Love Is Blind
Chapter One
"Please fasten your seatbelts and return your seats to the correct upright position. We would like to thank you in advance for flying with us today on Northwest Airlines. We hope you choose to fly with us again in the future. Thank you."
There was a click as the stewardess replaced the intercom microphone. Everyone in the airplane went about sitting up and fastening seatbelts. The young missionary did the same but immediately returned to her book. She'd been in the air for more than twelve hours and she was finally going home.
The plane touched ground a few minutes later and she gathered up all of her carry-on luggage before departing the plane with the other passengers. She stepped into the terminal and headed straight for baggage claim. All around her, family members were hugging and embracing with huge smiles and bright exclamations or drivers holding signs were escorting new arrivals to their cars. She had no one waiting for her. Everyone she knew and loved were back in the small village in Kenya that she'd made her home for nearly her whole life. All that was waiting for her here was a large empty house and a few money-grabbing lawyers. And she wasn't expected to arrive for a few more days.
Out on the street, she hailed a cab and politely told the driver where she was headed. The older man smiled back at her through the rearview mirror as she stared at the buildings and people swarming the streets.
"First time in the big city, ma'am?"
She nodded slightly. "Well, sort of. I haven't been here since I was a baby. I was born here and my parents used to live here for years."
"Where've you been all this time, if you don't mind my asking."
"I've been living in Kenya for years in a small village. My grandparents were missionaries."
The cabby nodded and turned back to the road. The young woman continued to stare out the window in awe. Finally, the cabby turned back to her at a stoplight.
"So, why are you back here after so many years? And headed for the Higurashi Mansion?"
"Oh, my grandmother died a few months ago and I have to settle a few financial problems."
"And the mansion?"
"Some stuck-up lawyers want to sell it. And that's only because they haven't seen a will. But it just took a while to find it is all."
"What do you mean by that?"
"The mansion's supposed to stay in the family, not be sold to the highest bidder."
"So, you own the Higurashi Mansion?"
"No, my grandmother did. But it's been empty for a long time since she and my grandfather felt called to bring God to those less fortunate. So we packed up and left. I want nothing to do with it; my home is in Kenya."
"What's your name, Miss?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. That was rude of me. I'm Kagome Higurashi."
All conversation was halted as they hit rush hour traffic. Kagome just returned to staring out the window at the tall buildings and bright lights of New York. It was so different from the small huts and landscape of the muggy Kenyan wilderness.
Further up the street, a huge award ceremony was being held for the rich and famous. It had spilled into the street to accommodate the huge crowds, thus creating a five-block long traffic jam. Cars honked and drivers cursed and swore at each other while celebrities ignored the commotion around them, smiling and preening at photographers and fans.
Kagome's cab inched along slowly with the rest of the flow of cars. Policemen were everywhere, trying to control and maintain traffic and drivers. The young woman just watched all of this with interest, especially when it started to rain. The whole scene reminded her of damp chickens running around with their heads cut off. She couldn't help but giggle softly at the whole affair.
They finally reached the source of the jam and the cabby groaned. Kagome just pressed her face to the window to see everything better. She'd never sat on the cusp of witnessing something this huge and extravagant. Heck, she'd never seen a celebrity before. Just as they were about to inch forward again and clear the roadblocks set up, there was a commotion on the edge of the large crowd and the back door to the taxi was wrenched open. Kagome stared wide eyed as a young man with long silver hair in a tuxedo slid into the seat next to her and gruffly told the cabby to step on it.
The yellow cab sped off with yelling reporters, policemen, and PR people in their wake. The young man stared out his window, ignoring Kagome's presence completely. Kagome continued to stare at the stranger while the cab driver whistled softly and kept driving to the Higurashi Mansion.
"Um, excuse me?" Kagome said meekly when she snapped out of her daze. The man seemed to not hear her so she spoke a little louder. "Excuse me?"
"What do you want, bitch?"
The man spun around in his seat to glare at her. Kagome leaned back in surprise. No one had ever spoken to her like that before… and boy, oh boy he had gorgeous eyes. Smoldering amber locked with sparkling blue and time itself seemed to pause with bated breath. But the moment ended as quickly as it began when the man turned irritated to the cabby.
"Where the heck are we going?" he demanded with a snarl.
"Higurashi Mansion."
That stopped him in his tracks as he stared at the back of the cabby's head. Kagome just stared at the side of his face. The cabby kept his eyes on the road as he swerved around another car and into a new lane. Silence filled the taxi and the cabby smiled to himself. This was certainly turning out to be a very interesting day.
After a few minutes, the young man turned to stare out the window and sulk. Kagome just shrugged and struck up a conversation with the cabby.
"So, how long have you been driving a taxi?"
As she talked animatedly, she was oblivious to the glances the young man beside her kept sneaking. He was actually fairly confused. The cabby probably already knew who he was after the first few minutes, but this girl acted like he was just a regular person. Where'd she been for the past few years – Kenya?
