InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ This Wasn't In The Job Description ❯ It Was Almost A Kiss ( Chapter 14 )

Chapter 14

 

It Was Almost A Kiss

 

A cool evening blast of air entered the hole where the window in InuYasha's room used to be, and hit Kagome in the face, pushing her bangs back off her forehead. Although he had been gone for probably five minutes, she had not moved from where she stood when he left.

 

`Oh my God,' she thought. `Did he almost kiss me?'

 

Kagome's lips still tingled from where he had brushed them with his. If the phone call had not interrupted them, she wondered nervously what would have happened. Would he really have kissed her?

 

As more air blew in the hole, Kagome squinted and the whole incredible scene played out in her mind. An actual Taiyoukai had burst into the room to try and take InuYasha's sword - and InuYasha knew him. And what had happened to the sword itself? InuYasha and Sesshomaru had seemed equally as surprised as she when it transformed.

 

`Get a grip, Kagome,' she thought. `I better collect all these papers before they are blown all over the room.'

 

Taking a moment to shake herself free of all the confusing thoughts and feelings running through her, she started to collect the papers.

 

“What has happened?” said Kaede, standing in the doorway.

 

The housekeeper spotted the hole and blinked in astonishment. Wondering how to explain the situation, Kagome turned to Kaede, biting the side of her lip.

 

“Was it Naraku?” said the housekeeper.

 

Kagome opened her mouth to reply, but Kaede wasn't finished.

 

“No, couldn't have been,” Kaede said. “If it were him, there would not have been a house left when I got back.”

 

“It was someone named Sesshomaru,” said Kagome. “He tried to take InuYasha's sword.”

 

“InuYasha's brother was here?” said Kaede in astonishment.

 

The housekeeper's response startled Kagome. Somehow, she had not thought InuYasha had any family. Yet they had had a resemblance. Only Sesshomaru was a full youkai.

 

“That's not good,” said the housekeeper worriedly. “Where is InuYasha?”

 

“He left,” said Kagome. “He went to meet Masahito for dinner.”

 

“So he just up and left when the doors to his house were nearly blown off their hinges and there is a gaping hole in his room,” said Kaede wearily. “And I know him. He will expect me to get everything fixed as soon as possible.”

 

The housekeeper shook her head sadly, her lips pressed into a firm line. “Well, I know a few people I can call on short notice,” Kaede said. “I'll go call them now, and then make us dinner.”

 

Without further ado, Kaede left and headed back downstairs. As Kagome went back to collecting the papers, her mind was swimming again with all she had learned. No wonder InuYasha wanted her to keep up her archery. Working for him could be quite dangerous, indeed.

 

oOo

 

Off in a corner of a dimly lit, crowded restaurant in downtown Tokyo, InuYasha and Masahito sat drinking after their meal. Masahito, manager for InuYasha's band, was well on his way to getting plastered. But that wouldn't stop him, he was known to drink until he either passed out or he was cut off.

 

“I'll have another one,” Masahito slurred at a waiter.

 

“Another double for me, too,” InuYasha said.

 

They had discussed plans for doing some concerts at Tokyo Dome. Masahito was going to inquire about any availability in the next couple months, and call InuYasha's band mates so they could have some long overdue rehearsals. Miroku would negotiate their payment for the concerts and get the contracts. Sango would start a PR campaign to advertise the shows. And lastly, the road manager, Kenta, would arrange transportation for all the roadies, the band and the equipment.

 

InuYasha listened half-heartedly to what Masahito told him, only speaking when he had to. There was too much turmoil inside him to concentrate, or even care that much. His thoughts and feelings were eating him alive, and he numbed them with enough drink to put several humans in the hospital. His hanyou metabolism made him much more immune than a human to the effect of alcohol, so if he wanted to get drunk, it took a huge amount of it. And right now, as the images of the Tessaiga transforming, Sesshomaru's rage-filled face, and the memory of Kagome's soft lips under his filled his mind, this was what he wanted to do.

 

`What was I thinking?' he thought his eyes moody and downcast as he downed the drink put on the table in one gulp. `I almost kissed her - she's my assistant for fucks sake!'

 

A sweet girl like that could never find a hanyou freak like him attractive. Not now that she knew what he really was. Only Kikyo had ever known the truth and taken to him anyway. And the bitch probably only said she loved him because she was fascinated with his genes - she always said it would be a perfect test of the Shikon no Tama formula if they could use it to make him human. But he didn't want to be human, he wanted to be youkai and claim his rightful heritage in the demon realm. In the end, this had torn him and Kikyo apart.

