Tick Tick Boom

Chapter 4: I am Not Your Protector

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Kenji yelled, following after her.

Kagome started flipping the blue switches down, but was halted as she was thrown back. She now was cornered by Kenji, who commenced in shaking the detonator in her face.

"You see this? It will kill you!" Kenji said through ground teeth.

"Then push it! Push the button for all I care!" she yelled into his face, tears welling up in her eyes. She refused to let them fall.

"This is what you want?" he asked.

"Yes! This is what I want!" she yelled.

Kenji smirked and placed his thumb over the button. He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "Goodbye my dear, dear Kagome." he said, a smirk still residing on his mouth.

Tick-tick. Tick-tick. Tick-tick.

The reoccurring sound continued to play in her head.

There was a slight click as Kenji's thumb pressed down on the button.

Kagome's eyes were clenched shut as she awaited the explosion. Seconds went by and nothing happened. She could feel the heavy breath from Kenji's mouth blowing rapidly onto her forehead. She could hear his menacingly laughter. Her eyes peeked open after a while and saw Kenji's hand holding the remote in her face.

A small stick protruded from the top of it, a cloth hanging from the long antenna. It was a flag. Across the flag read 'BOOM!'

Kagome's eyes reflexively furrowed. WHAT. THE. HELL. "Y--" she was instantly cut off.

"What did I tell you yesterday?" he asked. He received a curious stare from her. "I told you my demand. My demand was you."

"B-But I thought you only told that to the police so--"

"Yes, I told them that, however, it is my true demand. I had no demands what-so-ever coming into this place. But then, that changed. Everything changed. I saw how that other demon cared for you. How he always saved you. And he doesn't even know you! No, not like I do. So do you really think I'd blow you up?" Kenji asked, his eyes psychotic.

Kagome stared blankly to him for a moment, her thoughts chasing each other. "Then…If you don't plan on killing me, I think I'll be leaving now." she said softly and placed her hands on his arms whose hands were on the walls on either side of her, cornering her. She tried to move them but he wouldn't budge.

"I love you. Don't you love me back?" he inquired, his eyes now resembling a lost puppy.

She started getting irritated now. "No, I don't."

Meanwhile, Sesshomaru leaned against the doorway, his eyes watching the two. It was interesting, really. He didn't know why his insides burned seeing him cornering her like that. They shouldn't. He shouldn't care. 'I should leave right now.' he thought. He stood there doing nothing to prove to himself that he cared not of what happened to her. 'Why should I have to prove anything in the first place.' he began to ponder. He could see the fear in her eyes. It both annoyed and pleased him how feeble she was, yet how strong her spirit was. "Che, humans."

Simultaneously, Kagome hit a revelation in her mind. She was tired of being weak. She was tired of being the stereotypical human Sesshomaru thought all were to be. She would prove him wrong, whether it cost her everything she had or not. She brought up her knee to Kenji's groin and immediately he bent over in pain. She took her chance. In one fluid motion, she shoved him out of the way and flipped all of the blue switches. 'I'm free!' she thought. Though Kenji begged to differ.

For, as soon as Kagome flipped a switch, Kenji got up and flipped it back. He then pushed her aside, now approaching Sesshomaru. "Why. Tell me why you are here."

"I owe you no explanation." replied the Lord sternly.

Kenji only smirked. "You are just as weak as dear Kagome, if not weaker."

"Do not insult my strength, nor my intelligence." Sesshomaru warned lowly.

Kagome stood in a slight stupor. Were they insulting her? They were, weren't they?

"Let's do a little role playing. You be yourself, and I'll be Kagome." Kenji said to Sesshomaru with a wide smile. He cleared his throat, his next words coming in a very high pitched voice. "Oh, demon," he said mockingly, forgetting Sesshomaru's name. "Help me, help me! Save me and love me! Touch me all--" Kenji avoided a punch to his face. "Very nice." he said in his normal tone, though, Kagome couldn't help but notice a hint of a mock-Italian accent.

'He's…He is truly mental!' she thought.

Sesshomaru inwardly cursed himself for his body's actions that he had not consented to. However, when his ears heard the defiling of honor he placed toward the human, his body reacted. 'It is time I finish this and leave.' he thought.

"Oh, thinking of leaving? I can see it in your stoic expression. But, the biggest twist has yet to come! You'll want to stay around for this!" he exclaimed. He started laughing uncontrollably. "I have a heart condition!" he snickered. "I was given an approximate remaining life-span. Do you know when that approximation ended?" he asked, to no one in particular. "Yesterday! They gave me until yesterday to live!" he shouted. "That's why I hooked the bomb to my heart rate, because either way, everyone in this mall will go to Hell with me." he explained. "But…I didn't die yesterday. That is why I know Kagome is my true love. The Heavens have blessed my cursed soul and brought me an angel from above!"

Kagome was…Shocked? Yeah, that was pretty much the description. Shocked.

"Nonsense." came Sesshomaru's voice. "What you speak of is a fairy tale dream of yours. You may have prolonged your life somehow, but I can guarantee you that you will be dead soon, whether it be by my hand or your failing heart."