X
"Miroku, where the heck did he run off to? I mean, how did he slip away so easily? There are over two thousand people watching his every move right now! Not to mention everyone at home! He's not Houdini!"
"Hey, Sango, you never know. They could be distantly related… somehow…"
Sango turned to pin him with a heated glare. Her dark-haired companion just whistled innocently, his hands in his pockets as he stared up at the golden scaffoldings. With a frustrated huff, she smacked him in the chest with her handbag and stomped off. Stumbling back from her blow, Miroku scrambled to catch up with her.
"Sango! Wait up!"
Outside, the chief of police and a stately talent agent stood surrounded by members of the media giving an impromptu press conference. Microphones were shoved in his face and questions shot back and forth. The chief of police looked completely flustered and red in the face. The talent agent just gazed about him calmly and with an icy stare that the reporters nearly shied away from. The well-dressed man almost smirked quietly to himself.
"Sir, sir! Where is Inuyasha? Do you know where he went?"
"Is he taking a vacation?"
"Is there some woman involved?"
"Are they secretly eloping?"
"Will he be able to receive his awards tonight?"
"Is he receiving any awards tonight?"
"Does he like the color purple?"
The agent held up his hands for silence. The mob of reporters quieted immediately.
"At the moment, we are just as confused and worried as you are. The police are at this very moment tracking him down and we hope to know his whereabouts by later tonight or tomorrow morning at the latest. If you would be so kind as to hold all of your questions until Officer McGuiness is through speaking and filling us in on the situation, they will all be answered in due time to the best of our knowledge. Thank you."
He turned to leave and the flashing of light bulbs went off rapidly behind him. The reporters screamed questions at his back, clawing and scrambling over each other to get to the red-faced police chief. This time he really did smirk. 'Like a sheep to the slaughter.'
"Kagura," he murmured to his ever-present assistant. "Find him."
The woman just nodded and slipped away. His other two workers and the assistants to his client, Inuyasha Taisho, came out of the regal building. Nodding slightly to them, he entered through the front door, the two following closely behind. They were the best in their field and combined with Kagura's expertise in her own field, they'd find him in no time. Behind him, the two personal assistants exchanged quick, worried glances. This wouldn't turn out well for anyone.
X
"Okay, so let me get this straight. You are just a regular taxi cab driver," the cabby nodded in the affirmative. "And you are the heiress to the Higurashi Estate?"
Kagome just rolled her eyes. Could this guy get any weirder?
"Well, I sure do hope so. Otherwise I wasted all this time to get here," she replied sarcastically. "Who are you anyway, Mr. High-and-Mighty?"
"I can't believe this! You don't know who I am?"
"Uh, some guy who enjoys dressing up in formal attire on rainy days?" she guessed flatly.
"Hey, I didn't know it was going to rain today!" he said defensively.
Kagome just stared at him blandly. It took a few minutes before he finally grasped her words. Then he sputtered around for a few more minutes. Kagome just stared out the window.
"Hey, Benny?" She called after a while. "Are we almost there?"
"Just a few more minutes, Miss Kagome."
"Great thanks."
She smiled brightly at him through the rearview mirror. The old cabby was a really sweet and caring person. The guy beside her, on the other hand… well, she could do without him.
Glancing at the window, Kagome studied two trails of water on the glass pane as they raced down to the bottom, merging with other trails and increasing in size. She smiled softly to herself and lightly touched the glass. The cold seeped into her fingertips and a hazy rim of fog outlined her fingers. Her eyes traveled up to the gray, overcast sky, imagining designs in the bottom-heavy rain clouds overhead.
"Oi, what're you doing?" her unplanned companion grunted, breaking her away from her daydreaming.
She jumped at his gruff voice so close to her ear and whirled around, wide-eyed. He had scooted over beside her and leaned over her shoulder to see what she was staring at. Now they were nose to nose and leaning towards each other, her 'taxi buddy' precariously close to toppling over on top of her. Kagome's breath caught in her throat and she was unable to move a muscle. The silver-haired young man gulped and stared down his nose at her slightly parted lips and even further downward. The tension in the backseat of the cab escalated as the seconds ticked by.
Just then, the taxi came to a sudden halt, throwing the two passengers off balance even more. The young man ended up sprawled across her lap and Kagome flew forward, kept from crashing face-first into the front passenger seat in front of her and onto the floor only by her seatbelt. She was jerked back into the seat forcefully and banged the back of her head on the headrest painfully. Groaning, she glanced up at Benny who was looking back at the two expectantly.
"We're here, Miss Kagome," he said with a smile.
"Oh, um, okay, thanks," she said, blood rushing to her cheeks all of a sudden.
