Disclaimer: My claim to Inuyasha is as strong as my claim to being Prince William's fiancé…oh wait…they're nonexistent.
Summary: When her boyfriend and best friend, Inuyasha, dumps her for her cousin, college student Kagome ends up kicking a can in her fury. The little can accidentally damages the car of the rich businessman Sesshomaru. In order to pay him back she must spend 25 days basically as his slave! Sesshomaru could get his car fixed without even scratching his wallet, so is there something up his sleeve?
A.N. Also, I made it T just in case….seeing all these great authors get the work erased and etc…scared me!
Thanks for reviewing: Celestial Fox, Ayjah, Kaichai, raine84, Minbong's babe, Angel Flame-Mary, neferseba, shinchansgirl, Foxykirby, Tamiri-chan, Mirei Nochi, ShindyNova, Unicorn'sWhisper, shatterdheart, Mori'quessir, Leunra, Morning-SunRize, SaturnNeko, renyun, Lady-Crymsyn, SilverPhoenix21, kari konoko, Sessys-matelove, hgf, Roses Petal, S T I L L, shakiya, Myztical Star, iLuvJaeWon, DarkNeko17, RuBiAx, chibi-koinu, Yanee, RED DAY, abc, Purotekuta-Shikon no Tama, Fantasies, animedorkette, PegasusRider, rocka, j.b Raven, moonlightassassin, marianne, honey-gurl808, Jade Catseye, Cute and Fluffy, Red Satin and Black Silk, azn-modern-miko, fluffy-sama's worshiper, death-resurrected, SweetyDream, ChaosKree8er, CrystallineLily (2x), cocovanilla, chibiNeko192, Ice-Spirit Phoenix, angelmaiden, Charms, Inuyasha5225, Spirit-Hunter, cloudiies, hmm, Golden-Eyed-Girl, Sangfroid, Reader not Reviewer, AKA Hummer, Massao-na-Mizu, Rhea9, Jazze Pha, shadows-insanity, ashley41791, Psycho-Playgirl, Mikazuki Tsuki, nEeLLoC kitsunelover25, fluffy li, Yujin-chan aka Neko Megami, inufairy77, NefariousAngel, Angel-Star-100, Gopher2806, lifelessemerald, chisaineko311, Kagamoesiun, Peach-Girl1, PurityFlower1989, Sintar, Krazee-Reader, MizzKizara, Chibi Horsewoman, Jessi Tsuki, Mistress Chocolate, ANGEL SANCUARY, Sesshomaru v.s Inuyasha, Blue-Grey Storm, Lady Kogawolf, Bubblesbb03, Purely Mistake, she who is nameless, Lady Psyche, teenagetomboy69, Arisa Sohma, YoukaiBaka, loverofSesshomaru, wanderingdragon, ya1ya, INUGIRL, Black Cello, vixenia, bringme2lyfe, rira-chan, mizushoubai, Lonewolf-chica, Sango the Lecher Slayer, Strawberry'd, StarsofMidn ight, Xx-Ash-xX, Eternalhappiness, InnocentDarkSassyCat, CrystalTearsoftheMoon, Jade the Fairyness, windgal, hellspixie18, xx hidden kitten xx, merls, Anbu Faia, chair-chan, Shanghai Honey, flutist726, tuffyluffy, Night Sins, mimblemimblesmirch, sabrinaw and smilygal.
Celestial Fox- Tea parties? I would have thrown the pen out the window, and then jumped out after it! No wonder you tried to imitate a phone ring…
raine84- Are Sesshomaru and Inuyasha related? Hmm…I dunno…I'll have to consult my muse about that, oh wait a second…wait a second…I don't have a muse! So I guess you'll just have to wait and see!
Minbong's babe- No, it really wasn't supposed to be…from the people who have seen it, the similarities apparently ended halfway through the first chapter. Glad you enjoyed.
Angel Flame-Mary- I update when the chapter satisfies me…I try not to take longer than two months-ish…Don't worry, I'll never quit on this story! Not with all the fans…all for the fans I tell you, all for the fans, hence why I gladly take the time to state everyone's names and reply to certain ones. Oh and don't worry…this will be romantic…somewhat…sooner or later…
Foxykirby- I made you cry? No…you're making me cry.
Mirei Nochi- Thank you and thank you! You liked all the crucial parts! I have such smart reviewers! Yes…what will become of Inuyasha and Kagome? And of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha…hmmm…. I'm glad you found it all funny! I live to make others laugh.
ShindyNova- Yes…that is the reason for their celebration. By the way…I love your fic, 'Can't Buy My Love.'
Mori'quessir- I like the whole 'Cow-go-me' thing too.
Leunra- Thank you. I totally know what commercial you're talking about!
Roses Petal- I'm sorry too… No… thank YOU for being such an awesome and faithful reviewer! Yeah…Sesshomaru is…isn't he? Ah, thank you, I've always liked Kagura, just not as Sesshomaru's lover or something like that…that spot is totally for Kagome. Rin and Kagome will work wonders on him I'm sure!
Dark Neko17- Is that another way of telling me that I need to update faster?
RuBiAx- Thank you for your good wishes for this fic. In all honesty, I don't think it's going to win any of the categories…it's up against some of my favorite fics!
Purotekuta-Shikon no Tama- I have to say your review was one of the nicest and perhaps one of my most favorite of all the reviews I have ever gotten. I personally can't comprehend why people like it so much. I'm glad you think that all of the characters are in character…the whole best for last thing made my face pretty much split in half from this big smile…and best humor/romance fic in history? You are too cool to be real!
Fantasies- And I was worried that this chapter was going to be the least funniest. And a million thank you's!
j.b Raven- I have to agree…unfortunately, Sesshomaru is too… 'unearthly' to get wedgies…dang…
marianne- Thank you so much! Don't worry, I will never abandon y'all.
honey-gurl808- I'm glad you liked the phone call conversation with Kagura.
Cute and Fluffy- Your review meant a lot to me considering that you 'hate' Sess/Kago pairing…perhaps you will keep reading and become a convert? Glad you liked all those 'one-liners.' Yes! Yes! I hate 'perfect' Kagomes too… I liked your long review, so no problems there…and yeah, when I look at my review count…I still have to put on my glasses…just to make sure.
Red Satin and Black Silk- Questions, questions…patience grasshopper…
ChaosKree8er- 00
CrystallineLily- Oops…in the middle of class? I got to put another disclaimer here making all lawsuits concerning students getting in trouble because they got overexcited about this fic being updated VOID! Hmph, you obviously need new friends, friends who are smart and know that Kagome and Sesshomaru belong together. And corrupting them? No! You are helping them see the light. There is a difference; corruption would be like making them Miroku/Kagome or Sesshomaru/Kagura pairing fans…that would be not only corruption but an unforgivable sin! Two reviews from you! Must be my lucky day! (No sarcasm, seriously!) Cow-go-me…yeah, perhaps in the next chapter Sesshomaru will turn Kagome into another Jakken…oops…shouldn't have said that out loud. Believe me, I failed my SATs...
chibiNeko192- Heh, heh. Yes, I did some of my research for Sesshomaru's wardrobe by reading YM Magazine…I'm so efficient! Lol. Oh the dying cow thing…yes…I actually had a different version of that scene…but the whole 'cow' and 'Cow-go-me' thing occurred to me afterwards, so I went back and modified everything for that. Kagura… doesn't like those girls who work for Sesshomaru who convince themselves that they're 'with' him you know…so yeah. Thank you and Congratulations on your incredible luck! 100 on a MATH MIDTERM! Please let some of your luck rub off on me! The only Kagome/Sesshomaru fanfic that you have ever read and really enjoyed eh? I am honored, I really, truly am.
Sangfroid- I know…it sucks when your fic is nominated for Best AU and Best Romance/Fluff... -- You voted for me! Thank you so much! Oh yeah, how come the 'percent' marks showed up in your review, but not in my fic? I know that everyone in the world is plotting and conspiring against me… Ooh, you were the only one who got the 'Cliché' thing, congratulations! Thank you, I try hard to keep Sango in character, a lot of stories I notice that they may keep the 'main characters' in character, but they sort of make the other characters OOC. Ah right, you go ahead and do that Mabelle.
