InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Dark Hour ❯ Skeletons in the Closet ( Chapter 8 )

Ch. 8

Skeletons in the Closet…

Kagome knew she had to do something and quick. She turned to Sesshomaru. "Give me a few minutes to explain the situation to Kouga." She said. Sesshomaru looked away and nodded shortly. Kagome sighed and took Kouga by the arm.

"Let's talk in the bedroom." She said, dragging him into her bedroom. She closed the door just as Kouga went on a rant.

"What the hell is going on here? I'm gone for a couple of weeks and come back to find you with another man! I thought we had an understanding before I left for my business trip!" Kouga paced back and forth, gesturing wildly.

Kagome held up her hands. "For god's sake, keep your voice down, damnit!" She hissed. She rubbed her temples tiredly. She could feel a headache coming on and Kouga's yelling wasn't helping.

"What's going on, Kagome?" Kouga repeated the question, lowering his voice. Kagome sat on the edge of the bed, motioning for him to join her. After a moment's hesitation, he took a seat beside her. Kagome took a deep breath, preparing herself to tell him the whole story, or at least enough to satisfy him.

Sesshomaru stood in the living room, unsure of what to do. He'd figured there was someone in Kagome's life, but actually seeing the proof was disturbing him more than he cared to admit.

Why should he care anyways? Kagome meant nothing to him, just another person to be forgotten about. If that really was the case, then why couldn't he get her off his mind? Sesshomaru took a deep breath, closing his eyes. Ever since she'd entered his life, it had been become even more complicated than it already was.

It was becoming more and more complicated by the minute as he began to feel very uneasy by the current situation. He didn't belong here and although his mind kept screaming this at him, his feet didn't seem to get the message. So he stood there, trying to wait as patiently as he could for Kagome's return.

"So that's it." Kagome ended, keeping her gaze averted from Kouga's ice blue stare. She purposely left out the minor details like Sesshomaru's last name and Kagome's involvement with the Iakouy family.

"That's it? You saved the guy's life and now he just wants to return the favor?" Kouga looked a little skeptical. Kagome nodded her head. "He's just grateful and we were coming back from dinner. Just a small token of his thanks." She lied. Kouga seemed to think it over before accepting her explanation.

"Well, I guess it does make sense. I'm sorry if I got a little irate over the whole situation. I was a little surprised to come home and find my girlfriend in the arms-"

Kagome turned to him sharply, her smoky eyes flaring in anger. "Kouga, this is not your home and I am not your girlfriend!" Kouga waved a hand at her, dismissing what she'd just said.

"Kagome, we go through this every other week and we always end up getting back together." Kouga threw an arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer to him. "I know we had a fight before I left, but I assumed the mind blowing sex that followed was part of the make-up process."

Kagome could feel her cheeks heating up. She wrenched herself out of Kouga's grasp and stood up. "The fight we had was very real and as for the sex…" She crossed her arms and glared at him. "I was just caught up in the moment."

Kouga shook his head in denial. "You don't mean what you're saying, Kagome." He said, reaching out to take her hand. Kagome stepped out of his reach and made a sound of disgust. "Kouga, get it through your thick skull! Whatever we used to have is finished." She reached for the doorknob. "And I want you and the rest of your stuff out of my apartment by morning."

Kouga opened his mouth to protest but Kagome quickly slipped out of the room. Sesshomaru was still standing in the spot she'd left him in, his gaze staring off in deep thought.

Kagome couldn't keep her eyes from traveling up his tall, lean form to rest upon his face. Her heart skipped a beat at his beautifully angelic face. His features were perfectly defined, as sculpted as any marble statue. She could imagine running her fingertips across his smooth skin, feeling the silky texture.

A soft sigh escaped her lips, bringing Sesshomaru from his inner thoughts. Gold met with gray and both seemed caught in a trance. Kagome watched him, wishing she could read him, but as usual, his face was emotionless.

Sesshomaru was the first to break the trance. He gestured towards the bedroom door. "Is everything alright?" Kagome shook her head to clear the haze that seemed to have settled there. "Um, yeah. Everything's fine."

