Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.
Author's Note: Here is another chapter enjoy! As always thank you for the reviews and adds
Arinna stared into the liquid golden eyes of Sesshomaru and felt something shift. She had no idea what the something was but it felt major. He was just so still under her touch and warm. God he was warm. She felt a little foolish for striking the little man now but he didn't seem to care. He was staring at her like she was oxygen and he just couldn't get enough of it. In fact it was starting to make her slightly uncomfortable. They hadn't known each other for very long and no one had ever looked at her that way before. She didn't want to move and break the spell however so she just smiled softly. "Thank you." He blinked but otherwise no response. "For…well everything really." He still hadn't moved but there was the slightest softening to his face. She was just going to have to learn to read his minute facial expressions. "I don't want you to think I'm ungrateful or anything because I'm anything but, however I need to know why." He raised an eyebrow as if confused by the question. "Why are you always saving me or helping me? Just why me?" His brow furrowed slightly then he rose in one of those blindingly fast movements.
"You remind me of someone I lost a very long time ago." He stared off into nothing and there was a definite shut down of all traces of expression on his face. Someone important to him then. She despaired at her own surge of jealousy.
"Someone you cared about?" He turned back to look at her, seeming to read her thoughts even though she was certain she'd asked the question plainly.
"Yes though not the way you mean. I looked after her and provided for her."
"Oh. She was a human?" He nodded that stiff jerking nod. "How did you meet her?" He tucked his hands into his pockets and she watched as the glamour faded away revealing his demon markings.
"I was recovering after a battle with my brother in a forest. She happened upon me and tried to feed me. She kept returning day after day despite my insistence, even though she knew what I was." He paused and she feared he would stop altogether. This was the most she'd heard him speak at one time. "She was a human and an orphan. The people in the village didn't take kindly to that. One day she appeared with bruises on her face. I asked her how she'd gotten them and she smiled at me. That was the first time anyone had ever smiled at me, human or demon. Later, a pack of demons attacked the village and killed her." Arinna gasped but Sesshomaru just held up an elegant hand. "I came across her body on the path and was able to resurrect her. She followed me as I traveled for a year or so before I made arrangements for her to stay with a human village. She lived a very full and happy life and I visited with her from time to time." Arinna's eyes were wide and blinking.
"So wait, how old was she then when she found you in the forest?"
"She was a young child." Arinna cringed and started to fold her legs up underneath her. Okay that was just creepy. Sesshomaru sighed and knelt back down in front of her.
"This Sesshomaru was never in love with nor had any romantic feelings for his ward. Ever."
"Your ward?"
"That's what she was." He sounded defensive so she rearranged her face to display understanding instead of humor. She wasn't even sure the term ward was still in use, unless you were Bruce Wayne or something. Minutes ticked by as she tried to think of something to say. "Your house is very beautiful." She settled on even though it was lame. He looked around the room and frowned again.
"Get dressed. I'll give you a tour of the rest of it." She frowned. That wasn't exactly what she'd meant.
"Oh, well about that…" He turned toward her and raised an eyebrow again. "It's just I don't really have any clothes here."
"There are clothes in the drawers." He said as he rose to go check to make sure. He did indeed find the clothing and turned a curious glance back at her. She fidgeted feeling like a whiney brat.
"Yes but they aren't my clothes." He blinked again.
"I'll send Jaken for your things. For now wear some of these." With that he left the room, closing the door behind him. She sighed again but did as he asked. He did have a point. She should get out of this room and walk around. Besides, she was in Sesshomaru Taisho's house. The most reclusive eligible bachelor in the city. She wasn't so dense as to not see the opportunity here. She was curious for herself too. Sesshomaru was a demon after all. She dug through the drawers until she found a pair of jeans that were surprisingly her size and then she rooted around for a shirt. There was a drawer full of them all suspiciously the right size. She frowned at them and then at the door where Sesshomaru was no doubt waiting on the other side. Had he bought her an entire wardrobe while she was asleep? She made a mental note to try and discover the answer later. It wasn't worth an argument right now.