Reader not Reviewer- Last time I checked I accept anonymous reviews…definitely just you.
AKA Hummer- Hey now, Kagome's not clumsy…or erm, 'fluffy' in the head…she's just…not ballerina-esque…and yeah, Sesshomaru is great. -- You better be telling the truth or else I will somehow find out whatever was said…and punish you accordingly. Eh…I don't think I was nominated for Humor/Parody though…hopefully you voted for me in the other categories though? Just A Starving Writer is one of my favorite authors!
Massao-no-Mizu- You're hooked eh? I wonder if I can take over the world via writing 'mesmerizing' fanfic…maybe I should give it a whirl… I'm so glad you like my fanfic, now go and kidnap Rumiko Takahashi for me…
Jazze Pha- Thank you (x infinity)!
Psycho-PlayGirl- How come everyone thinks that long reviews annoy me? I love them! Sure…they take a while to read, but if they're chockfull of compliments…I'm not complaining! Anyways, I can't wait for all those parts either.
kitsunelover25- Wow…I know what it's like to be sleep deprived, and I am very touched and honored that you would use that precious time to read my work…I'm tearing up…
Yujin-chan aka Neko Megami- You know it's funny how the 'plot' unfolds. I get weird and random inspirations and ideas at odd hours…so I wake up, and write them down.
inufairy77- You do! You are now my new 'publicist manager.' Like the fancy title? I can add some H.F (Huge Fan) thing too…H.F. Publicist Manager Inufairy77…
chisaineko311- I love it when people tell me I portray the characters' personalities well because I try really hard to do that. Personally I don't like it when the characters are OOC.
Sintar- On the note of OOC characters…except for yours! I think it's because you're a really good writer. Your fic is the first fic I have ever read that has OOC characters yet written in so eloquently. Quite rare because usually OOC fics are written really really poorly…yours proved otherwise.
Chibi Horsewoman- You decided to read this story! Outback? Since when did Sesshomaru have an Outback? Yes…he is anal, very anal. Heh, heh, heh. I knew this would be a good way to take over the world. Get people to read my fanfics…and somehow brainwash them, and turn them into minions. See? It has begun its effects on you. I like it when people who usually don't like Sess/Kagome say they are starting to because of this fic… I don't think that Sesshomaru will ever really not be 'Mr. Anal Retentive and Mr. Obsessive Compulsive.'
Lady Kogawolf- You really think I have a talent for comedy? Thanks.
Bubblesbb03- Ok…how do I break this to you…you still have it wrong…I updated last in April…May 7 was the last time I updated my profile thing…Heh…Well…you've proven your point at least.
she who is nameless- Clearly the most creative and one of the most amusing reviews ever. Your review made me get up and off my butt, and start compiling together the following chapter. I can't think up a rhyming response….
Black Cello- Whoa…I do… faints
Lonewolf-chica- I would have to agree. Romantic Comedies are the best.
Strawberry'd- You noticed! I'm trying to make things realistic…I don't think Sesshomaru would be the sort to rush out and shower Kagome with gifts… I don't think anyone but Kouga would. I'm glad to caught onto the small and seemingly insignificant things that Sesshomaru does…I think that that's more of his style.
Eternalhappiness- Yes! Another one! I love it when Inuyasha/Kagome shippers read my fic and decide that they will make an exception. cheers You are awesome!
merls- Hopefully you feel special that I used your last name?
chair-chan- Thank you so much for review. It was honestly a really great review, and it made me smile…a lot. Let's just hope I do half as well on my SATs as I supposedly do on my writing!
mimblesmimblesmirch-Ah, you wish to write like me! I might swoon…if I was the swooning sort that is… Nooo, you did not sound like a teacher. I haven't had a teacher who's ever given me a compliment like that before!
Day 3: Sesshomaru's Sidekick
Kagome struggled to stay awake. Her eyelids felt heavy…as if quarters were taped to them. It was so hard to keep them open… She blinked as she tried to wake herself up, and stared down at the paper in front of her. She had not gotten enough sleep last night. Definitely not enough. If she had gotten enough sleep her vision wouldn't be blurring like it was right now… She was having difficulty making out whatever was on the paper in front of her. It was a quiz…of what she wasn't quite sure because when her left eye drooped closed, the black figures looked like numbers. But when her right eye drooped closed, the black figures looked like words.
She forced her eyes open and rubbed at them, but the haze did not disappear. She tried to remember what day it was. It was Tuesday…yes…Tuesday…that meant she only had two classes today…right? Kagome took five classes as a Senior at Tokyo University. For what she wanted to be, she really didn't need to take too many classes. She had dreams of becoming a novelist…a writer… Classes merely stifled her creativity. Sango on the other hand, in addition to all of her extra curricular activities took seven classes. Sango had more than enough credits for her and Kagome to graduate.
Kagome tried to focus.
It wasn't working.
She finally decided that she was in her Japanese Literature Class. She idly looked around the classroom, as she struggled to keep her head up. If this was Japanese Literature…then why were there maps on the wall? Before she bombed this test due to sleepiness, she decided to get up and out of her desk. She stumbled over to the teacher's desk, the walking waking her up slightly. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to make out who the teacher was. A woman. Ah of course, it was Mrs. Akaoka. Then this meant that she was in her Modern Japanese History class.
"Mrs. Akaoka…may I please go to the restroom?" Kagome asked, her own voice sounding harsh, loud and distant to her own ears.
"In the middle of a quiz?"
"I…don't feel so…good." Kagome mumbled, unable to make a coherent sentence.
Mrs. Akaoka, a fairly young and recently married woman looked up from her desk to take a good look at Kagome. Being fashionable, her hair was dyed brown, a common trend in Japan nowadays. She had beautiful porcelain skin, and cheeks that were tinged a light pink. She was as kind as she was pretty. Mrs. Akaoka looked at Kagome. The poor girl looked like she was about to topple over from exhaustion, and after seeing her get hauled off yesterday by the one and only Sesshomaru Arishima, she was sure that Kagome had quite a handful on her hands. Besides, Kagome wasn't a troublemaker at all…at least not usually. There had been that one incident involving paper airplanes… "Go ahead," she told Kagome with a small smile.
Kagome thanked her teacher the best way a half-asleep-person could and began to exit the room. But Kagome being so tired had trouble distinguishing the shiny white Expo board from the open doorway. Kagome stood there for a few moments staring at the white Expo board, and then staring at the doorway. A look of concentration crossed her face, and was replaced with one of triumph as she finally chose the doorway. The class erupted into laughter as Kagome seemed oblivious. Mrs. Akaoka shook her head, and looked down at her desk as to hide her smile.
Kagome wasn't quite sure how she managed to find her way to the bathroom in the disoriented state she was in; she was glad that she did. "Thank Kami," she said as she made her way to a sink. Walking had helped her wake her up somewhat, not a lot, but her vision was clearer although her mind was still fogged up a bit. She looked into the mirror. She was a wreck. She was pretty sure she had dark circles under her eyes. She had been furious when she got inside the apartment last night, and even angrier when she realized that she had thrown a steak at Sesshomaru's car. She should have known better…she had horrible aim. Besides, that hadn't been just any steak, it had been a filet mignon…
After Sango calmed her down and convinced her that there were more tragic things than wasted steaks, she realized she had to catch up on Math and Science homework. Sango being the kind soul she was, had let Kagome copy the math homework after trying to explain the basic concepts to Kagome. Kagome had managed to understand half of the material and promised Sango she would work on it with her tomorrow. That was only because she had to get moving. She had had several chapters of Japanese History to read too. Unfortunately for her, Sango wasn't in that class.
Not only did Sango know everything about Japanese History, she was currently taking American history and American Literature. Sango spoke three languages as well: Japanese, English and Korean. Kagome couldn't even speak Japanese properly. She sighed at her reflection in the mirror and violently splashed her face with water. Water got all over the sink, floor, mirror…and herself. She blinked as she began to awaken. "Ugh…seven hours of sleep is not enough," she griped as she dabbed her face dry with a piece of paper towel.