"Good." Sesshomaru responded, turning to leave. "Wait!" Kagome called out. Once she was standing in front of him, she didn't know what to say. Sesshomaru looked at her expectantly. She didn't know why, but she had the unexplainable urge to tell him that there was nothing between her and Kouga.

"About me and Kouga-"

"You don't have to explain anything to me, Kagome." He said softly, his composure never slipping. "Your business is your business. I know that better than anyone."

"But-" Kagome tried again to let him know the truth, but Sesshomaru just shook his head. "Really, you don't have to say anything."

Kagome looked down. "When will I see you again?" Sesshomaru felt his chest tighten at the vulnerability in her voice. Her hair hung down around her face, making it impossible for him to see her expression. Despite his inner voice telling him to just leave now, he reached out and gently tilted her chin up. He was surprised by the telltale glitter in her eyes.

Kagome mentally cursed herself for the tears that threatened to fall. Everything was so chaotic and now that Kouga was back, she just felt so frustrated. She tried to turn her face away, but Sesshomaru held her chin firmly. He caressed her cheek, not saying a word. Kagome closed her eyes and leaned further into the caress.

She didn't need him to say anything. All she needed was this, his touch. For the life of him, Sesshomaru couldn't understand why he couldn't resist the woman standing before him. At this moment, she looked so vulnerable, so lost. He regretted getting her mixed up in the trouble he was in, but he also couldn't help feeling thankful that she was in his life.

Kagome let her eyes drift open, rising slowly to meet with Sesshomaru's amber gaze. She cupped his cheek tenderly. "Why won't you let your guard down?" She whispered. Sesshomaru closed his eyes and for the first time since she'd met him, Kagome saw a pained expression on his face.

Without thinking, Kagome stood on tiptoe and placed her lips gently against his. She could feel him stiffen, but she only deepened the kiss. Sesshomaru couldn't fight the heavenly feeling of Kagome's lips on his. He'd let himself slip for just a fraction of a second and somehow she'd slipped past his defenses.

Everything else seemed to melt away as the two held each other tightly, their lips meshing together. Reality hit hard when a voice interrupted the moment.

"What the fuck, Kagome?!"

Sesshomaru instantly broke away from Kagome, returning to his former self. Kagome frowned at the sudden loss of Sesshomaru's lips and turned angrily to Kouga.

"Kouga, don't start." She warned. Kouga glared at her before turning his gaze to Sesshomaru. "Why the fuck are you pawing and kissing on my woman?" He growled, his hands balled into fists. Kagome sighed and rolled her eyes.

"We've been through this, Kouga. I'm not your damn woman!" She snapped. Kouga scoffed. "You know you never mean it when you say that, Kagome."

Kagome could feel her anger rising by the minute. She tried to put herself in his shoes, imagining how she'd feel if she came back from a long trip to find her ex kissing someone else. She admitted that she'd probably feel rotten, but Kouga's ranting was making it difficult for her to feel sorry for him.

"What kind of a bastard makes a move on another guy's woman when the guy is in the other room?!" He yelled, his anger directed at Sesshomaru. Kagome could feel the rage emanating from Sesshomaru. Even though he had yet to respond to Kouga's verbal assault, Kagome knew he wouldn't allow Kouga to continue insulting him.

"Why won't you answer me, you ass?" Kouga taunted. Kagome felt Sesshomaru tense up, ready to advance on Kouga. She grabbed his arm and glared at Kouga.

"That's it. Get the hell out!" She told him. She'd reached her limit and couldn't take anymore of Kouga's verbal rampage. He looked momentarily stunned by her outburst, but quickly regained his composure.

"Kagome, you know you don't-"

"Damnit, Kouga, I do mean it! I want you out of my apartment right now!"

"But we belong-"

"I think you better do what she asked." Sesshomaru said quietly, his voice dangerously calm. His tone was at odds with the blatant rage burning in his golden eyes. Kouga seemed to sense something dangerous about Sesshomaru and closed his mouth. He squared his shoulders and walked past them, heading for the front door.

