InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Twisted Hearts ❯ Little things that bring us closer ( Chapter 15 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Twisted Hearts

Little things that bring us closer

He didn't hate her.

Lies were for those that could not stand the truth. But he always told the truth. Fabrications were for weaklings. It came as a surprise when he realized that the great Sesshoumaru Taisho had been deceiving none other than himself. He had been lying to himself. To himself.

Of all the ironies.

But really, who could blame him? It was all too unexpected. He had never imagined that this would happen to him…again. Of course, last time he had cared for a human, the feelings had been different. It had been a very long time ago.

He'd been much younger, and the girl hadn't been his wife. It was nothing even close to this. Rin had been someone fortunate enough to have deserved his attention, more like an experiment. And he had always looked at her like…something close to a daughter. He had never looked at her like a woman.

Not that he looked at the miko like a woman. No, not at all.

And there he was, lying to himself again.

That miko would be the end of him. He would have to kill Inuyasha's lawyer for bringing that human into his life. But the truth still stood; he didn't dislike the miko anymore.

She still annoyed him and brought on headaches. She still made a nuisance of herself and was clumsy. She was still very, very human. The problem was that it didn't bother him that much anymore.

I liked to see what she would do or say. He was interested in seeing how the Miko would solve a problem. He liked the way her face light up when she finished a school project, or when she advanced in her work at the museum. She…perplexed him. And this was new to him.

He had never been perplexed by anything. Nothing ever demanded so much of his attention. He was never interested in anything for longer than five minutes.

She had his attention all the time, even when she was saying nonsense, which was most of the time.

It was another irony.

Maybe fate had decided to torture him. Yes. That must be it. Someone was torturing him for all his…not so innocent actions in the past. That was why the miko was in his life. He could see no other explanation.

He would get fate back as soon as he died.

Though for the moment, he had to concentrate on what he was feeling. Something very complicated because he usually didn't feel, and if he did, ignored it.

The Miko couldn't be ignored.

When…Miroku, he could not quite remember if that was his name, had told him that the Miko attracted attention, he had thought he'd been exaggerating.

The man had not.

Sesshoumaru had seen it at their wedding. Reporters had refused to take their eyes from her. He had seen it at London. People on the streets stopped to stare at her.

He had seen it with her friends- they were always around her as if afraid that she would turn her eyes from them. He saw it in his half brother. He paid her a lot of attention when she was around.

The fact that he was married and mated didn't even seem to matter. Something expected of a hanyou. Something that he would have to fix.

Sesshoumaru would not have anyone kissing what was his.

And even if he didn't want the Miko to be his, the fact was she was, and no one could change that. Not even him. So as soon as he saw Inuyasha, he would make sure he paid his price for touching his property.

Not that he considered the miko valuable property.

This was giving him a headache. He did not like headaches.

“Sesshoumaru?”

Sesshoumaru snapped back to reality, leaving his musings for later. He fixed his eyes on the Miko.

“Yes?”

“I was telling Miroku and my mother that Dr. Julian Melare will be arriving in a couple of weeks to help Souta get ready.”

Only a day back at Tokyo and he already had to deal with more humans. Lately his life had been filled with human issues. Sesshoumaru looked at Kagome with an expression that clearly said `what does that have to do with me?'

“And…” The miko continued, “I was also going to tell them about Dr. Latham's new idea and why Dr. Julia is important.”

He could feel the miko's mother and the lawyer's eyes on him. Sesshoumaru still kept quiet.

“So,” the Miko kept on, “would you help me explain that part? I kind of have it blurred. Hehe.”

Sesshoumaru could think of many reasons for that. Getting drunk in a filthy pub had to top the list. He could feel the Miko getting irritated due to his lack of support. Just because of it, he decided to stall a few more minutes before starting to explain.

“I thought Sango would be here.” He said. Miroku opened his eyes and Kagome's mouth fell opened.

“I didn't know you knew Sango.” Miroku finally managed to say.

Sesshoumaru was pleased. He liked to surprise people.

“She is the ambassador's daughter. My family and hers have always had business relations.” She was also involved in the investigation of his father's death, but they didn't need to hear that.

“Should have figured that much. I'll have a long talk with Sango as soon as she gets back.” Kagome murmured under her breath.

“She had to go to China to take care of some things. She'll be back in a week.” Miroku offered.

Sesshoumaru nodded. He would talk to her and Kouga when they returned.

“About young Higurashi's problem, Dr. Latham had a very interesting proposition.”

Relatively new, unexpected, and against most of his convictions. But it was a plan nonetheless. It could be successful.

“He wants to perform a transplant on Souta Higurashi.”

