Author's Notes: GOOD LORD! So she is alive!
Eh, okay, time for my most profuse appologies. Life has been...how you say...tough. A lot of things have been going on, and, well, I do happen to have a life and responsibilities that I can't neglect just to satisfy a hobby. I'm sorry. Updates will besporadic, probably until this summer, after finals.And a HUGE thank you to anyone who's stuck by this story.
This chapter has been VERY long in the making though, so enjoy!
The maid proved to be quite helpful after all. Though she chattered non-stop and about nothing, Satsuki could draw a steaming hot bath, press a dress of peach and apricot hues, and arrange a vase of flowers in the time it would have taken Kagome to yawn. Satsuki sent a blazing smile Kagome's way and said, "The bath is ready for you, Lady."
Kagome blinked. "Huh?"
Satsuki blinked back, smile fading a bit. "Uh, the bath, Lady. The one I'm supposed to draw for you…"
'Oh. That bath.'
"Yes," Kagome replied. "I'm sorry; it must have slipped my mind…" She slowly stood back up and put a hand on her bed-post. "Lead the way."
Once in the bathroom, Satsuki helped Kagome undress, and into the steaming water; seeped into Kagome's skin, and like balm, calmed her hyperactive aches and paints to a dull throbbing, that, after a bit, melted away. She leaned her head back, and closed her eyes. The steam rose around her, encasing her in an iridescent, jasmine-scented cocoon that she could live in forever…
"I'll scrub your back for you, Lady, and then—"
No, no, Satsuki," Kagome said, sinking blissfully into the water. "No need for that today, please. Wait outside, somewhere for me…" The warm hands of the liquid wrapped themselves around her body and lulled her into utter relaxation.
"Oh, alright, Lady…" Satsuki's worry was plain in her voice. The door opened, and then clicked softly closed.
In the water, where only soothing thoughts could exist, the impending anxiety of the brother's visit melted away, and abated to a small and tingling worry, that like a worm, wriggled almost imperceptibly in the back of her mind.
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It was one of those days. Kagura grumbled, hands fisting and bunching her hair to get it just right. The long and usually silky locks of dark cherry hair wouldn't stand right—either her bangs would hang down wrong, or one side would be tied faster than the other (producing a completely lopsided look, and that simply would not do) or the chignon would come out wrong, or the feathers wouldn't stick—or something.
'Hair—why the hell do I bother with it anyway?' she asked herself bemusedly. Once again she smoothed glossy stands back and twisted them, but tied the knot too high. Her red lips twisted in frustration as she loosened it and began again.
"Lady Kagura!" said a shrill voice behind her. "Are you ready to go-o-o?"
Kagura bit back a grimace. Not turning from the mirror, she said, "No, Rin, not yet."
The small girl sighed, deflating. "How long's it gonna take?"
'Until I get this right or shave my head to prove to this damn hair that I don't need it, whatever comes first.' Instead she said, "In a minute."
Rin sighed once more, and settled down on the large four-poster that Kagura and Sesshoumaru shared. Slowly, she rested her small face in her hands and watched Kagura wrestle with her hair rather energetically.
Rin was rather small for her age—thirteen years and counting—and had long earth-colored hair and eyes that had been layered since before Lord Sesshoumaru had found her, bruised, battered and very dead, by the side of the road. After he had miraculously brought her back to life, she had proven to be an exceptionally smart child. She could soak up knowledge like a sponge, and often surprised her teachers with her ability to grasp concepts quickly. And she, with her overly large brain, could tell with all of the certainty in the world that Kagura was fighting a loosing battle.
"You know," Rin started, "it's just not going to work for you today."
Kagura's shoulders slumped. "You don't think I know that?" Slowly she turned around, rich, brown strands licking her face and neck. "Well?"
Rin cocked her head to one side, "Maybe you should leave it open…Lady Izayoi does." After all, Kagura had a lovely olive skin tone that was a bit darker than usual, but it gave her spiciness, a type of vivacity that complimented her wickedly-glinting crimson eyes and naturally red lips that couldn't be found in all the snow-colored beauties in the land.
"She's got the face for it—I don't." Kagura sadly gazed into the mirror again, dismally noted the state of her hair, and swallowed her pride.
"Rin," Kagura said slowly, "get Sesshoumaru for me, will you?"
The thirteen-year-old brightened immediately. "You mean—?" with stars shining in her eyes. Kagura nodded, pride crushed and honor wounded. Rin scampered off, delighted.
It was a sad day indeed when your husband had to do your hair for you.
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Inuyasha continued toying with his food, unable to eat the poached-eggs-crushed-in-fresh-fruit concoction that currently resided on his plate. He stared at the disgusting mixture wonderingly. How in hell was he supposed to eat that and survive long enough to give a very, very, very quick demonstration of Tessaiga's über-kick-assy features, and then make a wild mad dash to greet his brother and not make a fool of himself? He poked it with his fork.
Oh wait…had it just moved?
Normally, he wouldn't worry about what the damn court thought of him, but it wasn't every day that Sesshoumaru decided to pop by. And Inuyasha—though you'd have to hang him by his toenails and whip him with wet pasta to get him to admit it—had a smidgen of respect for his elder sibling.
Just a smidgen, mind you.
And, as if to underline the new confusing and stressful dips and dives his life seemed to be taking, Kagome stepped into the room like a beam of sunshine.
A very hung-over beam of sunshine.