She dressed as quickly as she was able to and even spared a moment to glance at the scar in a mirror. She was definitely not going to like having to explain that to anyone ever. She opened the door to find Sesshomaru exactly where she thought he would be. Waiting patiently outside the door. He turned towards her the second she opened it so she smiled and ducked her head. "Is there anything else you require from your house?" She paused and blinked momentarily stunned by the question.
"Uh…I guess that depends on how long I'm going to be here."
"Until you are well." He responded as if the question had been ridiculous.
"Okay well then I guess I need some of my art supplies so I can work on my project. It's late by now anyway. I suppose I should call school and everyone."
"Your school, job, and friends have all been informed of your illness." He said with another one of his imperious hand waves. She frowned at him to which he looked surprised. "You previously mentioned the need to inform them of your whereabouts." She had? Oh right, when he'd kidnapped her. Although, wasn't he doing that again basically? She decided not to look too closely at it or she was just going to drive herself crazy.
"Could you make sure he feeds my cat then? I'm sure she's going crazy." Arinna felt a pang of guilt as she thought about three whole days without food or attention. Sesshomaru nodded again and whipped out his phone. He barked orders into it then closed it again without seeming to wait for a response. Servant or not she never would have tolerated being treated like that, but then again she wasn't a demon. It was called human decency for a reason she guessed. Sesshomaru waited at the head of the stairs with only a glance back at her. She tucked her hands into the pockets of the jeans and started after him, walking a little fast so she could catch up. The house was huge! She was standing next to him when she finally gazed out over the landing and just took it all in.
The walls went out in the main area giving you a feeling of openness. You know just in case the vaulted ceilings and gigantic windows didn't do the trick. The entire house was done in the same kind of palatial opulence the room she had woken up in was. Her room for the time being she guessed. Although she had to wonder if her health would be determined by a professional of some kind or Sesshomaru himself. The color scheme was fairly simple however. It was mostly earth tones and gold everywhere with the occasional deep red. "It's just so big I guess." He scanned the area with an apparent lack of interest.
"I've never been easy indoors. I like the space." And here she thought he was going to say something like his dog demon form needed room or something.
"Oh. Your yard must be ridiculously huge then." She said with a smile. He looked thoughtfully out a window. Okay she'd been joking.
"It's rather plain really. Aside from tending the grass I leave it to its own. However the garden is fairly impressive, if you'd like to see it?" She smiled again and took a step closer to him.
"Ok."
Sesshomaru watched as Rin went up to every single flower and smelt it. Regardless of whether or not she had already pressed her nose against every other flower of its kind. He had never really been inclined to spend large amounts of time in the garden, preferring more to roam around his little piece of wilderness. Yet he couldn't remember a time when he had been more content just then. Of course, that really didn't have much to do with his surroundings. He watched her giggle and disappear around a corner. He could still sense her easily enough and if he trusted himself more he would've stayed closer to her. But this new mating instinct of his needed to be understood before it was tested. He knew that fighting it was really just going to prolong the inevitable and possibly endanger her so he acquiesced, however sullenly.
His eyes were already on the spot when Rin lifted her head over the tops of the flower cluster she was currently examining. She waved and smiled then disappeared again. He felt himself sigh. This was getting way too complicated. "My lord?" Jaken's squeaky voice interrupted his mental ramblings and for once the interruption wasn't unwelcome.
"Yes Jaken?"
"All of Rin's things are upstairs in the guest room. If you will there are some business matters that need your attention." Sesshomaru heard Rin gasp appreciatively. She was near the koi pond then.
"Very well." Jaken rambled off a list of issues to which Sesshomaru was able to give his favorite one word answers. It allowed him an easier time listening to Rin explore his grounds.
"There is still the matter of who you are taking to the annual fundraiser this year." Jaken hedged in. Sesshomaru felt his teeth clench together. He really didn't want to go to that stupid party again. Every year he went, usually dragging some intellectually stunted eye candy to appease his human board of directors. He needed time to understand this whole mating business not to be stuffed in a room full of humans that drove him nuts on the best of days.