Miroku looked at him strangely, as if sensing there was more to it. Mrs. Higurashi seemed more optimistic.

“He thinks a transplant will save him?” She asked, relief heavy in her voice.

“Lots of things can go wrong with a transplant.” Miroku quickly added. Mr. Higurashi's face fell. The miko sent an evil look towards Miroku.

“It's not…a normal transplant.” Kagome whispered.

“It's a fairly new kind of transplant. Only ten people have had it.”

“And yeah, well, more than a few things could go wrong…”

“Only four people out of ten have survived it.”

“Because the transplant is very dangerous, but…”

“After the transplant, the body of the patient had to adapt to its new organ.”

“It can be very tricky.”

“So the changes of failure are great.”

“But it is his only change.”

“We have no other choice.”

“It has already been decided. We are only telling you so that you're aware of the future. Your opinions do not matter.”

Kagome glared at him. “Their opinion matters.”

Sesshoumaru shrugged. “No, it does not for this. Only our opinion and your brother's count here.”

“You great…”

“Kagome!” The miko's mother reprimanded. Sesshoumaru gave the miko an arrogant look before turning his eyes from her. Despite what had been said, the lawyer had a small smile plastered on his face, as if he knew something all of them didn't.

Sesshoumaru disliked being unaware of what was happening around him.

“Why is this transplant different from the others?”

“It is a youkai-human transplant. The heart of a youkai will be transplanted into the boy's body. A human heart is too weak.”

“And you're okay with this?” asked Miroku.

“It is the best option.”

He was sure that, despite all the dangers, the boy would live. He was, after all, the blood relative of the miko. And Kagome was too stubborn to give up. If they were anything alike, the boy would be too stubborn to give up, too.

He glanced at the miko next to him. If her brother died, she would be greatly saddened. He would be the one that would have to pick up the mess that would leave. He didn't feel up to it.

The transplant was their only choice. The boy would have to survive, or Sesshoumaru would have to bring him back to life just to kill him himself.

“If we don't do this, mother, Souta will die. This is his only chance.”

“But the chances of Souta dying are great!”

“There are no chances of him living if the transplant isn't done. Without it, he will die. This is what we must do.”

She was begging for her mother's sanction. Her opinion didn't matter, but Sesshoumaru understood why she was doing it.

A long time ago, he too had looked for his father's approval. He never begged once in his life, but he had done all he could to get his father to look at him with respect.

Now his father was dead, and he was trying to save the life of his wife's brother, who happened to be human.

Maybe if his father was still alive, he would look at him with the respect that he had always sought.

Maybe.

“He will die surely without the transplant, but he may live with it. There is no other option.” Sesshoumaru explained to Mrs. Higurashi.

She looked at him, hesitated, and nodded. Kagome turned to him with gratitude.

And Sesshoumaru finally admitted the toughest truth he had ever faced.

This truth was much more horrible than accepting his mother's death when he was such a young kid.

It was much worse than realizing that his father loved a human.

It was even more terrible than the day he had been told about his half-breed half brother.

Far worse than when he had to train Inuyasha so that he would survive from other youkai and hanyou attack.

It was far more concerning than when he had taken the little human girl under his wing.

It was that he actually cared if the miko's brother died.

If he died, the miko would never be the same. Sesshoumaru didn't want her to change.

He… liked the miko. He liked her just as she was.

But he would die before he told anyone else this.

Sesshoumaru did not lie, but he did hide some things from the world.

---

“Wait, Mr. Taisho?”

Sesshoumaru turned when he heard his name being called. Really, could there be no possible way to get out of here? He had things to do. Although his trip to London had not been a waste of time, he had left his useless half brother in charge of the company. He had to get there immediately.

And besides the company, he had some things to sort.

“Yes?” It was the miko's mother.

“I…thank you, for what you are doing for my family. It's not only…Souta, though what you are doing for him is something I will never be able to repay you for.”

“I'm only doing it because…” He was about to add that it because he had an unbreakable deal with her daughter but changed his mind at the last minute. He didn't think she knew about that bit, and even if she did, it wasn't a proper thing to say.

“I'm only doing what I can for my…wife's family.”

She nodded. “I…I know. That's not all I have to thank you for. You've also paid off the debt that burdened the shrine. We would have lost it without your help, and it's been on our family for centuries.”

He already knew that. He had, after all, investigated Kagome Higurashi before he married her.

“Is that all?”
The woman was stealing precious time from him. Mother or not of the miko, he had to go.

“No, I'm not done yet.”

Sesshoumaru didn't show it in his face, but he was surprised. Very few people dared to defy him. He looked at Mrs. Higurashi. She had her head held high, and her arms were at her side. He smelled the air.

