quiet was she that he thought she'd fallen asleep, when she suddenly spoke. "Sesshomaru, why haven't you…" she trailed off, suddenly too shy to finish the sentence. "It's not like I haven't given you the opportunity," she mumbled.

"I love you dearly, Kagome, and I wish to have you as my mate," his deep, rich voice answered. She raised her head to look at him. "But you have been a slave since you were a child, always belonging to someone. As much as I desire you, I wish even more for you to taste freedom. If you are my mate, that can never happen."

She moved against him then, emboldened by his declaration of love. "Foolish youkai," she said in a gentle tone. Her deft hands stroked his body, fanning the flames. "Don't you understand? What you did for me tonight, taking away my pain…Sesshomaru, I'm already free. Never again will earthly chains bind my heart and soul."

A sweet, soft pair of lips silenced any further protest Sesshomaru might have made. The pain was still there, yes, but it was a distant second to the love between them. Here, in his bed, in his arms, was Kagome, lighting the darkest parts of his soul.

……

A/N: You know, I could just end it right here, with everything so sweet and fluffy. Too bad I'm evil…

Thanks so much to my wonderful readers! And thanks for the double beta-job, TitianWren! - Lavender