Chapter 7


She stared at her Security Director's hardened face, and he merely stared back, refusing to give in to her look of innocent surprise. Kouga took the tabloid from the table and shoved it in front of her. "Louise." His brow raised like he was waiting for a lengthy explanation, like a parent catching his child in the middle of a lie.

And it was then that her frown cracked into a restrained smile. And Kouga stepped back, his brows knitted in confusion.

"Heh," she grinned, her shoulders jerking upward, and his heiress cousin suddenly broke into peals of beautiful laughter.

Kouga sighed. His shoulders slumped and he relaxed: it was a long time, after all, since he heard her laugh this way. A year ago whenever he made spontaneous visits to her in New York, she was mostly in tears, or talking with a subdued voice, pining pathetically for that man who never bought her flowers… not even once.

"You look as if I've committed a heinous crime," Kagome explained, "That wasn't a secret! Didn't I tell you the day before that I planned lunch with a friend?"

"Since when did you become friends with Naraku Onigumo?" Kouga took the picture in his hands and studied it carefully.

She waved him off, "Does that really matter? It was such a lovely afternoon, he was a good host. We had such a good time I didn't realize the day had ended…"

"Louise,"

"In fact, I'm going out with him again today." She wagged her finger at him, "And that's no secret either, because I told you yesterday, too." Kagome then sighed, "Although the weather report said there will be light showers this afternoon. I wonder… if he hates rain like the man in New York does. I love rain… as much as I love everything else that is beautiful."

Kagome paused. There it was again, that look of concern, melting into her cousin's eyes. And she tilted her head sideways, her own expression of sincerity, "Mon Loup, he is my friend. And Taisho-san… he was a whole different story. In case you forgot, I loved him since I was a little child."

"I just don't want to see you that way again," Kouga paused, "I swear, if what happened in your last months in New York ever happen again-" Kouga stopped when he felt her familiar warmth wrap him in a fond embrace. He refused to be deterred. "If you try and kill yourself again over a man who doesn't even fucking deserve you… I'll kill you myself, Louise Kagome.

And when I'm sure that you're dead, I'll raise you back from the dead and kill you again-"

"Kouga-kun," she said softly, the look in her blue eyes softening, "I'm sorry."

He pulled away and gently stroked her hair. "Just make sure that next time, if you ever plan to fall in love again, you have to leave some for yourself."

Kouga stepped back, looking away all the while hiding his face. He was trying to wipe off the tears that had sneaked out of his eyes. "Well, so much for your introduction to society. Your first media appearance and you are already linked to someone."

"Why so disappointed? Aren't friends in the higher circle a common occurrence?"

Kouga shrugged, "They're linking you to him romantically. Which you could always deny. But would you stoop so low to talk to the tabloids to clear your name? That would be tasteless."

Kagome chuckled, "Then I won't. I'm not hiding from the media now, as the family has agreed. Let them think what they want." She shrugged, "J'en ai rien à foutre." And she pushed the tabloid aside. "They'll say anything that generates relevance, anyway. As for me, I'll enjoy it as it is."

"You might not care. But aren't you a tad bit wary at his sudden approach?"

The heiress settled into quiet contemplation.

"A man like him," Kouga continued, "You would expect him to be as complicated as you." And Kouga threw her a heavier stack of papers.

Kagome's eyes settled on the binder that displayed her friend's personal information. Kouga held his breath when she reached out for the material, but much to his surprise, she pushed it away.

"You didn't have to," Kagome said, "I know who he really is."

"Louise," The hardened look in Kouga's eyes softened.

When he saw the tabloid he did what he was supposed to do and more. It did not take him long to dig deep into the man's history- because he found out there had already been a connection made many years ago- surprisingly- from her end.

Of course, she would remember.

Because she was the one who first reached out to him, the first person to shelter him from the judgmental world- before he disappeared into the radar and changed his name to Naraku Onigumo.

And Kouga sighed, biting the side of his cheek, trying to hold back the tears that ran unchecked once again. "Sometimes I just can't believe… that a person like you… exists in this world."

She reached out and wiped his tears, "Ah, Mon Loup, you make it sound as if I'm a saint." She laughed.

"You fucking are." He grinned.


She made her way up the thousand steps of the shrine, breathing in the fresh scent of the open forest and the chilly autumn wind. She passed by a shrine maiden who was sweeping the steps, and she waved hello.

The maiden waved back.