Her vision cleared up considerably, and she was able to see herself more clearly. She almost wished she was still half blind. Her clothes were wet all over now. She wore a simple gray t-shirt and simple blue jeans. She had been too tired to dress any nicer. She ran her fingers through her hair to get rid of some of the frizziness, but it didn't help much. She made it out of the bathroom safely, and walked down the hallways of her University at a leisurely pace. She had all the time in the world...
Kagome came to a halt. Hadn't she been taking a quiz? She couldn't recall what it was about either. She groaned, and picked up her pace. She hurried to her classroom, and made a beeline to her desk. When she sat down she wished that she had considered just staying in the bathroom, 'sick.' Discuss in about one paragraph one reason that Japan went from isolation to opening up to the Western World. Kagome blinked. Maybe she should come back to that one later. She took a stab at some multiple-choice questions, and some fill-in-the-blanks, but she eventually had to come back to the one paragraph response.
She began to tug at a strand of her hair. Her anxiety level was rapidly increasing…as well as the strength of the pull she was putting on her hair. Frustrated she gave her hair a good hard yank and yelped. Everyone, including Mrs. Akaoka looked at her. She sheepishly and silently turned back to her paper, her mind and focus on anywhere and anything besides the 'short answer' question. 'A paragraph is not a short answer.' she reasoned. 'Short answer is more like one or two sentences or something like that.' As she silently debated within the confines of her mind the contradiction in labeling a paragraph answer as 'short answer,' she then realized that it was almost noon. Almost noon…then that meant…that Sesshomaru would come and save her! She didn't think it was possible to for her to be excited to see Sesshomaru the Arrogant Prick…but it was. She then kicked back and relaxed in her seat, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Sesshomaru was the punctual kind of person, the kind of person who was never late so that would mean that he would come before she would have to turn in her quiz…darn.
She glanced at the clock again. It was noon now. She looked at the door. He should be coming in any second now…any second…any second…about….almost…now… Kagome glared at the empty doorway. Sesshomaru wasn't there like he was supposed to be. She looked at the clock again. It was a minute past noon. Maybe Sesshomaru had gotten a last minute phone call that he just had to pick up and answer. She forced herself to relax. He'd come. She was beginning to sweat now. It was five minutes past noon. 'He probably got stuck in traffic or something,' Kagome assured herself. 'Everyone gets stuck in traffic.' Although she did have a feeling that Sesshomaru considered himself above such petty situations. He probably called some helicopter service and they came and picked him up from wherever he was stuck in traffic.
He'd probably call for two helicopters.
She doubted that he would have the heart to leave his car behind.
Kagome began to bite her lip nervously. The bell was going to ring any second now, ending her hour long history class…and Sesshomaru still wasn't here. The only valid explanation for his tardiness would have to be that he was lying dead on the side of the road somewhere. It was a somewhat comforting thought. If he was dead then she technically didn't owe him any more money, and you couldn't very well work for a dead guy. The bell rang. Kagome was going to cry. She hoped that Sesshomaru really was dead, and if he wasn't, he would sure as hell wish he were because if she ever saw his sorry hide ever again….he would…well, he would be sorry. She almost laughed at the thought of Sesshomaru being sorry… He had made her fail the history quiz that she had forgotten about and hadn't studied for.
He was a cruel and heartless man.
Most of the students had finished her 'quizzes,' by this time, and had left the classroom. Others quickly finished their thoughts, and turned theirs in…Kagome on the other hand….
"Kagome, please turn in your quiz." came Mrs. Akaoaka's voice.
"I'm almost done!" Kagome called back.
"You said that ten minutes ago Kagome. You're cutting into my break time. If you don't turn it in now, I'll have to mark you ten percent." Mrs. Akaoka warned.
"I know, I know." Kagome muttered. "Alright, I'm alm-" Kagome's pencil slipped, marking a dark line all the way down the rest of her quiz. "What the!" She knew she was clumsy, but she wasn't that clumsy. Now her quiz was ruined…
"It is rude to disrespect your teachers," chided a reprimanding voice.
Kagome didn't want to look up as a dark shadow and her quiz loomed over her. She inhaled Sesshomaru's cologne. She could probably smell him from a mile away, when she wasn't busy. "Don't patronize me," Kagome snapped, trying to grab her paper from him, but he jerked it up a little higher, and just a little more out of her reach. "That's my quiz!" Kagome said loudly, obviously irritated. It didn't happen very often, as Kagome made sure she got enough sleep, but on rare occasions she could become very…unpleasant. Kagome got up and out of her seat, and jumped up for her test. She missed. "Stop moving it," Kagome commanded.
Mrs. Akaoka watched the scene before her. She wasn't sure whether to stop the madness or to laugh. Kagome reminded her of a cat, and Sesshomaru reminded her of someone mocking and tantalizing the cat with a fish. She settled back into her seat, this might take a while.
"I mean it!" Kagome shouted as she jumped up for her test again.
"Another empty threat?" Sesshomaru asked as he yanked it out of her reach…again.
"They are not empty!" she protested.
"Your head most certainly is." Sesshomaru said, his voice monotone and a bored expression on his face.
"Whatever, stop moving…did you just call me stupid?" Kagome demanded as she stopped mid-jump. She glared up at Sesshomaru, her hands on her hips.
"I said nothing of the sort." he insisted with indifference.
"Liar." Kagome said venomously, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"I beg to differ. I am actually a man of integrity, dignity and-" Sesshomaru began.
"I don't care. Give me back my quiz!" Kagome interrupted.
"You are quite disrespectful. First you disobey your teacher, and now your interrupt me when I am speaking. Did you not learn to listen to your elders?"
"Of course I do!" Kagome snapped. "You better give me back my quiz, or else…"
"Make another dent in another one of my cars?" Sesshomaru suggested somberly, his eyes betraying not even the slightest hint of amusement, and his lips set in a thin and grim line.
"NO," Kagome said with a scowl. She then crossed her hands over her chest as a sly look lit her eyes. "You know, that reminds me. I thought you were a man of impeccable timing."
"I am a man of impeccable timing." Sesshomaru agreed.
"It's like twenty past noon!" Kagome pointed out.
"Yes well, I could not bear the thought of taking you away in the middle of a quiz." Sesshomaru explained. "That would be…quite rude of me."
Kagome was about to say that she had been counting on him to show up so that she wouldn't have to finish her quiz when she realized that Mrs. Akaoka was still there. "Well, I'd like my quiz back now." she said, trying to sound calm and composed.
Sesshomaru merely gave her a scrutinizing look.
"Fine, you can have my quiz…old man." Kagome grumbled.
Sesshomaru looked murderous. "I am not an old man…you child."
Kagome's jaw dropped open. Not because Sesshomaru had actually responded in such a manner, but because he had called her a child. "I am not a child!" Kagome retorted. "I am a young woman." she sniffed.
"You could have fooled me," Sesshomaru said as he looked off in another direction.
Kagome glared up at him indignantly. "I'm 22! Hardly a child." She didn't even care about her quiz as it came fluttering down to her. Instead she smacked it aside, leaving Mrs. Akaoka to quietly come over to pick it up. Mrs. Akaoka then slipped out of the classroom. This…little quarrel wasn't going to end anytime soon. As Sesshomaru stood aloof, appearing to study one of the maps on the wall, Kagome red in the face glowered at him until she had a mental picture of him looking like Swiss cheese from all of the bullet holes. Then a rather evil smirk crossed her face as she casually strutted up to Sesshomaru. "Have you been to the store lately? I hear they give senior discounts."
"I told you I was sorry!"
"If you knew what was best for you, you would silence yourself." Sesshomaru
said sharply.
"It was a joke." Kagome pleaded.
"You have a poor sense of humor." Sesshomaru told her.
Kagome snorted. Talk about sense of humor…she may not be good at comedy, but at least she had a sense of humor. She was about tell him that, but thought better of it. Because of her big mouth, they were headed to his office…again. She pressed her forehead against the cool glass of the window.
"Remove your forehead from my window." Sesshomaru ordered her.