Not a trace of fear.

It seemed, Sesshoumaru thought, to run in the family. None of them seemed to know when to fear him. They were either too brave, didn't know the meaning of fear, or were too stupid to know it.

Mrs. Higurashi stared up at the youkai that her daughter had married.

She hadn't found the time to talk to him what with Souta sick and their sudden trip to London. It had been over a month since Kagome had married, and she still hadn't spoken to her son in law.

As she looked at Sesshoumaru, she wondered if she would ever be able to see him as her son-in-law. He was too cold for Kagome. Too emotionless. And yet…

“I also wanted to thank you for what you have done to Kagome.”

Now, Sesshoumaru was interested in what she had to say. Far as he knew, he hadn't been very nice to her daughter. Not that it wasn't deserved. The miko deserved every thing he had done to her. Even the good things, though it cost him to accept it.

“What are you thanking me for?”

“Kagome has always been a very strong willed child. She shone wherever she went. But she had lost her shine. She had lost it with Inuyasha. She went along with whatever he wanted her to do.”

Sesshoumaru wondered why the miko hadn't stayed like that. If she had obeyed his every demand, then he wouldn't have found her intriguing, and he would have never …liked her. It would have made things much simpler.

“And after he broke up with her, well, you must have seen her.”

Sesshoumaru remembered the first time he had seen her. She had looked tired and sad and pathetic. He had disliked her at one glance.

“It would have been worse if it hadn't been for you. You made it easier on her. And even if I do think that you are not the man…er, youkai for her- you have made her happier. Thank you. You brought my Kagome back to how she was.”

Sesshoumaru stared at the woman for some seconds, then, he nodded his head. He turned his back and walked towards the limousine.

He didn't miss the smile on the woman's face.

---

He walked through the place like he owned it, which he did. The doorman had quickly opened the door for him, bowing and saying good afternoon. The secretaries at the reception had stood up and greeted him. People of higher status tripped over themselves to catch up and say hi to him, explaining how that they had not been expecting him.

Sesshoumaru already knew he wasn't expected. He told them that they should always be prepared for the unexpected.

People at London had been exactly the same, although they had been more frightened. It wasn't always that Sesshoumaru Taisho, head of Taisho Company, flew from Japan to England.

Still, it annoyed him. He didn't mind been treated like a God. He was their boss. He could fire them all if he wanted. What he did mind was having obviously useless followers

He also minded having useless family.

“Where is Inuyasha?” He asked his secretary. The girl gave a yelp and lowered her eyes.

“He…he…is…”

“The question is not difficult at all, so don't stutter while answering it.”

In the back of his mind, a new voice told him that the miko would disprove of this treatment towards other living beings.

He told the new voice to go fight with his older voice because he wasn't interested, as if having one voice wasn't enough.

“He went to lunch with his wife. He should be here in less than ten minutes.”

Sesshoumaru passed her by and went to wait for Inuyasha at his office. He put `making me wait' next to `being alive' in his list of things to make Inuyasha pay for. He rather liked the idea of making his half brother pay.

He tapped his fingers against Inuyasha's desk. He tapped and tapped and tapped. He was getting irritated. Where was that imbecile of his brother? He looked at the clock. He had been waiting for ten minutes. The secretary had lied to him. He would take measures.

The door opened.

Sesshoumaru didn't stop his tapping, and he didn't look up.

“I'll see you at home, Kikyo. Yes, love you too.”

Inuyasha kissed her quickly and closed the door behind him. Inuyasha looked at Sesshoumaru. He still didn't look up.

Tap…tap…tap…tap…

“Stop that. What are you doing here?” Inuyasha yelled, irritated. Sesshoumaru continued his tapping.

“I am here because I want to.”

”Keh, what do you want? Weren't you in London?”

“I came back.” Obviously... he thought to himself.

“I'm sure Kagome begged you to bring her back, so she could get away from you.” Inuyasha said arrogantly, his arms crossed and eyes defying Sesshoumaru.

The tapping stopped.

Less than a second later, he was face to face with Inuyasha.

“You don't scare me.” He said. Sesshoumaru merely stared at him.

“That shows how stupid you are. We are back because we were done with all the issues we had there, and you…you should fear me right now.”

Something in Sesshoumaru's voice made Inuyasha shift and mentally curse. He could feel his anger. It surrounded him, and was all directed towards Inuyasha.

Over the years, Inuyasha had felt his half brother's anger. Hell, the jerk had tried to kill him a few times when they were younger and there weren't so many laws.

No; this was different. It was an anger that Inuyasha had never felt. For a split second, he did fear Sesshoumaru.