"I'll send for my things first thing in the morning." He muttered as he exited, slamming the door behind him.

There was silence as the two remaining people in the apartment avoided eye contact. After Kagome's anger cooled down, she felt embarrassed by Kouga's outburst. Reluctantly, she looked at Sesshomaru.

"I'm sorry you had to be witness to that." She said. Sesshomaru shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "No apology needed." He replied smoothly. Kagome sighed when she realized Sesshomaru's defenses were back up.

"Sesshomaru I-"

"I'll be in touch." Sesshomaru interrupted, turning swiftly. Kagome watched sadly as he left the apartment.

"Don't want you to go." She finished softly.

~~~~~~

Sesshomaru prowled the night, feeling restless. His demon blood raced through his veins, demanding violence and bloodshed. He pushed himself to run faster, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. He was trying desperately to outrun his urges.

The whole time his thoughts kept returning to one person. Kagome.

In his current demon state, all he wanted to do was go to her and claim her as his. When she'd kissed him earlier, his entire body felt like it was on fire. With one touch of her lips, she'd managed to rekindle something deep inside that had been dormant for a long time.

He growled in frustration, pushing himself to go even faster. The wind whipped around him furiously, causing his hair to lash at his face violently. He gladly welcomed the pain. Anything to take his mind off the tantalizingly arousing woman that was implanted in his mind.

He looked up at the sky, noticing the tinges of pink and orange that were beginning to paint the horizon. It was going to be sunrise soon and he would return to normal. He continued his mad dash to nowhere, focusing on the burning pain that was building in his chest rather than the woman who fascinated him more than he cared to admit.

~~~~~~

Kagome was suddenly awakened from her light sleep. She rubbed her eyes tiredly, her body protesting the sudden departure from dreamland. After Sesshomaru had left, she found sleep was unwilling to come to her. After hours of meticulous housecleaning, Kagome had finally dozed off. She now wondered what had caused her to come out of her sleep.

She crawled out of bed and threw a robe over her pajama tank top and matching cotton panties. She shivered when she felt a slight breeze blow across her skin.

"Damn, it's getting colder and cold-" Kagome stopped mid sentence, her heart seeming to stop cold in her chest. Kagome never opened windows, choosing to use filtered air when she could, and she didn't remember opening the balcony doors that day.

Before she had a chance to react, Kagome was thrown back onto the bed. A body landed on top of hers heavily, causing her breath to escape in a loud huff.

"You've been a very bad girl, Ms. Higurashi."

Kagome gasped as she recognized the chillingly smooth voice. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest and she was sure it was loud enough to be heard throughout the entire apartment building.

"Naraku." She whispered hoarsely. He let out a low laugh, the sound echoing in the room. Kagome couldn't see him clearly in the darkened room, but she sensed something different about him. This scared her and she wasn't sure why.

"Now, I was being very nice to you, Ms. Higurashi, offering you an exclusive interview in return for one little thing and you disregard my generous offer." Naraku said, his hand moving to Kagome's neck. She felt something sharp glide across her collarbone, thinking he had a knife.

`Oh, my god, he's going to kill me.' Kagome thought to herself frantically. She wracked her brain trying to think of anything that would help her stall for…what? No one was going to save her this time.

"Naraku, I-"

"Now, now, don't lie to me, Kagome." Naraku hissed. The sharp object trailed down to her chest, stopping at the swell of her breasts. "I know you've seen my cousin and you've been helping him do whatever it is that he's planning."

Kagome could feel a tight ball of fear forming in her chest. She kept her body still, not wanting to further infuriate the crazed mob boss. She gulped, choosing her next words carefully.

"Naraku, I haven't seen Sesshomaru and-"

"Lying bitch!" Kagome whimpered as Naraku backhanded her in the mouth, causing a trickle of blood to flow from her bottom lip. This seemed to please him as a sadistic smile spread across his face.