"Do you have to make everything so darn unpleasant?" Kagome complained as she reluctantly sat back in her seat.
Sesshomaru didn't answer.
She took that as a 'yes.' She sighed loudly, at least he admitted it. She settled for looking out the window, although it was kind of hard to see due to his tinted windows. The silence was unbearable. Kagome looked around the car until her eyes spotted the car stereo. She silently read all of the buttons. 12 disc changer…Satellite Radio…he had definitely wasted a ton on money on this. She bet that he didn't even use it. Her hand slowly inched towards the stylish black button that said 'Power' on it with small white letters. Sesshomaru continued looking straight ahead, unaware of the impending danger… She pressed it, and quickly snapped her hand back as if to make it appear that the stereo had a mind of its own. Almost immediately the loud and blaring voice of a talk show host surrounded Kagome and Sesshomaru. "What the heck do you listen to?" Kagome asked disgustedly as she quickly pressed the FM/AM button.
Sesshomaru glared at her. "Turn it off."
"I mean seriously, you have a really nice stereo, and you don't even use it right." Kagome huffed. She then began fiddling with the Tuner until she found a station playing music that she liked. She started to hum along when all of the sudden the music stopped. Kagome looked at Sesshomaru, appalled. "That was AI!" she exclaimed.
"That was horrendous."
"You have no taste in music." Kagome shot.
"I believe it is the other way around," Sesshomaru retorted casually, "While you listen to artists who have no talent, I listen to classical music, jazz-"
"BORING." Kagome interceded.
"You dare to interrupt me?" Sesshomaru asked giving her a cold and calculating look.
"No…" Kagome squeaked.
"I expect you to remain silent until we reach our destination."
Kagome nodded. She slumped in her seat and sighed loudly, earning her another frigid glare from the Ice Prince himself. She rolled her eyes, and stared at the insignia on the dashboard. He really thought too highly of himself. She thought of ways to hurt and wound his pride, but instead, fell asleep.
Sesshomaru sneaked a glance at Kagome. She appeared to be asleep. Actually, it was quite obvious as she emitted a light snoring sound as she slumbered. How undignified… She was an enigma to him. He had met women who threw themselves at him, women who hated him, women who couldn't care less about him, women who drooled over him, women who stole things from him, women who were convinced they were soul mates, women who were scared of him and then there was Kagome. She didn't fit into any of the categories. There were times when it was obvious that she loathed him and perhaps even his parents for conceiving him, and there were times when she treated him almost as if she liked him. There were even times where she seemed to be frightened of him, and times when it was apparent that she considered him to be mentally unstable. Sesshomaru was a genius, he really was, but when it came to Kagome…he was totally clueless.
He hated not knowing things.
His life was routine. If anything was not perfect and even just slightly different from the usual then his mood always darkened and soured, and people who knew better than to let things be, scurried to right things. His schedule was almost always the same.
-He woke up promptly at 6 am every morning, took a shower, had Japanese styled breakfasts of rice and soup every Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and American styled breakfasts of toast, egg and sausage on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
-Got to work by 7 am…no matter what.
-Had someone bring him a cup of warm coffee, no matter what the weather, by 7:15 am.
-From 7:15 am to 10:15 am, he took no phone calls and reviewed all contracts, potential companies to merge with, current stocks and net income for each branch of his business empire. No one dared bother him for those three hours. If they did, there was always hell to pay.
-He checked his emails and faxed things from 10:15 am to 11:15 am.
-He then composed any business related letters from 11:15 am to 1:00 pm.
-He then had lunch.
Either he had someone go get some for him, or he went out for a bit. By 1:45 pm, there had better be an ice cold Almond Mocha on his desk or someone would lose their job.
-Any conferences he had went from 2:00 pm-6:00 pm. He would never have it another way. People scheduled things to fit his, not the other way around. If the conference hadn't come to a close by 6 pm, then it would continue tomorrow during the same time segment.
-He finished up any unfinished business from 6:10 pm to 8:00 pm.
-He got home by 8:30 pm.
-Had dinner by himself at 9:00 pm while reading the newspaper.
-Made sure Rin was in bed by 9:30 pm.
-Worked some more until midnight.
Saturdays and Sundays were slightly different and they fluctuated and varied with whatever was needed to be done. That Saturday he had had dinner with an old business partner, for purely business related reasons. The man was planning to retire soon, and Sesshomaru was going to make sure that he was the one who bought out the man's company. He had been in a fairly good mood…at least in as good of a mood as he was capable of when he saw her in front of his car. He was the observant sort of man, and immediately noticed the dent in his Escalade. She had messed up his normal everyday routines, and fixing it didn't seem to be possible…at least not anymore.
What infuriated him most though was how he wasn't as angry at Kagome as he should be. And Kagome thought that she was going to have a rough month. He was a professional business man for goodness sakes…having everything in order was key. His mood was often fouled for the rest of the day when he found a single wrinkle in his pristine business suits. Sesshomaru tolerated very little. Yet he let this slip of a girl come in and wreck his whole orderly system. She had absolutely ruined his Monday, and it would take weeks to right things again. She was ruining his Tuesday too. He should just fire her, and forget about the whole contract. He didn't really need her to pay him back. An almost twisted like smile crossed his lips, but he did love torturing the girl.
Sesshomaru changed lanes and drove into the parking lot. He parked in his usual spot, and looked over at Kagome. She was still sound asleep. "Wake up." he ordered.
Nothing.
"I will make you wash my cars everyday for the next 22 days if you do not wake up this instant." He waited for her to snap awake, but she didn't. He wondered how late she had stayed up last night. He thought about poking her, but that was so…undignified. That and his hand would probably begin to mottle purple, rot and fall off from the contact. He needed and preferred both of his hands thank you very much. He then had an idea.
The parking lot of his main office building was vast and currently empty. It was supposed to be like this at this time though, as everyone should be inside being productive. He reversed out of his special parking spot, shifted the car back into four wheel drive and stepped on the gas pedal. The needle of the speedometer shot forward, and made its way to 60. Then Sesshomaru slammed on the brakes. He had been prepared for the jarring impact of such a sudden stop and had his back pressed firmly against his black leather seat. Kagome on the other hand hadn't been aware of it, and unceremoniously lurched forward. Her seatbelt kept her in her seat for the most part, but her head reeled forward and hit the dashboard with a loud thunk.
Kagome had been having a wonderful dream. No crazy zombie cars chased her and she wasn't in math class. Instead she was at the park, lounging around, basking in the sunlight. She was in a beautiful flowy white dress, her hair was perfect and her skin was flawless. All she needed now was a halo and a pair of wings. Then…a beautiful man with long silvery hair and amber eyes came walking towards her, holding two bottles of water in one hand and two beautifully made sandwiches in the other. "I thought you might be hungry." he said in his silky smooth and manly voice.
"Oh Sesshomaru you're so thoughtful." Kagome replied sweetly as she batted her eyelashes at him.
"Anything for you my love." He then sat down next to her, and leaned towards her. His lips getting closer and closer…
Kagome woke up with a groan. She opened her eyes and found herself going cross-eyed from staring at Sesshomaru's special little insignia. Her forehead hummed with pain. She dizzily lifted her head from…Sesshomaru's dashboard. She narrowed her eyes as she tried to focus her vision, but it didn't help much. She glanced over at Sesshomaru who seemed to be just fine. It was then she saw his long silvery colored hair. Her eyes widened. He had long silvery hair…just like the guy in her dream… She shook her head. No, no, no. That was a nightmare. Definitely not a dream. She cringed. She had just had a nightmare about Sesshomaru! She was spending too much time with him…and when she wasn't with him, he often consumed her thoughts…which were laden with hate, but she thought of him all the same. She was probably going mental or something… "Stop staring at me."
She rolled her eyes. "I'll stare at you all I want." she retorted hotly.
"It is a pity that you did not hit your head harder." Sesshomaru commented airily as he reversed the car back into its special spot.
"I needed those brain cells. It was really rude of you to kill them." Kagome added.
"How could I kill something that didn't exist?" Sesshomaru queried.
Kagome scowled. "You're such a jerk. You think you're all high and mighty and superior when you're not. You're just arrogant. What makes you think you're so elite anyways?"