Kagome looked up at the sky. The afternoon sun had settled, striking gold in the slender trunks and the red leaves. It was as if everything was on fire. "c'est joli," she exclaimed, releasing a cleansing breath.

She smiled. It didn't look like it would rain anytime soon.

As she trudged along the stone steps, thoughts of the tabloid ran quietly in her head.

The front page she did not mind. But in her idle moment, she accidentally flipped to a page where a picture of a familiar man was featured.

It was taken early morning, in a small café that she easily recognized. He was walking beside yet another white-haired male, albeit shorter. And her gaze drifted to the print.

In his temporary leave, he had canceled the engagement. It was not as bad as a loss as the media would have played out to be, because it seemed as if the two parties had agreed in consensus.

He was miserable, it said, not because of the canceled engagement, but because he was searching for 'the one that got away'. He had isolated himself, only went out whenever he was with family. Far from the perpetually groomed bachelor the media was used to capturing, his hair was in disarray. She could see the small stubble on his chin, the dark circles under his eyes.

He looked exhausted.

She stopped her trek, realizing she had reached the oratory hall. She looked around, absorbing her solace.

It was an afternoon exactly like this when she had her first kiss. And memories of the quaint little town square that was thousands and thousands of miles away rushed into her mind,

damn her eidetic memory.

She remembered…

Every little detail.

The smell of freshly-baked bread from the bakery across the bench,

She remembered the soft, assuring voices of the elderly couple passing by, walking their dog.

She remembered how the ice cream started melting, and the song that was playing in their shared headphone,

And the smile that never failed to make her heart flutter

As he bent down and he stole her first kiss.

It tasted so sweet,

Like the bite of vanilla ice cream that he stole before he pressed his lips against hers.

The autumn wind suddenly turned cold, and she looked back up at the sky which had grown significantly dimmer.

Still golden, but now dimmer.

He came home that night, quite drunk from a football party with his friends.

She asked him, with all annoyance, if that was a frequent thing.

And he said no, and he kissed her again even before he could enter his door.

"You're so adorable," he said, as he touched her in places no one has ever touched before,

"So adorable…"

As he laid her in his bed and took her first time.

"I love you," she whispered to him as he plunged into her,

Burying himself into her so deeply, over and over again she thought she would break,

"Sesshomaru-kun, I love you…"

"Shit… you're so adorable." He answered, showering her with worshipping kisses,

"Please don't let anyone else touch you like this," he begged desperately,

"My perfect little doll…"

A soft scuffling from behind caught her attention, and she turned around.

"I might have to rethink this new friendship," Naraku said as he fell to her side, and Kagome smiled, acknowledging his presence. "You're letting me out of my comfort zone. When you said we'd offer a quiet prayer in the Shrine, I thought you were joking."

Kagome shook her head and bowed down in courtesy. "Thank you for coming."

"I had the free time." He said, and Kagome reached before her and rang the bell.

It echoed in the quiet of the eerie dim, but beautifully golden, afternoon. She turned to him. "Won't you ring the bell yourself?"

"I've never really prayed to anyone before."

She smiled, "Then now is the time. Who knows, they might be listening?"

And Naraku fell into another quiet lull. And after he was done with his prayer, he reached out and rang the bell.

"See? That was simple." Kagome beamed. "Good job."

Naraku gave her a smirk, "You impressed by my bell-ringing skills?"

"Alors, never seen it done so perfectly in my life."

A challenged brow raised. "Do you think the Shrine will hire me now?"

Kagome laughed, ever so softly, modest enough to cover her laughter with the cuff of the sleeve of her kimono. All the while Naraku had been watching her in the corner of his eyes, quietly observing.

"I wonder… what kind of fool would break such a beautiful heart." He suddenly said, the look in his wild scarlet eyes immensely subdued.

"No fool." She answered, "Just a man."

"Who is he?"

"Someone." She answered simply.

"Why do you never rant?"

"Because he and I are done. End of story."

"Damn it," Naraku cursed, "You're such a complicated woman. You're far worse than my Kagura."

"Onigumo," she looked at him.

"What were the red flags?" Naraku asked. And he watched as his little friend closed her eyes and tilted her chin up, feeling the soft drizzle of rain fall on her face.

And he did not wince either… because he loved the rain. And he loved everything that was beautiful. And maybe she did too.

"The red flags were many." She started, "But I chose to be blind. And so that leaves me guilty, too. I can't blame it all on him."