Kenji frowned. "Fool, you can't kill me. I am immortal! Kagome made me immortal!"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. "You seem to think that just because you have defied the law of Fate and have lengthened your life, as minimal as it may be, that this coincidental, insignificant human is the source. You are a sadly mistaken fool with a mind of a low-level demon not capable of grasping the fact that you are not and will never be immortal. I am immortal. I am all you dream to be. And I did it because I am not as inferior as you are. I didn't do it with the aide of a human, and I didn't do it with the aide of anyone. You however, can only cling on to your selfish dreams and use the weakest excuses for making them a reality, when in fact, they are all in your head. If you have something to contradict my thoughts, then you are truly ignorant and will die ignorant as well. Take the last of your life time and spend it thinking of how you could have achieved something, even as mediocre as you are, and done something productive instead of killing the lives of those who do not matter. You dwell on the lives of others and lean on humans for their support. Then, you claim love to one of them when it is a one-sided, imaginary feeling your psychotic mind has concocted for your beliefs."

Kagome stood dumbfounded. That was the most she, and probably anyone (if they had been there), had ever heard him speak at once. 'He sounded so…Uncaring, yet I'm sure frustration is what caused his monologue…He's so…Intelligent. And despite his appearance, I think he may actually care about what the demon is doing.' she mused.

Sesshomaru's eyes closed as he let his anger radiate off of him in waves. He was tired of this demon's mind games, and how he thought he was superior, and dare he say, special. Kenji was not special. He was just searching for attention. He opened his eyes as he heard winces coming from said demon. Immediately, they opened even wider as he saw Kenji crippling over.

He was having a heart attack.

Immediately Kagome knew what was wrong and instinctively bent down near him, asking him if he was okay. She didn't know why any piece of her would want to save this murderous demon, but she couldn't help but to help him. She saw him finally drop down to the floor completely, not moving a muscle. Her eyes widened in fear.

Without putting much thought into it, Sesshomaru slammed Kagome's body down to the floor and laid on top of her, his tall figure covering hers. His eyes glanced over to Kenji and only a second later, an explosion erupted.

She couldn't see much except for the man on top of her's clothing. Her hands were pushed against her chest from his weight and she subconsciously clutched onto his clothes. There was a ringing in her ears. The loud BOOM had happened, but there was still a wooshing sound from the impact being carried out in waves. Her mind wouldn't allow her to think, and she failed to realize she was holding her breath.

Sesshomaru's Point of View

As I lay on top of her, protecting her body, I started to wonder. I started to scold myself inwardly for even thinking of doing something like this. Here I am, the one who has always said protecting people was not what I did, and I did it. I protected someone. A human girl nonetheless. At that point, I started thinking that maybe she was an exception. Maybe for the first time in my life, I didn't hate a human. In fact, when I started thinking further on the topic, I knew that I didn't hate her. I resented her for the fact that she was able to turn my ways around like she did, but I could tolerate her, to say at the most.

I glanced down at her as the noise of the explosion expired and the flames and objects stopped flying. I stood up and stared around the Security Office that was no more. Small flames rested on broken machinery and the crackle of mechanics could be distinctly heard. I then looked down to the girl at the floor and watched her stand up and brush herself off. She had not a single trace or scent of blood on her. I am in no way a protector, but when I protect, I don't fail. I never fail at anything. Protecting wasn't an exception.

Then I realized what I had just thought. I admitted to myself that I protected her, and the thought didn't make me angry. I felt a warmth in my body never felt before, but I let my years of self-discipline serve as my aide in showing no emotion. I now knew what she was to me. I now knew what this human was to me. She was a friend.

Normal Point of View

Kagome didn't see any of Kenji's remains, which worried her. 'What if he escaped?'

And somehow, as if reading her thoughts, Sesshomaru answered her. "He is dead." For the stench was unmistakable. And now what? Now it was his time to leave. "Fare well then." he said and walked through the broken wall. Though, he knew, as smart as he was, he would see her again. He had just admitted that she was a friend. However, he also knew she would say something before he left, so why become all sentimental and tell her that she was the first person he allowed to be his friend?

"Wait!" Kagome yelled, approaching him and proving his assumption correct. "Thank you." she said kindly and ran to catch up with him. "You have to let me buy you dinner or something…As thanks." she said with a smile, looking up at him.

Sesshomaru stared toward the broken glass windows and doors of the mall. He could hear the ambulance sirens running wild. "No." he replied coldly and began walking.

Kagome frowned. She had thought that he wasn't after all heartless, but maybe she was wrong.

"However," he said, still walking toward the exit. "Meet me at the café across the street tomorrow at noon, for lunch."

Kagome smiled and nodded. Now she had to go home and tell her family she was alright.

"It's as if…No one cares."

Kenji's voice rang in her head. 'Why hadn't they said anything?' she wondered. Was it true? Did they…No, they cared. She was sure of it. She had the most caring mother and brother -- though annoying -- anyone could have. She walked out shortly after Sesshomaru and headed home.

In the Shikon Mall, within the newly destroyed bathroom, mechanical parts buzzed. "Whit-a--wha ninty haven true mingle and start chips for bird fellow plane." it said in a mechanical voice, then loud and high pitched noises were made. "Kgmay. Kuhh go mayy. Kago-may. Kagome." it sounded.

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Author's Note: Eh heh heh heh. I know, I'm bad. I hope you all got the last part, I tried to make it seem all subtle without over explaining it like some authors do. Ah well, I love you all! Sorry for the long wait everyone, but my internet has been down for weeks! And for those who are reading my other stories, please be patient, I'll have new chapters up soon hopefully.

Next chapter: The lunch between Sesshomaru and Kagome goes…Pretty well, until, that is, someone they thought -- they knew -- wasn't there…Was there.

Sorry for the shortness of this chapter! I'll make it super long next time if you gimme some good feedback. Love you guys dearly :D -Ami