"I feel superior because unlike you I have reason to feel superior."
Kagome opened her mouth to say something witty back at him, but no words came out. Sesshomaru glanced at her before he got out of his car. Her jaw dropped open. Kagome could have sworn that she saw the corner of his lips twitch upwards…
"I expect lunch to be on my desk by…"
"What do you want?" Kagome interrupted smoothly as she looked around Sesshomaru's vast office. His office away from home was bigger than the apartment she shared with Sango.
"That is for you to figure out." Sesshomaru told her, obviously displeased at the interruption. Kagome was the only person to ever dare to interrupt him. Even Rin didn't interrupt him, and Rin was a mere child. He wondered what Kagome's IQ was.
"Well sorry for caring." Kagome snapped back, apparently hurt. "I asked you just in case you were allergic to something because I don't want your tongue to suddenly start swelling up because I fed you something that you were highly allergic to. Because then you would choke on your overly large and swollen tongue, and die before the paramedics arrive!" Kagome said, practically shouting.
"I am not allergic to anything." Sesshomaru muttered, his voice pitch lower than usual, indifferent to Kagome's passionate and heartfelt monologue.
Kagome huffed and left his office. After asking five different people and one person twice, she finally found herself outside. "Hmm…I wonder what arrogant pigs eat…"
"I'm back!" Kagome called in a sing-song voice.
Sesshomaru suppressed a groan, and stopped himself from fleeing in terror. "You're three minutes late."
"I know." Kagome replied good-naturedly. "I was having trouble turning off the stove." she explained.
Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. What had she been doing in the kitchen? He wondered if half of the building had gone up in flames… He dearly hoped that she hadn't tried to cook him something. He really didn't like diarrhea. Kagome had a large and proud grin on her face. She was obviously satisfied with her choice of lunch…whatever it was. She set a steaming cup of ramen on his desk. Sesshomaru looked at the cup of ramen.
Was she joking?
She better be.
He did not eat ramen.
He ate the finer things in life.
Besides, she couldn't really expect him to consume that…cup of toxic chemicals…
"What? Never seen a cup of ramen before?" Kagome asked laughing. Going out into the bustling streets of Tokyo had put Kagome in a good mood. She set her cup of noodles on a stack of Sesshomaru's papers and then pulled up one of the chairs closer to the desk. She then produced two pairs of chopsticks and tossed one to Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru neatly caught them and watched Kagome slip the paper off of hers and break them apart. He looked down at his chopsticks, rather expectantly as if waiting for them break apart on their own. Kagome let out a loud "Mmm" and grabbed a chopstick full of noodles. She blew on the noodles to make them cool down, and shoved the whole mass into her mouth. She furrowed her eyebrows as she saw that Sesshomaru had yet to touch his noodles. She quickly swallowed…barely even chewing to Sesshomaru's disgust, and jabbed the air with her chopsticks.
"It's the best ramen around. I eat it all the time even though my roommate Sango who's kind of health freak says that it's full of chemical waste." Kagome paused to shovel another mess of noodles into her mouth. She began to chew and speak at the same time, "But I really couldn't care less. I mean so what? It tastes good and that's all that should matter." Kagome paused again as she swallowed. "And the best thing is that this ramen was on sale today!"
Sesshomaru wanted to bang his head against the desk…almost. He'd rather strangle Kagome. He remained motionless and silent. "Yup! Two for 80 cents! I'd say quite the bargain eh? Well, eat up!" Sesshomaru blinked, a look of bored disbelief on his face.
Wonderful… He was being fed a 40-cent cup of ramen. He was about to eat a single strand of noodle when he heard a rather disgusting slurping sound. He looked at Kagome who seemed unaware of the chilling look she was being given. Not only was the sound she was making extremely disturbing and making him lose his appetite, but she was spraying that vile soup all over his papers with her horrendous eating habit.
His papers…
"I will chain you to the chair if I must."
"Can't I just finish my ramen first?" Kagome pleaded, trying rather lamely to bat her eyelashes and to look innocent.
"No, and I suggest you see a doctor." Kagome raised an eyebrow at Sesshomaru's comment. "Your eyes keep twitching, and it is most unattractive." Kagome was tempted to bang her head against the computer screen. She wanted to ask Sesshomaru what gave him the right to call her ugly when she remembered seeing that magazine cover with his face on it, proclaiming him the 'Hottest Man Alive.' She really didn't see how anyone could think that he was even decent looking, let alone the hottest man alive. Seriously. The people who decided that were either all old ladies who had mistaken him for a fellow 'old timer' or they were all blind…or they were all men- gay men. She almost snickered at the thought. It was then it struck her.
She had had a dream earlier…in Sesshomaru's car…about Sesshomaru.
She was starting to feel sick.
"Have you heard a single word I have said?" came Sesshomaru's voice sharply.
Kagome blinked, finally roused from her stupor. She gave Sesshomaru a rather owlish look. "Of course I did." Kagome said, her eyes looking sideways at the opposing wall.
"Has anyone ever told you that you are a most horrible liar?" Sesshomaru asked, a glint of what could be amusement…or annoyance in his amber eyes.
"Sesshomaru." Kagome began. "Sama," she added quickly after he gave her a frosty glare. "I really think you should leave me to my…work now. I mean, I'm trying to be a good worker here, but you keep…distracting me." Kagome said gravely, her eyes steadily trained on Sesshomaru…and her fingers twiddling away like mad.
Sesshomaru merely looked at her, and Kagome looked back at him for a full minute. Except that Kagome didn't exactly look at him. She was actually more like…looking at his hair, wondering what sort of shampoo and conditioner he used. He probably never got split ends. Kagome almost groaned at the thought of split ends. She got them all the time. He probably spent a lot of money on his hair, to have some top notch celebrity hair stylist do his hair and stuff. That's probably why it shined and looked all silky and resembled a waterfall… The only other guy she knew who took such good care of his hair was probably…Inuyasha.
He certainly didn't seem like that sort of guy with the tough act he put up all the time, but in reality, Inuyasha put in loads of effort to keep his long black hair nice and sleek looking. He was really touchy about it too, and got angry at anyone who touched it…even if it was by accident. Kagome felt sad, angry and lonely all at once. She still couldn't believe that he had broken up with her. After all those years… Hurt overwhelmed her, and she felt tears pricking her eyes. She suddenly forgot where she was and began to cry. At first it was just a few tears, but those few tears began to fall faster…and more followed…and more…and more…until a wail erupted from her lips. She had done well keeping herself busy and distracted to forget about the whole ordeal…but she could only do that for so long.
"I don't even know why I'm crying," Kagome sobbed to Sesshomaru who stood there with an angry look on his face. "He cheated on me, and he broke up with me for a really stupid reason." From there on, anything Kagome said became incoherent and Sesshomaru watched with dismay as the already tainted papers became sprinkled with her tears. That and the incessant noise was giving him a headache. He silently exited the room, and sat down rather heavily into his comfortable and custom made chair. He then began to work…or at least he tried to…unfortunately, the loud noise from the room next to his office was rendering him incapable of making any sort of coherent thoughts. Sesshomaru was very good at ignoring people…he did it all the time, yet he couldn't ignore this, then again, who could?
But the thing was that she didn't seem like the sort to cry over some boyfriend…he questioned the sanity of any man who would even think about being her boyfriend… Minutes passed and Sesshomaru was tempted to rip out his hair from the madness of it all. He had checked in on her, and was somewhat amused to find her indeed doing her work, while sobbing at the same time. She could multitask. Amazing. He had estimated that she would stop crying sooner or later…but he was wrong. An hour had passed, and she was continuing her sobbing with the same power, force and volume as when she had first started.
He had gotten a grand total of five words written for some memo he should've given to one of his secretaries an hour ago. He had a pounding headache…well, at least he thought he did. What he really felt, was guilt. Sesshomaru having never felt guilty before in his life was unable to identify these odd emotions he was having as guilt. Sesshomaru was getting desperate now. He had work to do, a business empire to run and other companies to take over, but none of that was going to happen if Kagome kept crying as she was. He finally decided to ask someone for help. It wasn't a decision that Sesshomaru had come to easily, as he hated asking anyone for advice or help because he liked to think of himself as self-sufficient. In truth, that didn't make much sense with the fleet of employees and secretaries he had staffed. But that was all completely irrelevant…why?