"I'll make a decision when it's closer to the date."
"Forgive me, sire, but the party is a little over a week away." Sesshomaru growled that time. Damn! He hadn't realized time was slipping away from him like that. Although….He felt a glimmer of an idea ghost through his head just as Rin rounded the corner and spotted him.
"There you are! Wow it's kind of easy to get lost in here." She stopped upon seeing Jaken and Sesshomaru listened as her heart beat picked up the pace. Unbelievable. "Oh uh…hi Mister….Jack….Jekk…"
"JAKEN!" The imp shouted angrily.
"Sorry!" The girl blushed and tried not to laugh so Sesshomaru let it pass. For the moment. "I wanted to apologize for before."
"Hmph." Jaken folded his little arms and looked away from her. Sesshomaru had a memory flash back to a far earlier time by a stream with a similar moment and almost smiled.
"Leave us Jaken. I'll give you my decision later." The imp was momentarily stunned but he tottered away without another word. Apparently after five hundred years he was finally beginning to learn.
"You know…" The girl started and she had somehow moved much closer before he'd realized. Damnit she was in touching distance again. He was trying to put a little physical distance between them before he did something irrevocable. Like made that fading mark on her neck permanent. Even as he thought it he had the intense impulse to get up and do it. "You should really be nicer to him. I mean I understand that i have no idea about the demon world but really. Do you have to be mean?" He frowned and thought about it. No he supposed he didn't. But he was the dominant demon and Jaken was his servant. Therefore he could and did treat him however he saw fit. Jaken was always free to leave should he so choose to.
"It is the way of things." He said hoping for once she wouldn't ask any more questions. He nearly keeled over when she just sighed and shook her head.
"Fine be mean but it'll be your own fault when he leaves." He blinked several times then turned his attention somewhere else. Anywhere else. Why did she feel the need to do this to him? Yes she wasn't actually doing anything but standing there but really. As if she didn't know that he was attracted to her. She was just standing there, completely guileless and yet challenging him all the same. "So where next?" She asked suddenly close to him again.
"I'll show you the rest of the house." He stood as quickly as he could but not before she'd turned and her hair brushed against his hand. So soft. Yes inside was a very good plan. There were plenty of people in there to keep him and his base instincts in check. He followed her up the pathway back to the main house while watching the lines of her body move and change with her walk.
"So what were you guys talking about?" She asked with a quick look and a smile over her shoulder. The effect was indeed pleasing but he was now distracted with the labored sounds of her breath. He cursed himself for having built the house on a hill so that she now had to walk up it to get back inside.
"My company has an annual fundraiser coming up soon. The board is inappropriately interested in my attendance." She snorted before commenting.
"Inappropriately interested? What does that mean exactly?" What did she mean by that? He thought it was a fairly obvious statement.
"They want to know if I intend to go and whom I intend to bring. Not that it's any of their business." She laughed and he paused to listen to the sound as it bounced back to him from the trees.
"You're their boss of course they want to know if you're going. And is it really so bad for them to be curious about you? You do tend to be mysterious." He frowned at her back as she picked her way slowly up the path.
"This Sesshomaru is not mysterious." She smiled again. He could hear it in her response without seeing it.
"Right. So your coworkers know about you being a demon then?" He waited for her to reach the top before giving her a look displaying his lack of enjoyment at her sarcasm. "Didn't think so. You should just tell them who you are taking and then they'll get off your back about it. You're only making it worse by prolonging it." Wasn't that just the theme of his current predicament?
"I'll tell them you'll be joining me for the evening then?" He asked and resisted the urge to grin smugly as her eyes widened.
"Me?" She even pointed to herself. He nodded and then reached for the door and held it open. Her scent enveloped him as soon as she walked by him still doing an impression of a fish.
"Well I…I mean I guess…I could…if…"
"Good." He urged her into the dining area and pulled out a chair for her to sit in. "Sit." He was pleased when she did so without argument and then she drank the glass of water that was placed before her without one as well.
"Maybe I was a bit over ambitious today." She said with a wan smile. Damnit all. He just could not make his mated self happy.