"Still," Naraku finally said, "You didn't know any better." He cast his stare at the unmoving bell in front of him. "In case you forgot, you are still a child."

Kagome opened her blue eyes, her gaze still fixated on the dark sky. "I stopped being one, after the night of August 1st."

The two friends fell into a long stretch of silence, standing beside each other as the rain gradually grew stronger, soaking their kimono-dressed forms. And Naraku shifted, looking away, hiding his face from her.

"Now I understand why your family protects you like a glass doll. I'm starting to detest that man that broke your heart.

Are you even a real person? I can't believe someone like you exists in this world."

She shook her head in disbelief, "Someone told me that… just this morning."


She woke up to the gentle morning breeze, crumpled blankets and the stain of her broken virginity on the middle of the bed. The sheets still smelled of him, and giddy like a little girl, she gathered his pillow in her arms and smiled.

"I love you, Sesshomaru-kun," she whispered, burying her face in his pillow.

She looked around, quietly observing. It was apparent that he had already left for work. Kagome sat up and stepped out of the bed, gathering the sheets around her naked body. Her gaze settled on the empty coffee cup on the counter, she could see it by from the open door of his room.

Their room, she giddily thought.

"Ah, you forgot breakfast again."


"Doctor Sesshomaru Taisho," she said to the volunteer receptionist, and the woman gave her a sweeping glare.

"Are you his patient?" she said, and the girl clad in an oversized sweater and yoga pants smiled at her sweetly.

"N-no," Kagome answered, a slight blush staining her cheeks.

The receptionist merely raised a brow and shook her head. Kagome could swear that the woman rolled her eyes. She reached for the intercom. "Doctor," she said, "There's a girl up here in front that would like to see you."

"Who is it?" came the familiar voice, and the poor girl's heart fluttered. The receptionist looked at her expectantly, and rather, impatiently.

Kagome snapped out of her daydream and leaned over to speak to the intercom, "Ah, it's me, Sesshomaru-kun."

Silence on the other line. And then, "I'll be right there."

When he came out of the elevator, Kagome greeted him with a warm smile. "Bonjour," she said, but she halted. He was visibly nervous, his eyes darted around as if he were avoiding something.

He quietly nodded to the receptionist, headed straight towards her, grabbed her wrist and pulled her hurriedly with him outside.

They settled on a hidden corner by the pillars of the large hospital building.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice significantly subdued. And it made her wonder… was he angry at her?

"I came here to bring your breakfast," she said, summoning her smile that was somehow faltering. She handed him a paper bag, "I made that myself, it's Baked French Toast with Blueberries-"

"Kagome," he said, taking the paper bag, "You didn't have to." He looked around, "What did you say to the receptionist? Did she ask you who you were, or how you are related to me…"

Her blue eyes darkened, "N-nothing. I didn't say anything…" she trailed off, feeling a cold tingle creep in her spine.

He sighed, utterly relieved. "Good. Listen, you don't have to come here. If you need anything, just call me, okay?"

Silence.

"Kagome," he said, his frantic nervousness halted… realizing that her gaze was stuck on the floor, her blue doe eyes reflecting hurt and confusion. Her lips were parted, and she continued to avoid his gaze. He sighed, reaching out and tilted her chin to look at him. "Hey,"

"Did I do something wrong?" She finally asked.

And Sesshomaru heaved a breath, "No," he said, taking her small form in his arms, fondly kissing her forehead, "No, my little doll, you didn't. It's just that… I just have a big responsibility with my family's name," he felt her stiffen under his embrace, "As far as everyone knows, I'm not attached to anyone yet.

But I plan to transition it slowly. Just… not now. So hang in there, be a bit more patient with me… with us."

And he smiled in relief when she nodded her head.

"I love you, okay? Wait for me home. I'll cook dinner." With a kiss to her lips, he pulled away and waved goodbye.

The girl forced a smile on her face as she waved back, and she watched as he stopped before the glass entrance to the hospital, straightening his ruffled suit and smoothing his pristine hair.

He looked around consciously,

And with her paper bag in his hands,

He dumped it into the nearby garbage bin.

He entered the glass doors with his perfect gentlemanly smile, nodding at the receptionist as if nothing happened.

And she watched all that unfold from the hidden corner he dragged her in,

All the while listening to her heart quietly break.


The rain did not seem like it held any plans of stopping. And the afternoon was closing into evening, they decided to call it a day. As they descended down the stairs, soaked to the bone but never really complaining, the aircraft magnate suddenly halted.

