InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Yours and Mine ❯ Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all the rest aren't mine. To bad, cause then I'd be rich.

*blah*= thoughts

"blah"=talking

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Next day:

DAY 1

I, Sesshomaru, the Great Taiyoukin of the Western Lands have

been issued an insulting and quite frankly rude challenge.

The miko has fallen back into my life and brought with her

a welcome, though unexpected, surprise. I have a beautiful,

innocent daughter and an heir. The miko's power is not to be underestimated, for my child is no mere hanyou; she is of full

youkin blood. This fact alone would be enough to prove her

my equal, but I will never put a human on par with myself.

The miko refuses to realize her place and submit to the will

of this Sesshomaru and that greatly annoys me. Something else

annoys me too; she made a valid point. The days of the Sengoku

Jidai are over, Renmaru does need to go back to school. The miko's

education was one of the many strengths I once admired-before

I knew that high school means nothing.

I have been granted a week in which to train my daughter. Does

she really believe that the 4 years Renmaru has lost will be made

up in a week?! To cap the miko's grievous and numerous insults,

she had refused to reveal to the child that I am her father. I AM

A DEMON LORD! Such impudence is simply not to be born!

It is true that over the centuries I have become more tolerant

of humans-their smell, their odd habits, their customs-but

this is beyond the pale! How can I present her to the other-

"Sumimasen Sessho-sama?" Sesshomaru's tail flicked, indicating that he was startled. He closed the lid of the laptop and turned to look at Renmaru.

"Hai, ko-inu?" Renmaru giggled at the nickname, then cleared her throat, trying to be serious.

"Um . . .sir? Uh . . .I wanted to thank you for all of the neat things you've been teaching me and stuff . . ." she trailed off, then bowed.

"I sensing a `but'." He prompted. "Why don't you come in and stop lurking in the doorway."

She shook her head. "I want to go home, sir. With Okasan and Shippo-niichan. I miss Uncle Souta and Buyo, and all my friends."

"Ah." Sesshomaru leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers, stalling for time. All of his plans would be for naught if she had already expressed this desire to her mother.

*Don't be foolish,* he though. *If she had already said anything to the miko, she'd be saying `good-bye' right now, not asking for permission to leave.*

Still it was better to be safe that sorry.

"Have you mentioned this to your mother?"

She shook her head. "No. I know that you are our host, so I'm asking if Okasan and I can please leave."

"When would you like to go?"

"Today." He frowned slightly at her quick response and she backed away, bowing deeply. "I don't mean to offend you, my lord, but I really want to go home."

*Okay, think fast, you're losing her.* "Well, Renmaru, I'd like to let you leave today, but there are still a few things I have to teach you. Do you think you can hang on for one more week?"

Renmaru shook her head. "NO." He could hear her heart pounding and she stank of fear, but she was standing firm against him.

"Okay ko-inu, calm down. Why don't we go and talk to your mama-"

"NO!" Panic flew across her face. "I don't want her to know I asked you."

*Hmm.* "Why not?"

"Uh . . .I gotta go!" She bowed and ran off. Sesshomaru listened to her footsteps as she pounded down the hall and up the stairs towards the second floor play room. He sat back and studied his claws.

*She's only 6 or so her mother claims. Yet she fears me for her mother's sake, but faces me and bucks my will. She has mental and emotional strength. I know young children need their mother, but I cannot allow Kagome to remove the child.*

Sesshomaru reached for the phone. "Jaken, get in here."

Moments later, the small toad youkin flew in, bowing low enough for his elongated upper lip to touch the floor.

"Hai, Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Call the other taiyoukin from the north, east and south. It's time to present my heir to the demon world."

Jaken bowed again. "What of the human, my lord?" He waited, expecting and half hoping to be told to eject the miko on her ear. Sesshomaru smiled and Jaken backed away.

"Don't worry about her." Jaken bowed himself out and ran off to fulfill his order.

*This errand wouldn't be necessary if I had worried more about that miko the last time she was here,*

***

Kagome turned down another hallway and sighed. This damned castle was a maze of dead-ends, blind corners, and steep staircases.

"Who the hell designed this place? Kuso! Where the hell am I?"

"In my home." Kagome whirled around, gasping and holding her heart.

"Dammit, Sesshomaru! Don't do that!"

He chucked and bowed. "I am sorry. You seem to be rather lost. Allow me to guide you towards an exit."

She huffed and tried to get her pounding heartbeat under control. "Arigatou." Her tone was kinder now. He turned and led her back the way she cam and down several halls she hadn't seen before.

"It seems like a maze designed by small children, but the art is different in each hall so you can find your way around."

Kagome nodded and began paying more attention to the paintings. They soon arrived in the main hall and he felt her relax.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru." She turned to go upstairs.

"Not a problem. I spend much of my youth lost in this place." She frowned slightly.

*Psychically lost or lost otherwise?* "Hmm."

"Miko, have a drink with me. There is something we need to discuss."