"See what happens when you cross me, Ms. Higurashi?" Kagome felt her eyes begin to water as Naraku cupped her cheek, his thumb rubbing her swollen bottom lip. "Look what I've gone and done to your pretty face." He bent down until his face was mere inches from hers. Kagome couldn't help the small cry that escaped her lips when she felt Naraku's tongue dart out and lick at the warm, sticky liquid that trailed down her chin.

"Oh god, please!" She cried, tears spilling down her cheeks. Naraku chuckled, sounding almost amiable. "God can't help you now, Kagome." He whispered against her ear.

"But I can." A chilling voice growled. Kagome watched in horror as Naraku was plucked by the nape of his neck and flung against the wall. Kagome looked up at the figure towering over her.

"Run." He commanded. Kagome shook herself from her daze and scrambled from the bed, not needing to be told twice. She ran for the living room, but found herself being stopped rather abruptly by a hand that snaked around her ankle. She lost her balance and fell to her knees.

"I'm not finished with you yet, bitch!" Naraku said, dragging her to him. Kagome frantically tried to free herself from his vise-like grip, but found she was no match for his almost superhuman strength.

All of a sudden, a brilliant white rope of energy snapped through the room, landing on the hand imprisoning Kagome's ankle. Naraku howled in pain and instantly released his grip, allowing Kagome to quickly stand and resume her mad dash for the front door. At the moment, she wasn't thinking about the strange white light or the two men fighting in her bedroom. All she was concerned with was getting the hell out of there.

Naraku slowly rose to his feet, favoring his injured hand. He glared at the figure standing calmly in front of him. "Well, well, Sesshomaru. I see you've risen from the gutters to grace me with your presence." Naraku said, his voice thick with disgust. Sesshomaru returned the glare, his eyes hard and filled with hate.

"Enough small talk, Naraku. If it's me you want, then let's get this over with." He hissed, flexing his claws. Without warning, Naraku advanced on Sesshomaru, one clawed hand extended in front of him. Sesshomaru anticipated the attack and deftly sidestepped the advancing demon. He quickly elbowed him in the small of his back, causing Naraku to hiss in pain.

"You bastard!" Naraku yelled as he swung around and wrapped a newly formed tentacle around Sesshomaru's neck. Sesshomaru fought for breath as Naraku tightened his hold, a gleeful expression on his face. "I've waited for this moment for years, the moment when I'd see the life slowly drain out of you." He squeezed even harder. "And believe me, this time I'm going to make sure you stay dead."

"You're…going…to have to wait…a lot longer…" Sesshomaru gasped as he sliced through the restraining tentacle. An inhuman cry escaped the demon as the tentacle slithered back to its owner. With lightning speed, Sesshomaru reached out and grabbed Naraku by the neck, pinning him against the wall.

He held up one claw, the tips dripping acid. "If you try to harm Kagome again, I swear I will hunt you down and kill you." Sesshomaru hissed. With one clean swipe, he beheaded the demon, watching in disgust as the body dissolved into thin air, leaving behind a small wooden outline of a doll, thick strands of hair wrapped around the middle. Sesshomaru crushed the doll beneath his foot and reached out a hand to steady him against the wall. He could feel his blood cooling down, the transformation back to his human self beginning.

Sesshomaru was just beginning to regain his strength when he heard gasp come from the direction of the living room. Before he even turned in the direction from which he'd heard the sound, Sesshomaru knew who he would find.

Kagome stood in the threshold of the doorway, her expression one of confusion and slight horror. She swayed unsteadily on her feet.

"Sesshomaru, what…" Her voice trailed off as her eyes rolled up in the back of her head and she fainted. Sesshomaru dashed to her side, gingerly lifting her in his arms. He quickly made up his mind to take her away from her apartment since it was no longer safe. He wasn't sure how much of the ordeal she'd witnessed, but he had a sinking feeling that she'd seen enough to know the Iakouy family's dark, age-old secret.

a/n: really sorry chap is soo late…but i've been kinda busy…hope everyone had a wonderful new year's…i did! well, i don't really like this chap, but i had to explain kouga's presence cuz he's gonna play a part in the story later…as always, i appreciate the reviews and hope readers will continue to leave them…thanks and i promise to have the next chap up by tues