Inuyasha
Chapter 1: Changes
"I won't ever show my vulnerable side, not even in my dreams," Kagome last told him that when they last parted.
Now out of pure coincidence, she is right before of him, sitting just outside of a café sipping on a hot cup of tea that still has tea in it as she reads a magazine at one of the café that lined up between the branded shops in Ginza.
"Hello again onii-san," Kagome greeted, glancing in his direction from the side of her eyes as she resumed reading her magazine.
There is a quiet elegance to her even if she is just sitting there reading the magazine as she placed the cup of tea back on the saucer that comes with the cup. In this time and age, Kagome Higurashi, the priestess that shattered the Shikon no Tama and had to piece it back together, should now be about in the age of her early 20s in present time.
It was always annoying to hear her calling that and it still did even with a 500 years gap. He stood before of her, coldly looking at her in such a manner that would have scared most people off, but not her. Inuyasha had since disappeared from her world for a number of centuries, a backfire of sort when after a few years into their early marriage. Where Inuyasha was unable to become, a full-blooded youkai, she became one easily after their mating. It could have been an influence from after the Shikon disappeared, or her constant scrap with youkai. Though she is lucky in a sense that some of her ability as a miko still remain in tact, and has since the destruction of the Shikon no Tama, made her even stronger than she imagined.
Since Inuyasha's disappearance, Kagome had her heart crushed when she could not find him, and even requesting from Kohaku to allow her to have Kirara join her in search for him when she could no longer sit idle in the village and wait for his return. However, the results were the same, her search came to an end and she was never able to search for him despite of her new change and ability, and she later gave up the search despite of her heartaches.
"Miko," he called out, old habits that are hard to die and he's the kind that is more tough love than anything.
There is not much in words that they could say to one another, but the Kagome now, intrigues him, especially when she reminds him somewhat of himself when he was still learning about being compassionate. The her now, though dressed simply in a pair of tight fitted jeans and a plain white blouse top, made it look like that of a high end luxury brand despite of her usual choice of places to shop in.
"What of news about that half-breed," he asked her out of the blue, but already knowing the answer.
There was a frown upon her face, but then a hint of a sad smile appears on her face as she stopped reading. Her fingers intertwined together, he noticed the tightening of her fingers into a lock, and it was still affecting her even after so long. It was not something that he should be concerned about but she is the few remaining person that he had somehow come to care for. Since Rin's passing centuries ago, he was left with Inuyasha, her, and even Jaken.
In actual fact, he knows everything just that he remained indifferent to it and kept it to himself. Kagome in some ways never really stopped hoping that perhaps one day Inuyasha might appear and return back into her life. For 3 years, she had given her life to him, staying in the Feudal Era after she had completed high school, but now she is a little behind in getting her university degree because of the 3 years that she had spent in the past. However somehow she was on the fast course in getting recognize when she took on the course to become a historian, something that he had not expected.
"None," she replied, looking away from him not sure if it was in shame or embarrassment.
He did not say anything but instead fished out from his pocket for his phone, sliding the new phone to unlock the screen he quickly brought up the dial pad and looked at her waiting expectantly or so his body says as his finger hover above the screen waiting for to give him her number.
"Apologies," Kagome said as she gave him her number, her eyes watching his fingers typed her number into his phone.
Sesshoumaru look indifferent as always, his golden eyes lowered as he looked at his screen, waiting perhaps for her contact to be saved. Her phone's ringing caught her attention as she look at the new unknown number that stopped just as abruptly as it rang.
"That's my number," Sesshoumaru informed her, pocketing his phone again as he check on the timing. "I've a meeting to get to,"
"Goodbye onii-san," she said it so softly that the normal human would not hear it except if they were someone of their kind.
He always kept tabs on her, as he did with the rest of the people that had affected his life whilst he build his empire, and expand his power and influence in this new era. It was always the same with him, power, influence and expanding his territory whilst up keeping the proud title that he had inherited in the end.
There were many other things that changed in his life, and some are for the better, but he as always strikes fear in everyone, except those that knows him who are few, if not, dead. She has changed a lot, into a silent mature lady of breeding even if she is not born into their kind or of his ranking and status. Even for the age in which she appears to be, Kagome draws attention to her with the way she carries herself and the air around her speaks differently. There is a cold indifference in her that he saw, somewhat like him in the past, even now he is about the same.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, here's the information in which you have requested," one of his member of staff said, handing to him the sealed document that contained the information in which he had called in earlier for.