Because Sesshomaru Arishima said so.
Sesshomaru sat there in his chair, and stared at the phone on his desk in front of him. He felt his hand inching closer and closer. He found himself dialing a number that he almost never ever dialed. Now that he thought about it, he had only called her once, and that was to tell her that his father…her uncle, had died. She on the other hand, called him quite often. It was always to pester him, and he usually hung up on her…actually, he always hung up on her. Sometimes she even called back, and sometimes she got the message and didn't. He heard the phone ringing…and ringing…
"Yo."
He mentally cringed.
"Hello! Anyone there!"
"Hello Kagura."
Sesshomaru held the phone away from his ear as he heard Kagura yell. Her yell was followed by sounds of crashing and other people yelling. He gave the phone an odd look, was she having a seizure or something? He sighed inwardly, and with a bored look on his face, continued to hold the phone away from his ear until he finally heard some crackling, more yelling, cursing… He wondered where Kagura was and what she was doing. Sesshomaru paused, now that he thought about it, he really didn't want to know…that and he really didn't care. He heard rustling, and finally he heard her talking again. "You owe me a shitload of money Sesshomaru." said Kagura angrily.
He regretted ever having resorted to calling her. "I owe you nothing."
"Do you have any clue what you just made me do!" Kagura shouted. "You just made me destroy half of my favorite salon. I smell a lawsuit coming on, and I refuse to be the one charged."
"I would like to know just how I made you destroy half of your favorite salon."
He heard her curse again. "You really make me laugh sometimes kid. But seriously, why the hell did you call me? You never call me-" Kagura paused. "Unless someone's dead. Did some rich aunt I never know about die?"
Sesshomaru was really regretting ever having called Kagura. In addition to Kagome, who didn't sound like she was going to stop anytime soon, Kagura was getting on his nerves. That was another reason why he hated her so. She called him 'kid' despite his stern orders that she call him by his name. She never listened, and continued to call him that…just because she was a year older. "No."
…
…
"Well then what!" Kagura demanded.
"I need your help."
…
…
Kagura laughed.
And she laughed.
And she laughed.
"Are you serious? You're asking me for help?" Kagura asked, still laughing. "With what? Are you stuck in some bathroom, hiding from rabid fangirls?"
"No." Sesshomaru said coldly. "I learn from my mistakes." Sesshomaru preferred not to think about a certain visit he had made to an amusement park with Rin. It was for her birthday, and things didn't go exactly as planned. Sesshomaru and Rin ended up having to seek refuge in a bathroom stall from a crowd of insane hormone crazy teenage girls. It had been a nightmare with all the shrieking and Rin crying. After half an hour of excruciating pain, police officers and security came to erect barriers and escort Sesshomaru and Rin to safety. Sesshomaru had been enraged and had given the amusement park an ultimatum. Either they close down the park for a whole day, letting Rin do whatever she wanted that day…for free, or they see him in court.
For one day, Rin was the luckiest child in Japan.
"Your secretary hitting on you again?" Kagura guessed again.
"No."
"Damn it! What is this? Twenty questions!"
"Twenty questions is played differently."
Kagura began laughing again. "I'm not even going to ask how you know." she began. "But hurry up, I'm going to get my nails done in fifteen minutes."
…
He wanted to tell Kagura that he only knew because Rin enjoyed playing it, and he occasionally played with her…just to humor the child though of course. But saying so might result in just giving Kagura more material to throw back at him or blackmail him with… So he kept his mouth shut. Besides…he didn't know what to say.
"Yo, Sesshomaru, either you talk, or I leave. I have a busy schedule too you know."
"How do you make a girl stop crying?"
Kagura was slightly taken aback. She hadn't known what to expect…and she definitely hadn't been expecting this. She wondered if someone had slipped drugs into Sesshomaru's coffee or something… "I didn't know Rin was the crying type." Kagura commented.
"It's not Rin."
Sesshomaru gave the phone a curious look as he heard the faint sounds of Kagura cursing and then things breaking...again. A look that resembled disgust crossed Sesshomaru's face. His cousin was insane if she expected him to pay for whatever damage she was producing. He and Kagura never did get along…then again, Sesshomaru never really got along with anyone. Kagura was loud and foul mouthed, rather violent, rich, spoiled and as she put it "didn't give a fuck" about anything. Kagura was in the entertainment business and was the manager for celebrity singer Bankotsu , not that she needed to work or anything. She had inherited large sums of money from her mother and father who both died by the time Kagura became 18. She also got plenty of money from ex-husbands who ended up having to pay huge sums in alimony. Kagura had been married seven times already.
"Sesshomaru, will you just cut it out and just be straight forward? You usually have no problem telling me what you think, why start now? Damn it, I don't want a French manicure! I want that pearl color I had last year during the spring! What do you mean you don't remember?" He heard Kagura groan again. "Sorry about that kid. So, either tell me now or hang up."
"I need to know how to make a girl stop crying." Sesshomaru said blandly.
"You're so strange Sesshomaru. Do you think that us women are machines that can be controlled with buttons and remote controls?"
Sesshomaru almost snorted. He admitted that he didn't know a lot about women, but he wasn't daft. Of course, he believed that women should 'shut up' when told though. If they did, he wouldn't have to be going through this whole mess with Kagura. "That is precisely why I have called you…Kagura."
"Being good looking and scary doesn't always get you what you want Sesshomaru. Lesson One in 'normal' people skills is that it doesn't help to piss off someone you want help from. You know, I should just hang up on you and let you suffer. I've had enough crap for one day. By the way, I think it's a good thing that you don't call me often. Yes I am going to have my nails painted-"
"Kagura." Sesshomaru repeated sternly.
"Shut up kid. I'm still talking. No, not you. As I was saying, I won't help you unless-" Sesshomaru was expecting her to demand that he pay the salon for repairs. He supposed that would be only a small price to pay to get Kagome to stop crying. He was going to go sane from all of the noise. He wondered if she had drowned in her own tears yet. "You bring that girl who's crying to dinner. Besides, I want you to meet my fiancé too."
Sesshomaru didn't even bother commenting. Kagura went through husbands faster than he went through secretaries. Sesshomaru had a look of indifference on his face. He didn't even want to know why Kagura was so intent on meeting Kagome. "When?" he asked her.
"Talk about surprises. I might go into cardiac arrest if you keep it up." Sesshomaru was starting to get ideas. "I know what you're thinking Sesshomaru, and that's not funny. What day is it today?" Sesshomaru heard a muffled voice say 'Tuesday.' "How about Friday? That sound good to you?"
"How do I get a girl to stop crying?" Sesshomaru asked again, but his voice had a hint of urgency and desperation to it this time.
"You comfort her Sesshomaru. It's that simple." Kagura snorted. "And they call you the smart one of the family?"
Sesshomaru ignored that comment. "Are you sure that will get her to stop?"
"You could always try gagging her." Kagura suggested.
That sounded easier than 'comforting.'
"I was joking Sesshomaru." Kagura added rather distastefully, knowing exactly what was on her cousin's mind. "Just comfort the damn girl. It's not that hard. I'll see you Friday at 6:30 pm at…Sushi Palace. I'll get us one of those nice rooms. Do you want to eat your sushi off a naked girl?"
Before Sesshomaru could say anything more, Kagura hung up. Sesshomaru slammed the phone down a few seconds later with a rather large amount of force, clearly angry. His amber eyes looked a little darker than usual as he sat there, staring at the door which separated him from Kagome…and her weeping. His hands were set on his desk as if he were holding himself down, then all of the sudden, the piece of paper that had been underneath his right hand became a tattered and crumpled up version of its former self. He was a man who feared nothing…he could do this. His face was stoic as ever and revealed nothing as he slowly got up and began to take confident steps across the room. He remained unflinching, even as the sound got louder and louder. He touched the door knob and slowly turned it, bracing himself for the full volume…
….