Her eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Please, we really must talk." She looked up the stairs, then huffed out her nose and reluctantly followed him into a library. The walls were tall, floor to ceiling bookshelves, each housing thousands of leather bound books. A display case held an array of fragile scrolls, the corner desk held a flat screen computer. Several tables and comfortable chairs, a newspaper tossed over the arm of one, were scattered around the room and clustered near the fireplace. Long bay windows, their dark heavy drapes pulled back and strategically placed lamps provided the reading light.

Kagome stared in awe. He hadn't shown her this room when he gave his grant tour. "Oh! Sesshomaru! It's beautiful!"

He smiled at the approval in her voice. "Thank you; it's my second favorite place in the castle. Please have a seat."

She chose a seat near the cold fireplace while he went to the bar in the corner opposite the desk and poured himself a drink. "Do you want anything?"

"Iie, kekodesu." He shrugged and came to sit across from her.

"Renmaru is my heir." Kagome's pulse jumped, but she didn't say anything. "The other lords have gotten word of her existence and my hand is being forced; I have to present her to them before you go home. They will test her to see if she can do the things a taiyoukin should do."

Kagome raised her eyebrow. "Like what kinds of things?"

He sighed. *Of course she can't just take this at face value.* "Tell me the truth; how old is the child?"

Kagome's face turned red the she could almost feel steam coming out of her ears. *I thought he was supposed to be smart!* "She's 6!! How hard is that to understand!!"

He winced. *Yelling is so undignified.* "How then is it 500 years since I've seen you last?"

Kagome made an exasperated noise and threw up her hands and stood; going behind the chair. She muttered quietly for a moment, then turned back to him, using the chair as a barrier between them.

"Because of the Bone Eater's Well!" She explained again, very slowly, about how the well worked and her time traveling. She re-explained about the Shikon no Tama then crossed her arm and sat back down.

"Do you get it now?!"

Sesshomaru was highly amused by how annoyed she was getting. He had understood her just fine the first time that she had explained it all to him. He just wanted to see if her story would change. It hadn't and it was clear she wasn't lying about this, not the way she kept lying about Renmaru. But that didn't matter for the moment. Besides, the child smelled so strongly of his blood, it was obvious.

"You speak the truth to me now as well as that night."

"That . . .night?" She flamed red and turned her face away. "Don't be crude."

Sesshomaru looked at his glass and decided he needed a refill. He got up and came to stand behind her, leaned over and whispered in her ear:

"I wasn't being crude. You writhing under me and moaning my name has been one of my favorite and most cherished memories."

Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and slapped her hands over her ears. *That's it! I'm going in my bag and get out those rosary beads. I had hoped I wouldn't them, but this is beyond all bearing!*

He returned from the bar and resumed his seat. "The other lords will want to her. And they will want to see you-the human miko who could produce a full blooded demon child. As we are not mated, and Remaru is my heir, you will hear much talk and whispering of `alliances' and `marriage contracts.' Do not be concerned; I have no intention of allying my House with any of theirs."

"Wait, not . . . mated?"

"Hai. I never marked you. The child automatically is under the protection of my House, but you are not." He laid his glass aside. "I could mark you, but I'm sensing more that a little resistance from you, so I cannot. Besides," Sesshomaru unfolded his long frame from the chair and again went behind Kagome's seat, trailing his long claws across her cheek and through her hair.

"If the marking is performed as part of the mating, it's much less . . .painful."

Kagome could feel his warm breath on her ear and that and his fingers tracing her skin was doing weird things to her stomach.

"Ah." *Brilliant, Kagome.* "So . . .why didn't you . . . mark . . .me . . . before?"

"I wanted to." He slid her hair aside and leaned over her, trailing his lips lightly over her skin. Kagome tilted her head, giving him better access to her neck and the tender spot behind her ear. "But you weren't ready."

"Rea . . .dy? For what?" He was barely touching her and all coherent thought had dissolved.

"To be my mate." He melted away from her and Kagome sat, dazed for a minuet then slowly came back to herself. She could feel her face flaming as all the blood in her body was redirected back to her brain.

*I can't believe I just did that! Kami-sama! Where is all my self control and restraint when I need it the most!*

"Kagome." Her head snapped up. Sesshomaru was leaning against the doorjamb. "We need to cry friends, at least until the lords leave. I need you to support me while I train Renmaru and if the other lords sense any antipathy between us it could mean disaster."

Kagome's eyes narrowed. *Damn him for being so calm.* "Whatever. I'll will back off and let you work -"

"Good."

"-But! I will be there, watching every move. If I feel that she is in any danger, we are leaving, lords or no. When this meeting is over, we will be leaving."

He nodded. "Of course; just as we agreed." *I have a week to convince her to stay.*

Kagome was finally sure her legs would hold her up, and she swept out with as much dignity as she could muster. When the door closed, she ran back to her as fast as her legs would take her. Sesshomaru listened to her fleeing and sighed.

*I can force her to stay, but how much fun would that be? I need a consort, not another slave. Kuso! I've spent too many centuries with these damn humans!?*

"Why should I be nice? This Sesshomaru will not be reduced to begging! JAKEN GET IN HERE!"

***

Sorry for talking so long to update. I'm suffering from writer block.

Iie, kekodesu-means "no, thank you" when someone offers you something.