Realizing that he was not following her, Kagome halted herself. She turned to him.

"There is something you need to know about me," he suddenly said, "DuPont... I'm the illegitimate child of-"

The gun heiress merely smiled and turned away. "Save yourself the confession. I already know."

He chuckled softly, under the cleansing rain. "Will this change anything between us?"

It took a while for her to answer.

"No."

"You're fucking kidding me." He looked up, refusing to wipe the tears that were streaking down his cheeks, allowing it to fall with the rain. "The company, my name… all that I have is the result of your intervention after the ruling."

"You give me too much credit. I only gave you the means. You were the one who did all the work."

Naraku shook his head, "If you didn't do what you did, I'd be nothing. Seriously, if we were in the feudal era, I would have gone down on my knees and sworn my loyalty to you right this moment. Give you my sword and do that ritual shit-"

"You don't have to do that," Kagome chuckled.

"You don't know how much respect I have for you, DuPont. Even more, now that I know you.

I'll fucking do anything for you at this point.

Hell, I'll even name my future daughter after you."

"Kagome?" the gun heiress smiled, "What if it's a boy?"

Naraku grimaced, "The hell I would name my child that. I meant Louise. That name goes either way, boy or girl. I'm sure Kagura will agree to that."

"I'm flattered. But don't you have to win her back first?" she teased.

"She's starting to slowly warm up to me… thanks to your pathetic cliche tips. Gods, you women are going to be the death of me."

The gun heiress tilted her chin down and laughed ever so softly, hiding her face with her sodegochi. It was a charming little habit he noticed, along with all the little quirks that came along with her.

And under the soft downpour, the Aircraft Magnate descended towards her. Stopping just before her, the towering man took off his montsuki haori jacket, and covered it over the heiress' drenched form. She was already soaked, and his jacket was, too. But it was all he could offer.

"I'll do everything in my power to protect you, DuPont. Just as how you did to me, so many years ago. You have my loyalty," He said, "Just so you know."

She smiled up at him. "Merci Beaucoup."


"Oh my gosh, were you able to capture that?!" a teenage girl squealed excitedly, and her companion leaned over and opened the photo gallery of her smartphone.

"He looks so handsome in person," the other girl squealed, her focus drifting on the girl in the picture. "I'm so envious…"

She scrolled down, to numerous pictures of a kimono-clad couple.

Standing close beside each other by the Haiden in solemn prayer, another one of them soaked in the rain, it looked like they were talking thoughtfully to each other with soft, content smiles,

And the last one of the billionaire standing in front of the girl, as he sheltered her protectively from the rain with his haori jacket, and the girl looking up to him, offering him a beautiful smile.

"She's so pretty, though. I wonder who she is."

"Hey, my uncle works in the media industry… he might know!"

"Let's go and give this to him," the other girl said giddily. "Wow. Whoever she is, they look so good together."

"Hey!" A newcomer's voice drifted into their conversation, "The Shrine's closing three minutes from now!" It was the old shrine-keeper.

"Got it!" the girls bowed down in casual respect, "We're leaving. Thank you!"


-New York-

It was hard to track her down, she was well-protected by her notorious family. They knew that their home base was in Japan, but where she dwelled exactly was the challenge.

And a frustrating one it was.

It seemed as if she were a mythical person, so well-sheltered that no one except her closest circle knew what she looked like.

He thought it would be easier, now that they have her name. But it only made it harder…

He realized she was a far bigger entity than him in society,

And he was feeling quite stupid for treating her like he did- a simpleton teenager that came from rural Japan.

Sinking into his couch he pressed his voicemail, going through the first seconds of the messages and deleting them mechanically,

His mind wishing to hear one particular voice.

The desperate hope of her miraculously calling him out of the blue,

Telling him how she missed him and she was willing to come back…

Sesshomaru closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

He needed some sleep.

But he couldn't, because even in his dreams she was there. And he would wake up again into the frustrating reality of her gone.

"Oi fluffy," A familiar voice drifted in, and Sesshomaru stopped his finger before it could hit delete. "I heard you're a trainwreck right now. From a girl." The male chuckled, "Guess the gossip section in the newspaper is right this time. You're not answering your calls. Hey, let me know if you're still alive over there, or else I'll have to prepare a lengthy eulogy about you."

Sesshomaru paused, and he took out his phone and searched for his contacts.

He found the familiar name.

Naraku Onigumo,

His best friend during high school.