Inuyasha's mouth curled into a devious smirk, despite his misgivings about their would-be relationship. And even though she probably wouldn't be able to stammer two sentences to him without bursting with embarrassment, he looked her up and down. She wore very little color on her face that wasn't her own, and her hair was left open, tumbling down onto her slender shoulders in thick, obsidian waves. The cute little peach dress wasn't bad either…
Inuyasha mentally slapped himself. What the hell had he been thinking! Thoughts like that weren't—weren't…
'Weren't what, you twat?' a snide voice in his mind whispered. 'She's beautiful, and you know it; she's kind, and you know it; she's lonely, and you know it; and she sure as hell isn't Kikyou. So what the fuck are you waiting for?'
He ignored it, but it continued talking, outlining all of Kagome's finer qualities, and driving Inuyasha mad. Oh, no, it wasn't bad enough that his egotist of a brother was coming; he had to be going crazy as well…
Miroku whispered cheerily, "Snap out of it, Inuyasha; your wife is here."
"Shut up, Monk," Inuyasha grumbled, looking everywhere but Kagome. She was smiling, laughing, talking, and looking as if the hangover wasn't bothering her at all. Inuyasha grumbled again; he had never been able to hide a hangover that well.
Kagome sat down, across from him. She continued to talk to his mother, mouthing sweet nothings.
''Sweet nothings'? Where in hell did that come from!'
He averted his eyes again, but they strayed back to her lips, focusing subconsciously on how hypnotically they moved, how they curved in and out, how she licked her lips delicately before speaking, how the left half of her upper lip went higher when she smiled…what a sweet smile it was…
An unintelligible silence snapped him out of his reverie. He looked around curiously and found that all eyes were on him; his mother and father's gently smiling, and Miroku grinning mischievously. A lead weight dropped into Inuyasha stomach. Had they noticed?
'Oh, hell no…'
"Ahem. Inuyasha, Kagome asked you a question," his mother prompted.
"What?" he asked, forcing an extra gruff note into his tone. He noticed Kagome's jaw tighten just a little.
"I said: would you like to take a walk in the gardens"—(at this, he deftly began examining his claws)"—oh, just forget it. I'll ask Sango," she said, angrily exasperated. "Honestly, Inuyasha, how can you be such a—?" Here she stopped herself, glancing guiltily at her plate.
A small spoon hit the side of Inuyasha's head, curtsey of his loving paternal unit. Inu no Taisho raised his perfectly sculpted eyebrows and jerked his head in Kagome's direction. His mother furrowed her brows, frowning at him. Miroku elbowed his ribs and whispered, "Now you've done it." Even Souta and Kohaku resurfaced into reality after their little play sword-fight.
Inuyasha let his breath out with a hiss. "Fine," he told her gruffly, "I take you for a walk through the gardens."
"But what about you showing us Tessaiga?" Souta demanded impulsively.
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow; "So? She'll watch."
Kagome, suspicious of him—not that he could blame her, he thought with a bit of a mental grimace—snapped, "What am I going to watch, exactly?"
"He promised me that he would show me Tessaiga," Souta said, beaming. Kohaku nodded shyly.
Kagome's eyes widened momentarily; Inuyasha mused that she would be surprised that he was capable of such brotherly affection. He felt the corners of his mouth twitch upwards at the thought. 'Shows her how much she knows about me.'
"Oh," Kagome said tightly, gripping on to her fork with white and stiff fingers.
"Yes, sweetheart," Lady Izayoi exclaimed happily. "He's graciously agreed to show the poor darlings his sword."
Miroku coughed into his cup of water; Inuyasha elbowed him roughly.
Kagome watched them shrewdly, and asked Lady Izayoi, "Where's Sango? I was hoping to see her."
"She's training, darling," the Lady answered, "and she'll be in one of the lesser training grounds, if you wish to see her." She looked up for a moment, and her mouth curled into a smile. Kagome glanced up, and saw her parents entering the ballroom.
Her father was looking well-groomed, self-assured. Kagome's mouth twisted, but she quickly repaired it by forcing a painful smile.
"Father," she greeted, "how excruciatingly wonderful it is to see you."
A cold glance from the corner of her mother's eye silenced her. Her father, however, did not pick up on the underlying insinuation of venom, and said, "Yes, yes, Kagome," and went on to enthusiastically bid the rest of the table good morning.
Kagome's mouth tightened, and cast her eyes toward her plate. A terrible hurt swirled in her chest. She was supposed to hate him, but why did it hurt so much to be cast aside by the person you hated? Like a dirty dishrag?
A small hand gripped hers under the table. She recognized that hand perfectly: Souta. Her baby brother was looking at her from across the table, eyes full of love and understanding. The hurt vanished.
Her parents, once arrived, had taken over the morning conversation with Inu no Taisho and Lady Izayoi, Souta and Kohaku were busy trying to skewer each other on butter knives, Inuyasha and Miroku were whispering conspiratorially, and it left her no-one to talk to. She sat still for a moment, feeling lost and forlorn.
Kagome glanced at Miroku and Inuyasha. She wanted to talk to him, but how to not look like a complete sap while doing it? She sighed and glanced aside again, thinking how rude it would be to interrupt their conversation, and how pathetic it would make her look…
'More pathetic than sitting her like an outsider, hmm?'
A brilliant idea hit her. Remembering her musings from earlier, she said impulsively, "Inuyasha, I really do have to thank you."
He went still, looking at her full on the face. "Why's that?" he asked suspiciously.
She drew her fork across her plate, her eyes cast down demurely. "You took me back to my room yesterday. I really must tank you." She met his eyes, smiling. "Seems you have a heart after all."
Inuyasha smiled, the sun finally seeming to shine. She didn't remember all that she'd told him. Maybe there was hope for him to live a happy life after all.
"Damn straight." He turned to Souta and Kohaku, "waddaya say I show what Tessaiga can do?"
When their yells of joy erupted, Kagome couldn't help but smile. Maybe her dad chose a good person for her to spend her life by after all. 'Hmph. Never thought dad had it in him.'