Kagome scrabbled at her seat belt, quickly unfastening it and springing for the door. The young, tuxedo-clad man had ended up on the floor and stared up at her dazedly, bringing a hand up to his head. Kagome leaped out of the taxi and stood on the sidewalk with the door swinging on its hinges as she stared up at the huge house. He got out as well and stood next to her. Benny hopped out and retrieved her bags from thee trunk and set them down on the sidewalk.
"Well, good luck Miss Kagome," he said kindly, stepping back into the taxi and settling behind the wheel.
Kagome jumped and whirled back around, digging around in her purse for money.
"How much do I owe you, Benny?" she asked distractedly, her head bowed and nearly shoved into her bag.
"Thirty-seven ninety-eight."
"Um… there's forty. Thanks so much, Benny. I really appreciate it."
The middle-aged cabby just waved it off, accepting the bills with a wide smile. He nodded to the young mystery man before waving and driving off. Kagome smiled and waved after him. When she turned around, she started at the sight of the young man, forgetting that he had gotten out of the cab with her. He just looked back at her in expectation, hands in pockets.
"So, we gonna go inside or what?" he said passively, jerking his head at the grounds of the mansion.
Kagome nodded dazedly, picking up her bags and heading up the walkway and up the steps. The young man followed after her easily, looking around indifferently. They arrived at the front door and Kagome pulled a single key from her purse and unlocked the door, stepping inside for the first time in over eighteen years, a strange young man right on her heels.
X
Sango Hasigawa and Miroku Koji entered the state-of-the-art penthouse tiredly and collapsed on the black leather couch side by side. Miroku's head lolled to the side to stare at the woman beside him and smiled slightly. Sango just stared up at the ceiling. Miroku's hand crept slowly across the cushioned surface and took hold of Sango's smaller one, squeezing slightly. Sango just sighed and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.
"What do you want, Miroku?" she said flatly after a while.
"Nothing, just to bask in your heavenly presence, Lady Sango," he replied cheekily.
"We work together, Koji, that's all. There'll never be anything between us."
"You never know, Lady Sango. Fate has a funny way of disregarding your expectations."
Sango just rolled her eyes and sat up. "Come on, we have a job to do."
Miroku groaned but sat up as well, shuffling into the kitchen to invade his employer's privacy. Sango watched him go with a frown before sighing and moving to the young celebrity's bedroom to do the same. They would find Inuyasha, no matter how hard they had to look. Their careers depended on it.
A few hours later, the two hadn't found anything that would prompt or allude to his disappearance. The penthouse had been upturned and still, they weren't any closer to finding Inuyasha. Sango had flopped down onto the couch again in defeat. Miroku glanced down at her and scrubbed wearily at his face. Picking up the phone, he was about to call Naraku and tell him they couldn't find anything and they had no idea where he could be. But then the small screen on the phone caught his eye. '3 unread messages.'
"Hey, Sango?"
"Hm, what?"
"Does Inuyasha have a call-in answering machine?"
Sango sat up and stared at her partner suspiciously. "Um, yeah, why?"
"I think I just stumbled upon a clue."
X
The two walked around the giant house amiably. Neither had any idea where anything was since Kagome hadn't been there since she was a baby and the young man had never been there period. Thinking about that as she stuck her head into yet another empty, dusty room, Kagome turned to her companion thoughtfully.
"You know, you still haven't told me who you are."
The young man turned to her from further down the hall where he was inspecting an ancient vase. At his blank expression, Kagome just crossed her arms across her chest and tapped her foot expectantly.
"Uh… why do you need to know?" he said flippantly, turning back around and strolling down the hall.
Kagome rushed to catch up with him and jerked him around to face her. Sure, she was shorter than he was and his well-toned form was apparent through his tuxedo, but she didn't care. She'd stood up to people just like him before.
"Because, this is my house and I don't know if I can trust you or not! Plus, I could easily throw you out," she said indignantly.
The mystery man just smirked and kept on walking. Kagome glared at his back for a moment before calling out again.
"Fine, but at least tell me your name so that I don't have to call you weird names. Like… I don't know, Aquaman, or something!"
'Aquaman' turned around and cocked an eyebrow. "Aquaman?"
Kagome nodded her head resolutely. "Yes, Aquaman."
He just shrugged and continued down the hall. "Okay."
Sighing in exasperation, Kagome raced after him. "Come on! Just tell me your name!"
"Aquaman."
"That is not your name!"
"Now it is."
"No, it's not! I take it back! Now what's your name?"
And so it went for the rest of the evening. If he continued to stay there, Kagome had a feeling they would be acting like this the whole time…
"Good night, No Name!"
"'Night heiress!"
Kagome screamed into her pillow in frustration. This was going to be a long few days until she went back to Kenya…
E
Um, I was planning on doing a little mini-series type thing like this for a while. But I envisioned it completely different. Although I like it much better like this. It's not going to be a really long story, I don't think – maybe five chapters or something. Well, I hope you've enjoyed the first chapter. Until next time! – Hope Swings.
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters or ideas belonging to Rumiko Takahashi.