But it was only a second.

“Why are you here?”

“I came in here to warn you. I am very aware that I can't exactly kill you. It would be too much of a scandal to be worth it, and I would have to pay my lawyers far much more to get me out of jail a legal way. Besides, my father made his will so that both of us run this company or one of us loses it.”

“Where are you getting at?”

Defying and impulsive against cool and determined.

All the youkai and hanyou in the building felt the two presences of two powerful beings facing each other. They gulped and tried not to be unnerved by it. With the Taisho brothers, who disliked each other and were the head of the business, it had to happen.

Still, they eyed the exits, just in case. The humans who worked at the office also felt very unnerved. They didn't know what was happening, but they knew it was something big. The humans watched the youkai and hanyou, who were trying to pretend nothing was happening but stayed very quiet. They followed their example.

“You,” said Sesshoumaru, his tone low and dangerous. “Will never touch Kagome Higurashi again. And if you do, I will kill you. No matter what the consequences.”

Inuyasha tensed. “How did you find out that I…”

“Kissed her? She told me. I'm sure your wife would be more than happy to know.”

Inuyasha gulped. Kagome had told him? Why? He had thought…wait, why would Sesshoumaru care?

“You haven't mated her. She is free.”

Sesshoumaru's claws pressed into Inuyasha's skin.

“You are mated, and Higurashi is married to me. She is legally tied. Do not get close to her.”

Inuyasha felt his blood boiling.

“As long as she lets me, I will come close to her.”

Sesshoumaru repressed the urge to throw him out the window. It would not kill him, but it would be messy…

“She will not let you, and you will not try to persuade her into your games. You chose another woman. Leave Kagome alone, unless you'd like your mate to find out about your last encounter.”

Anger was beginning to cloud Inuyasha's mind.

“Are you blackmailing me?” he asked.

Sesshoumaru gave him a dark, dark smile than made Inuyasha's muscles tense.

“You can see it whichever way you want.”

“She doesn't love you.” Inuyasha suddenly yelled, getting out of control.

“She loves me. You can't change that, and why would you care what she does? You don't care for her.”

Sesshoumaru's ayes shone with anger.

“She may love you, but how long do you think that will last? For how long will she continue to love you before she sees that you are not worthy? And it doesn't matter that I do not care for her. She still belongs to me and not to you.”

“She would never want you.”

Sesshoumaru decided words would never get through his brother's thick head.

`Anyway,” Sesshoumaru thought, `I have never been very good with words. Actions work so much better, and I do have the money to pay the lawyers.'

“She belongs to me.”

He repeated into Inuyasha's ear.

“Understood?”

And with one swift movement, he grabbed his brother's arms and threw him towards the window. The window crashed, sending glass flying through all the room. He barely heard Inuyasha's yell as he fell from the 40th floor of their company. Sesshoumaru was sure it would hurt him. A lot. He smiled to himself.

“Inuyasha will need a new window,” He told his half brother's secretary.

“And call the lawyers of the company. Tell them to invent something for the press. I will be in my office. I don't want any interruptions.”

Sesshoumaru walked down the corridor. The secretary looked at him and then at the window. She gulped.

Whatever her boss had done, she never, ever wanted to make the same mistake.

No, she definitely didn't want Sesshoumaru Taisho mad at her.

---

“That motherfucker! Did you know what he did? I want the... no wait; they would be too nice to him. I'll rip him apart with my own hands. Limb by limb I will…what?”

Miroku stared at Inuyasha. He kept his face as serious as he could. But the truth was that he wanted to laugh very hard. It truly was funny.

Inuyasha was in a hospital bed, though it truly wasn't necessary. Most of his injuries were already healing. All his broken bones had already fixed themselves, and the only thing that was left to do was remove the remaining glass.

Inuyasha had glass stuck in many different places. Miroku thought I made him look hilarious. But he would never, ever, for all the women in the world, confess this to the hanyou. In the mood he was in right now, he would probably throw him out the window too. Miroku had many great gifts. Surviving from a 40th floor fall was one of those things he left to youkai and hanyou.

“Inuyasha, you can't dismember your brother.”

Inuyasha shot him a nasty look.

“Why not? He threw me out a window. It hurt, you know.”

“Yes, but you survived. In fact, you'll be perfectly fine as soon as all the glass is taken out from you.”

“I don't care. That prick…” Inuyasha once more showed his very colorful vocabulary.

Miroku tried not to laugh. He was failing miserably.

“If you laugh, I will show you exactly how mad I am.”

Miroku restrained the laugh that was trying to squeeze out and very carefully made his face blank.