He hated the way she would always call him 'onii-san' it just irks him so much, even more so when he would see her clinging so closely to Inuyasha, admittedly, he was even a little jealous as well. His half-brother had seemingly disappeared from the face of the Earth after his spies had managed to find where his trail ran cold. Even now he has someone out there searching for that hanyou that had cause so much trouble and leave a stain in the family tree.
Since Inuyasha's disappearance, and it had somewhat affected her as well. There are many nights, months turning to years that she had continuously search for him with whatever help that she can get from her friends. Somewhere during her search, Kagome gave up, tired and mentally broken down on the inside. She loved him even as a hanyou and she never once doubted her love for him.
It was perhaps a stupid thing for her to do now, but she still hoped that perhaps one day she would be reunited with him again. School has been a breeze since living through those times of learning and waiting to be able to be with her family again. The Well stopped working for her after their marriage was consummated, he had seen her then at her lowest, desperate and digging the well's dried up ground until her hands became raw and bleed as she pounded uselessly on the ground.
He was never one to know how to comfort others or the least bit understand how she had felt except that it ached him to see her behaving as such and had decided to leave then. When it came to emotions he was never one to fully understand it, and that had been only the beginning of his understanding for some of it, but at the same time it was close to non-existent.
Kagome has turned out to be even more desirable. Something in which he had not expected, especially when this is perhaps the first time he happens to see her in centuries. She had always been outspoken and annoyingly loud to him when they first met, but now she has the air of quiet elegance, and it made him curious if she still had that fire in her.
She was drawing attention to herself, there was something about the way that she carries herself, and holds herself even if she was just walking from one end of the campus to the other. Her friends from high school often told her that there have been changes to her since her returning to the pink of health, and resuming her study as though she had never once missed it and excelling it. They had joke with her about it saying that they would want to have a share of the same virus that she was having if it meant suddenly becoming as bright as she is and passing her studies without issue even when she was told to retake the tests just to prove that she was not cheating.
Those were quite drama, but it did help speed things along, especially with her current knowledge plus the 500 years or so she took the time to travelling and learning as well. Seeing Sesshoumaru again reminded her how cool he always look, and the many resemblance that Inuyasha has from their family bloodline.
Sesshoumaru however was hesitant about calling Kagome since that day and have been deliberating, sometimes looking at his phone even as he practically glared holes into it, or melt it with his eyes with the intensity that he was looking at it. He had been trying to find a reason or excuse for the reason of his call, but acting like a virgin was something that he was not at all interested or happy about at the moment and growled at his phone loudly before giving out orders to his subordinates.
The message did not come until days later, Kagome had been hesitant to typing that message over to Sesshoumaru. There are many things in which they have just about nothing to say to one another, since they both kept their personal life each to themselves, even when it comes down to business.
To: Sesshoumaru Onii-san
From: Kagome
Subject: Dinner?
Hello Onii-san
Perhaps we should have dinner one of the days when you are available?
- Kagome
It has been too long a time and she was hoping to perhaps meet up with him and maybe they could 'reminisce' about the past, or catch-up if either of them ever spoke to one another. Perhaps if she got lucky, Sesshoumaru might have ignored her email/message, and not even reply her.
Sesshoumaru however was somewhat surprise to see the message that came to his phone as he contemplated over it. The message had come in weeks later after he last saw her when they were both in Ginza. Kagome received an almost immediate reply from Sesshoumaru saying that they should meet the next night for dinner, something that she had not expected. And as she had expected, his reply to her is curt and short, mainly a timing and a location for the next day.
Was he perhaps too fast in replying her was the thought running through his head. He had made plans to have dinner in one of the more obscure and quiet restaurant where he would dine alone usually and not with his partners or business associates. Always he will book out three private rooms in a row, so he would get the privacy and peace that he wants aside from not wanting to smell undesirable scent of other drunkards around of him. He was about an hour early, perhaps it was his eagerness or perhaps it was the usual with him as Sesshoumaru ordered the finest of their saké whilst he waited for Kagome to arrive.
"Onii-san," Kagome greeted once the manager of the restaurant showed her to the room that Sesshoumaru is in, indulging himself a little.
Kagome was early, and when she was seated opposite of him they both fell into an awkward silence. It was something that they had both imagine the scenario to be, just silence and in no way were they able to start a conversation of sorts since they were both unsure where to begin it with.
"Businesses doing well?" she asked after taking some liquid courage which she had poured and refilled for him and herself when she first entered.
"Always," he replied her shortly, golden eyes watching her as he observe every little thing about her.
"Sesshoumaru," he said, taking a sip of his saké before placing it back down on the table again.