…when all of the sudden it became quiet…
Sesshomaru hurriedly opened the door, wondering if someone else had become tired of Kagome's wailing and beat her over the head, knocking her temporarily conscious. He had no such luck. Instead he found Kagome glaring at the computer screen, her nose a mere centimeter from actually touching it. Before he could ask her what she was doing, Kagome spoke. "Shh." she hissed. "I'm concentrating really hard right now."
He gave her a slightly puzzled look, wondering how Kagome had gotten from wailing about some boyfriend to…her current state. "What are you doing?" Sesshomaru asked, sounding nonchalant and indifferent…as usual.
"If I glare at the computer screen hard enough, the heat from my glare will unfreeze the computer." Kagome said in a matter-of-factly way.
"…and to revise the length of time the contract will be valid. Have all five of the members of the Board review the contracts to make sure that there are no loopholes the other company may use in the future to sue us. Do you have all that?"
Kagome nodded fervently as she scratched that out onto a small yellow post-it note while carrying ten folders of various 'important papers.' She stumbled slightly as she tried to keep up with Sesshomaru's long strides. Her cheeks were red from exertion, and sweat rolled down her temples. All in all…Kagome was far from looking glamorous. Yet not a single word of complaint came out of her. She struggled to stay next to Sesshomaru, who in his black Chanel suit looked like he had just stepped out of a magazine. Kagome on the other hand wore jeans that were fitting although they were just a little too long, a light blue colored t-shirt and a pair of gray sneakers. Kagome then veered away from Sesshomaru and dropped off the tiny yellow post-it note at a secretary's desk before scrambling to catch up with Sesshomaru.
She managed to catch up with him and swayed slightly as she tried to keep her balance and stay upright. Kagome could barely see over the stack of folders she carried, and to keep up, stay balanced and write memo's all at the same time…was really pushing it. Kagome had never exactly been the graceful sort, and it was taking every ounce, every drop, every molecule, and every atom of effort she had to do it all at once. She and Sesshomaru had basically been walking down every floor of the office building, handing out various memos, and half the time she had been carrying the folders. At first it had been difficult as she definitely didn't go and work out, but her arms went numb after a bit and the pain of having to carry them went away.
"I am surprised that you have not fallen yet." Sesshomaru commented rather nonchalantly as they headed outside.
"Sesshomaru-sama?" Kagome said wearily. Sessomaru looked down at her from the corner of his eyes, fully expecting her to come out of her tired state and start firing petty insults at him. "Can we eat? I'm kind of hungry. I never really did get to finish my lunch…"
Takako watched Kagome and Sesshomaru leave before huffing, obviously jealous of Kagome. Why she'd lick the floor clean if Sesshomaru asked her to... She then picked up the small and bright yellow post-it that Kagome dropped off. She scrunched her face up in confusion as she tried to make sense of it. After a few minutes of unsuccessful comprehension, Takako turned around to the other secretary. "Hey Keiko, what do you think 'make all-company contract scarier + show the Board no sue' means?"
Kagome came back to the table with a dark purple plastic tray with two nacho cheese chalupas on it, and handed one to Sesshomaru as she sat down. As Kagome eagerly unwrapped the papery tissue that her 'chalupa' was packaged in, Sesshomaru sat in his seat rather stiffly. He could just tell that the place was crawling with bacteria and disease. His seat was probably covered with germs from a little eight-year old boy who had been sick with a cold and after blowing his runny nose into his hand, had wiped it clean on the seat… Sesshomaru was more than half tempted to clean his seat… The lights were on the bright side and there were large and colorful advertisements everywhere, finishing off the cheap look of this fast food restaurant. And the people…he wouldn't even touch the topic of the other people 'dining'...
It was a wonder that Kagome was still alive. Eating the sort of food she did should have killed her ages ago…or at least made her sick so that she'd learn, but here she was, emptying package after package of salsa onto her nacho cheese chalupa like there was no tomorrow. Sesshomaru finally unwrapped his own nacho cheese chalupa. The stench of something fattening and greasy wafted up and filled his nostrils. He then tentatively took a bite, making sure that he wasn't in direct contact with the chalupa itself. After one bite he decided that the chalupa wasn't lethal…just diarrhea inducing. He set his chalupa down as he chewed, his face although still emotionless, his eyes looked as if he were thinking.
And before he knew it, Kagome had proceeded to do the same to his chalupa.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Putting salsa on your chalupa." Kagome answered.
"Why?"
"For flavor silly." Kagome said laughing as if amused by the absurdity of the question.
"I am not fond of spicy foods."
"It's just salsa," Kagome explained. "It's not even really that spicy," she insisted. "It just…accentuates the tastiness of the chalupa." she finally said.
"I do not like salsa."
Kagome
huffed and picked the salsa out of Sesshomaru's chalupa, and muttered something about him being pickier than Souta. Sesshomaru couldn't help but wonder who 'Souta' was. Was that the name of the boy she had been crying over?
"Just the perfect thing to finish off dinner." Kagome declared as she set her hands on the sliding door of a large ice cream freezer. She slid the freezer open and pulled out two melon bars, and was going to pay for them at the cashier when Sesshomaru grabbed her by the wrist. "I said I was going to pay for it!" Kagome said before Sesshomaru could say anything.
"I dislike sweets." he told her as he gracefully forced a twenty dollar bill into her empty hand. Needless to say, Kagome offered no resistance, and it wasn't because she liked money. Kagome was too busy standing there, staring up at him, her mouth wide open and her eyes wide in shock as if Sesshomaru had just told her that he enjoyed gardening on the weekends. Sesshomaru looked back down at Kagome, blinking and completely unphased by her rather unnerving stare. He thought about praying to Kami, asking for a fly to go into her mouth… Just as he seriously considered it, Kagome finally managed to close her gaping mouth, and slowly began to walk away towards the cashiers, occasionally looking back over her shoulder at Sesshomaru, her eyes still wide open in what was beginning to look like horror.
Sesshomaru didn't bother waiting for Kagome. Instead he exited the disgustingly small market and waited for Kagome in his car. He rested his head against the comfortable headrest of his seat, and closed his eyes as he recounted the day's events, only to discover that chaos had overrun most of his day. Life had been nothing but chaotic since Kagome had entered his life. She was the epitome of it…she wreaked it wherever she went. His eyes were still closed when he heard the door open, the rustle of a plastic bag and then the door close. He opened his eyes, and found Kagome sitting in the back seat of his Aston Martin.
"What are you doing?" he asked her as he watched her through his rearview mirror.
"Sitting." Kagome replied as she pulled out her melon bar from the plastic bar.
"Sit in the front." he ordered her.
"No." Kagome said as she stared out the tinted windows, her hands ripping an opening in the melon bar's cover.
"Sit in the front." he repeated again.
"I'm really comfortable back here." Kagome insisted as she looked up into the rearview mirror back at him.
"Now."
"I'm afraid of the front seat." Kagome protested as she began to eat her light green melon bar.
"I will drag you up here if I must."
"Would not!" Kagome countered between bites of the creamy frozen treat, which was a cross between melon flavored ice cream and melon flavored snow cones.
"I will."
"I don't want to sit in the front seat then." Kagome huffed.
"Do you fear me that much?" Sesshomaru asked, still watching with his seemingly all-seeing amber colored eyes.
"No." Kagome shot back quickly, her dark brown eyes flashing. She slumped in her seat, and took time to devour half of her melon bar before speaking again. "I don't sit next to people who don't like sweets."
Silence filled the air…except for Kagome crinkling the plastic of the melon bar. Finally Sesshomaru started the engine and drove away. As he drove along the highway, he glanced into his rearview mirror every now and then to 'check' on Kagome who happily ate her melon bar. She seemed so innocent and fragile, even as she chewed on the left over wooden stick rather violently. Although her eyebrows were furrowed as she did so, there was the slightest hint of a smile on her lips and a light in her eyes. She seemed happy too.