 

`Kagome, Kagome,' he thought, rubbing his eyes with his hands. `I'm so sorry. I hope you forgive me. I hired you as my assistant, but what am I doing to you now?'

 

“Another drink!” InuYasha called, raising his hand.

 

“Yeah…another here too,” said Masahito, weaving in his seat, his eyes red.

 

“Idiot!” InuYasha scoffed. “I think you have had enough for one night.”

 

“But…” Masahito whined.

 

“You know you can't fucking keep up with me!” InuYasha growled. “I'm calling you a taxi to get you home.”

 

With an annoyed growl, InuYasha pulled his cell phone out of the pocket of his leather jacket. Flipping it open, he dialed the number he kept handy for when Masahito had had too much to drink and gave them the address to come pick him up. The manager was barely able to keep his head up.

 

Ten minutes later, InuYasha picked Masahito up, supporting him with an arm around his waist, and half dragged, half carried him to the waiting taxi. He tossed him in the back seat, gave the driver the address and paid for the ride. Then he went back to the restaurant's bar to finish what he had started.

 

oOo

 

The workmen that Kaede called had come to InuYasha's house, despite the short notice and it being after hours. They boarded up the hole in InuYasha's sitting room, and repaired the broken bolts in the doors. Kaede and Kagome thanked them, and before they left, they said they would order a new window and be back to put it in.

 

“Well,” said Kaede as she cleared their dinner dishes, “it's time for me to go. Will you be okay alone until InuYasha gets back?”

 

“Yes,” said Kagome reassuringly, “I'll be fine. You go home and I'll see you tomorrow morning.”

 

After the housekeeper had left, the house felt huge, empty and foreboding to Kagome. The echo of her footsteps in the hallway sounded haunting to her as she made her way back to her room to change into her pajamas. A feeling of depression and worry suddenly came over her, and she went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. Looking at her face in the bathroom mirror, she lightly ran a finger over her lips and sighed. Maybe she was just tired.

 

Climbing into bed, she turned off the light and rolled on her side under the covers. But try as she might, she could not close her eyes and sleep. The anxiety she was feeling was only getting worse, knowing that InuYasha wasn't in his quarters at the other end of the hall.

 

`Okay, that's enough.' Kagome thought, throwing off the covers and turning the light back on. `I guess I'll just go watch some TV until I either fall asleep or InuYasha comes home.'

 

oOo

 

InuYasha's bike weaved into the driveway of his house. The hanyou fumbled in his pocket for the garage remote.

 

“Fuck!” he said, his voice slurred, as it fell out of his hand and onto the ground.

 

When he bent to pick it up, the bike wobbled, almost taking him down with it. With a grunt, he straightened the bike, and pushed the button to open the garage door. Somehow, he managed to park the bike and close the garage door. Weaving on his feet, it took a few tries to get the code in to open the door to the house.

 

Kagome looked up from where she sat flicking through TV channels from the couch when she heard InuYasha enter the house. To her dismay, she saw he was staggering. Then he looked up and saw her as he entered the entertainment room, a perplexed look on his obviously drunk face, and he stumbled, going down on his knees.

 

“InuYasha!” Kagome said in alarm, and jumped up, running over to him. “Are you all right?”

 

Squatting down, Kagome put an arm around his shoulders, and he turned and looked at her bleary-eyed as she tried to help him up. She startled and blinked as a blast of his alcoholic breath hit her in the face.

 

“What're you doin' up?” he slurred. “Should be sleepin'.”

 

“I'm sorry, I couldn't sleep,” she said as they slowly stood up. “Just lean on me and we will get you upstairs to bed.”

 

InuYasha just grunted and shuffled his feet underneath him. He wasn't seeing very clearly at the moment, and let her guide him. Once they got to his quarters, Kagome pushed open the door to his bedroom from his sitting room. The bedroom contained a dresser of dark wood, a matching armoire, and a king-size bed with a red coverlet and white sheets. The hanyou managed to let go of her and flop face first onto the bed. This did not do for Kagome, since he still had his jacket and boots on. After tugging for a while, she managed to get his boots off. It was more of a fight to get the jacket off, plus she had to be careful not to cut herself on his claws.

 

Finally, with one last mighty pull, Kagome had his jacket off and sat back on the bed next to him, blowing her hair out of her face in exhaustion. As she watched him a moment, InuYasha started snoring into his pillow. The bandana was coming off, so she decided he did not need it on anyway, and pulled it off, his large, silky dog ears popping free. Impulsively, she smoothed the hair back off his face, and blushing slightly, gave the sleeping hanyou a light kiss on the cheek. After all, it's not like he would notice in his condition.

 

With a sigh, Kagome left and went to bed.