Kagome looked at him questioningly not really quite sure she understands what he was saying.
"Just call me Sesshoumaru," he told her again with hints of impatience in his voice as he gave her a look of annoyance.
"Sesshoumaru," she tried it slowly, letting his name roll off her tongue, something that she had not done so for quite a while.
The way his name sounded coming from her sounded almost lyrical, something that he had not expect, just like how he feel pleased that she is now addressing him by his name. He could see the slight tugging at the side of her lips as Kagome said his name. There is a form of intimacy in the way that she said his name, with that old fondness.
"Have you ordered?" Kagome asked, not sure from where their conversation is heading towards to, but at least it is a question of sort that is somewhat safe to ask.
"My secretary had done so for us," he told her, putting an end to the conversation again, something that it made Sesshoumaru cringe inwardly, unsure how that was even to create conversation between them.
"That's nice," she mumbled, refilling their cups of saké as she poured the last drop into his cup.
Again, the awkward silence settled between them as they both did not acknowledge the manager and his server who brought in their ordered food as they laid it out on the table, introducing to the both of them their meal that night and that they will bring in a few more bottles of saké that Sesshoumaru would usually order before they took their leave, closing the door when they left.
"This is quite the extravagant spread," she commented, waiting for him to take up his chopsticks before she did hers.
Sesshoumaru did not say anything about it, having earlier gotten the more extravagant menu just for the two of them, again, something that he would usually not do since he would place himself first, but not this dinner with her. He had been somewhat nervous about this dinner meeting, and he is annoyed at that somehow. He had been like that lately whenever it concerns Kagome, something that he himself is still figuring out.
They ate in silence mainly because there is one too many topics that neither of them dare to ask or approach the other with.
"Did you ever find Tetsusaiga?" she asked, her voice wavering a little at the mention of the sword that Inuyasha had.
"…No," Sesshoumaru replied her.
After so many years and that half-breed was still on her mind. The sentimentality that she has was something in which he could not understand much, even now he could only relate fraction of it. He is somewhat jealousy of that half-breed, and just because he has her loyalty no matter how long that she has to wait.
"He's long gone," Sesshoumaru informed her, not really putting it delicately across as he tried to be forward about it.
"Still as indelicate as ever," Kagome commented her tone hardening as did the emotions disappeared from her eyes, just like that day when she last told him that she's not going to show her vulnerable side and disappeared.
He glowered at her, a glare in his stone cold glass marble like honey eyes, but it did not strike fear in her like how it will with many others. There was no fear or any emotions, nothing in her eyes, even her face, it was a blank and she is just as good as he is.
"It's time to stop waiting," Sesshoumaru told her, trying to tone his way of speaking down for her saké.
He had long considered Kagome as part of his pack, just that he was not sure that she knows. He had always been keeping watch on her, just watching but never interfering unless it was needed, and that was never even. She always have a means of getting by with what she had done in the past, the many skills that she had picked up were really interesting per say, but he never once went to see it himself. His subordinates have and were all enthralled by her and that caused his more protective streak to appear.
"It's not as easy," Kagome told him as she drank her cup of saké clean.
"Then teach me," he told her monotonously his piercing eyes looking at her as he drank his cup of saké.
Her ears must be deceiving her, that there is something which Sesshoumaru wanted her to teach him. It was almost amusing had it not been for that serious look in that stone cold face, not a single twitch but there is but one that shows his impatience in wanting to hear her answer.
"We could learn together," he told her, reaffirming what she heard as Sesshoumaru looked at her straight in the eyes, his saké cup set down before of him.
"If only it is that easy Sesshoumaru," Kagome told him with a shake of her head, "Time does not mend everything or make on forget," she continued bitterly.
He could not say anything against that, but it is somewhat true, it took him too long in the past to realize the importance Rin is him. She had helped him gained his own sword, Bakusaiga, that gave him even greater power, and when he too received the title that his Father has until now and more. Power, status, money, looks, everything else that one could think of, he has it all, except for a mate, a wife.
"Then we'll learn to manage it," he told her firmly, his golden eyes serious and left her speechless as Kagome looked at him unsure of herself.
"Okay," Kagome finally said, her eyes looking down for a moment as she became hesitant in her choice.
Sesshoumaru was however, thrilled at it and could feel his heart beat just a little faster at her decision. Looking at her though, he could see the hesitance and conflict that she was having with herself as Kagome looked up at him with mix emotions.
A/N:
Hello
Okay so I screwed up one of the stories, and have decided to keep it short and sweet, with this newly written story which I hope to end within 10 chapters. Hope that you guys enjoy it.