Kagome chewed on that wooden stick the whole time, and continued chewing on it as Sesshomaru drove into the parking lot of her and Sango's apartment complex. She muttered a sulky 'thanks' as she grabbed the empty plastic bag from the small market earlier and got out of the car. Sesshomaru watched her through the dark window of the passenger seat. He was about to drive off when he saw Kagome stop a few feet away from his car and freeze, her eyes wide open again. He moved his head a little to try and see what she was seeing and spotted two boys, one with long black hair, almost as long as his, and another with a short black ponytail walking towards the apartment complex as well.
Sesshomaru guessed that one of them was perhaps 'Souta' or whatever her ex-boyfriend's name had been. He watched as the one with the short black ponytail waved at Kagome. The one with long black hair turned to see who it was and froze. It was then Kagome hurriedly opened the passenger side door and jump in. Sesshomaru slowly turned his head and looked at Kagome who sat stiffly in her seat. Her nose was red and she seemed on the verge of tears again…he knew only because Rin's nose also went red right before she began crying. Kagome turned her own head to meet his eyes for only a brief moment before she faced forward again and stared into nothingness. Neither of them said anything. Sesshomaru watched the two boys outside. The long haired one gaped at Sesshomaru's car, probably looking for Kagome as the one with the ponytail just stood there, confused. Finally the long haired one went away, but only at the forceful insistence of the other boy.
"I said let go of me Miroku!" Inuyasha shouted angrily as his friend pulled him away. "My ear's attached to my head you know." he added spitefully as he let out a yelp due to Miroku accidentally twisting it.
"You should've known better than to stare." Miroku said calmly, seemingly oblivious of the pain his friend was it.
"I wasn't staring!" Inuyasha protested scowling as he finally freed himself from his friend's grasp.
"You stood there for ten minutes straight." Miroku reminded him.
"He just had a really nice car ok? I don't care about Kagome or who she's dating now." Inuyasha paused, "And I'm over her. I don't need her. I have Kikyo."
"If you were over her then why didn't you bother to tell me that you two were no longer an item?" Miroku asked as he stopped walking as soon as they were around to the other side of the apartment complex, and stared at his friend expectantly.
"It…it just wasn't that important." Inuyasha spat angrily as he kicked the ground with his shoe.
"I don't know Inuyasha." Miroku mused. "You and Kagome have liked each other for quite a while, and you two have been serious for a long time too. I fail to see how that sort of relationship isn't important."
"You're talking about relationships to me?" Inuyasha scoffed. "You can't even get the girl you want."
Miroku's face turned bright red for a few moments, and there was a few moments of terse silence until Miroku finally sputtered, "That is not the point! We are talking about you and Kagome."
"I heard that the Kuranosuke guy's going to propose to Sango on our graduation night." Inuyasha continued, the look in his eyes saying that he knew he was getting Miroku from embarrassed to angry. "I bet she'll marry him. Apparently he's going to be a doctor. Doctor…sounds like Sango's type does-"
Inuyasha was sharply cut off as Miroku punched Inuyasha in the jaw. Inuyasha's head snapped to the side from the impact of the blow and he stumbled backwards, and his fall was only prevented because his back hit the wall of the apartment complex. Although having been hit, Inuyasha had a smug look on his face as he had succeeded in changing the subject completely and turning it on Miroku for even bringing…her up. It pissed him off to no end that ever since that gay freak, Sesshomaru Asshole or whatever showed up and hauled Kagome out of his Modern History class, that people began bombarding him with questions. Of course Miroku tried to help him, and ended up saying out loud that Inuyasha and Kagome had broken up. Instead of making people go away, it made them come up with a frenzy of even more questions. People asking if Kagome had cheated on him with Sesshomaru, who initiated it and blah blah blah. He hadn't even been that affected by the breakup, yet Miroku and Sango were constantly worrying about him and somehow they felt the need and obligation to cheer him up. He was fine! He didn't care for Kami's sake.
Kagome meant nothing to him now. Yet images of her sparkling smiles filled his head. Sounds of her contagious laughter and the way she always said his name filled his ears. He vividly remembered how heartbroken and pained she looked when he made his announcement. His own heart had broken by just seeing her look so hurt. It had taken every ounce of willpower he had to not run after her. "NOTHING DAMN IT!" he suddenly yelled out loud as he clutched the sides of his head with his hands. He fell to his knees, not even caring that his hair was touching the ground.
"Inuyasha, I am so sorry. I…I did not mean to strike you." Miroku babbled on as if it were his fault that Inuyasha was on the ground squeezing his head in what he assumed was pain. "I couldn't control myself, I swear! Of course I was aware of my anger, but-"
"Oy, Miroku…" Inuyasha said through clenched teeth.
"Yes?" Miroku asked as he crouched down so that he was level with Inuyasha.
"Shut up." With that Inuyasha clocked Miroku in the face, making Miroku teeter backwards and land on his rear.
"Do you wish to come home with me?" Sesshomaru finally asked testily, breaking the heavy and deafening silence that had reigned for a whole half an hour in his car.
Kagome who had been sitting rather stiffly in the passenger seat, chewing on her lower lip or twiddling her fingers while staring wide-eyed at the silver insignia on his dashboard suddenly jumped as if she had been pricked with a needle. "No!" she said, a little louder than necessary. "I never said that you know."
"I never said you did." Sesshomaru replied, refraining from rolling his eyes.
"Oh. Right." Kagome muttered, her cheeks turning pink, obviously feeling somewhat stupid at the moment. Awkward silence hung heavy in the air once again. This time, Kagome was the first to break it. "Hey Sesshomaru…thanks for being kind of nice to me today. And I'm sorry about your papers." Kagome apologized as she opened the car door and swung herself around, prepared to get out. She was about to hop out of the car when she all of the sudden she looked over her shoulder at Sesshomaru, "I'll see tomorrow then, right?" she asked. "By the way, if you're going to come pick me up, pick me up on time!" Now Kagome had turned back around so that she was facing Sesshomaru fully, her back against the open door, and both hands on her hip as she scolded one of the most powerful men of Japan, whom she had known for three and a half days now. "I mean seriously, I was waiting for you and you didn't come, I was starting to think that you were lying dead on the road or something-"
"Kagome," Sesshomaru smoothly interrupted, startling her from the 'long rant mode' she had slipped into. "You should not cry for those who do not deserve it."
Kagome sat there with the passenger door half open while her mouth was all the way open. The look on her face could only be described as utter and complete shock.
Several minutes passed with Kagome blinking only occasionally, her mouth still wide open like a fly trap, and still staring at Sesshomaru as if his hair had become green. Sesshomaru's nostrils flared just slightly out of annoyance as the smell of ripe trash made its way into his car through Kagome's open car door. This suit was definitely heading for the dry cleaners tomorrow, and if the smell penetrated his car any longer, the leather was going to require some maintenance too. He gave Kagome who was once again at the source of the current problem, a frosty look, "Out wench."
REVIEW! (Please and thank you! )
A/N: Heh...I know, I have some nerve asking for reviews still...since I like took 4 months to update when I said I wouldn't take more than 2...heh...forgive me! I am currently begging and groveling for forgiveness from you guys! Do grant it to me! In addition to the usual harries of life and school, I have been obsessing over this chapter. For some reason it doesn't seem good enough to me...so I apologize if it doesn't seem very well written this time. -- Also...am I nuts for thinking about starting a new fic? (Sess/Kago of course!)
So send me reviews telling me what you think! I live for the reviews! But really, you guys are amazing! A lot of you emailed me to see what was up, and let me assure you, that's fine with me! I don't mind. Flattered me that you guys were checking up on me and all. That and you guys gave me more reviews than last time! Everytime I look at how many reviews I have in total...I almost keel over in shock. You all have no clue how much your reviews and you keeping interest in this slowly updated fic means to me. Hence if you all really think that I should start a new fic...you guys will be deciding which on it'll be!
I've been thinking...about perhaps not making this fic as long as intended...it'll still be a chapter for each day...but there will bea twist as to why it doesn't end up being 25 days...muahaha. Anyways...I apologize profusely again, and I ask of you to review...yet again.
Oh, and before I forget...there were some subtle jokes in this time around...I might have made them a little too subtle...if you get confused...feel free to ask me about it...>