“And who does he think he is, anyway?” Inuyasha started again. “He can't tell me who to see and who not to see. I do whatever I want.”

“Is that what this is all about? What do you do to him, Inuyasha?”

“I didn't do anything to that idiotic jerk. He is the one that threw me out the window. I'm the victim here.”

“We both know he wouldn't throw you out the window for nothing.”

“…”

“Inuyasha…”

“Fine, keh, whatever, so he found out I kissed Kagome when we were at the hospital.”

“You what? Inuyasha, you fool! It's no wonder he did what he did. You are a hanyou. You know how demons are with their mates.”

“Kagome is not his mate.”

“But she is his wife.”

”It's not the same. And what does he care? He doesn't even like Kagome.”

“Inuyasha…” Miroku started carefully, “have you ever considered that he might grow attached to her?”

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. “He doesn't even know how to care.”

A little voice in the back of Inuyasha's head reminded him of when Sesshoumaru had taken care of that girl.

Inuyasha told the voice to fuck off.

“I can see whoever I want, and he threw me out the window. You are my lawyer. DO something.”

Miroku sighed and prepared himself to give him the bad news.

“I've already talked to Sesshoumaru. He'll simply say that he was protecting his wife. He is legally married to her, so he will win. You know laws have exceptions for youkai and hanyou relationships. They can do anything to protect their mates.”

“You are telling me I'm the bad guy here?”

“…yes.”

“Well, that is bullshit, and I will not…”

“Inuyasha, what is with all that yelling?”

Inuyasha ducked his head as soon as he saw who was at the door.

“Kikyo, hi, how are you?”

“How am I? The hospital told me that you had been thrown out a window, and I come here all worried and you're just fine! You could have given me a call.”
”Sorry, Kikyo.” Inuyasha said in a small voice. Miroku murmured `whipped', and he was about to launch himself at his so called friend when Kikyo stopped him.

“And who the hell threw you out the window?”

“Sesshoumaru.” Miroku answered for him. Kikyo blinked.

“Oh? What did you do to him?”

“Does everyone think I'm the bad guy? He threw me out the window. He is the evil one here.”

“...Really, what did you do to him?”

“Fuck.”

---

Kagome was preparing spaghetti when Sesshoumaru entered the kitchen and sat. She had her back to him.

“So, how was your day?” She asked him in a very casual voice. Perhaps too casual.

“It was…” Sesshoumaru thought about what he had done all day. “Satisfactory.”

“Really?” Kagome tried the spaghetti. “Nothing eventful happened?”

Sesshoumaru thought he knew where this was going and decided to change the subject of their talk.

“Why are you making spaghetti? I thought we always had a small snack.”

“Oh, you know. I finished work at the museum early, and I thought you might be hungry.”

“Why would I be hungry?”

Her bangs hid her eyes. Sesshoumaru thought that perhaps throwing his half brother out the window hadn't been such a good idea.

He had forgotten how he would explain this to Kagome. Last time he had hurt the idiot she had reacted rather…badly.

Just when they were starting to get along… Not that he wanted to get along with her.

Kagome placed his plate in front of him.

“With such a busy day, I thought perhaps you hadn't eaten.”

It was true. Sesshoumaru hadn't have time to eat. The phone had ringed all day with questions of why the other head of Taisho Company had flown out his window.

“Well, maybe I had a busier day than usual.”

“Aha.”

“I might have done some…uncommon things today.”

“Aha.”

“It was interesting.

“Aha.”

“And I might have thrown Inuyasha out the window.”

Kagome's eyes shone with something Sesshoumaru thought accusatory.

“I knew it! I knew you were the one that did it. The news said that he had tripped and fell. And though I have no doubt that it could happen to him, I knew it wasn't true.”

Sesshoumaru tried to determine if she was mad. He grinned a little when he smelled her amusement.

Kagome stared at Sesshoumaru when she saw him grin. Wow, this was new. The youkai was always so serious, but…

She actually liked it when he grinned. She let a small smile form on her lips.

They both stared at each other for a long second. Then, Kagome burst out laughing.

Sesshoumaru's grin widened just a bit. Kagome couldn't stop laughing. They ate in what had to be their first non-awkward, free of fighting meal.

After she finished, Kagome picked up her plate to wash it. She opened the door to exit the room.

“Sesshoumaru?”

“Yes?”

“Why did you do it?”

“He was beginning to annoy me.”

“And the best way to get rid of him was throwing him out the window?”

“…yes?”

“I can't believe you.” She smiled.

Sesshoumaru though she looked happy for once.

“Next time, throw him from a higher window and make sure to invite me to see his face.”

Yes, Sesshoumaru thought as she left... it had been a very satisfactory day.