Review Responses:
beatofangels: Lol. Created characters to pair with Inuyasha... I don't know. Maybe. Thanks for reviewing.
DemonKikay: Here's an update! does victory dance
CrAzY FoR VaMpIrEs: Hmm... maybe.
sheeshys-only-luff: Thank you! =D =D =D
WriterLady1031: Thanks. I assume you're a fellow writer too, seeing your pen name and all...
dancing-by-moonlight: If you're a Sess/Kagome fan, you'll like this chapter! =D XD
lyn: Thanks for reviewing.
The-Wind-Dragon-Caller: Lol. Well, here's more!
Kirei Baka Kasumi: Thanks. Do you play Dead or Alive PS2 by the way? Just asking...
Sesshophreack: Yeah. I was going to have them eat and fool around and have Sesshoumaru come storming down... but I figured it was too stereotypical so I changed it a bit.
fluffychick15: Thank you for the review.
AssassinofDream: Don't you just hate when you are going to ask something, then you forget? I should know – I also have great writing ideas then I forget. Sigh... XD
yuya2: Rofl. I'll leave that up to your imagination.
inu.-sess.fan: . ;)
Dana Daidouji: Thanks. I rather liked that interaction too.
IcyAsh: shrugs back Thanks for reviewing.
A/N: Like I said in the last chapter, this is NO indication to the final pairings. I put a lime in here because I wanted to. Too bad if you don't like limes. P.S. author whips out calculator Hmm... review drop. runs to update faster
Chapter 11: A Date with Publicity
Sango paced around Kagome's office. Monday morning was proving to be sunny and beautiful. Unfortunately, the press seemed to think so too, and they were busy broadcasting 'news' and camping outside the office building.
"Honestly, you'd think we were the mafia or something, the way they pay us so much attention," Sango exclaimed.
"Yeah?" Kagome asked rather randomly, busy typing up letters firing the press-control section. There were about fifty of those people who were going to lose their jobs because someone down there goofed up and didn't watch the news tides. For a moment, Kagome pitied the people, until she heard the news blaring about Kikyo's latest stories. After that, she drafted the letters with even more vengeance than before.
The phone squalled and Sango picked it up. "Hi, how can I help you?"
"Sango? Where's Kagome? I fucking want my car back!"
"It's Inuyasha," Sango whispered to Kagome. "He wants his car back."
"Fine, tell him I'll send the keys down in a moment."
"She'll send the keys down in a moment," Sango said and hung up.
Jakotsu appeared. "I'm going for a lunch break, alright? Want anything?"
"Not really," said Sango. "I was just leaving."
Kagome shook her head no, but added, "Pass these to Inuyasha."
"Sure." Jakotsu caught the bunch of keys Kagome threw him and strolled off. Sango followed after awhile, leaving Kagome alone for two seconds before another person entered.
"Still up for lunch?" asked Kagura, Rin in tow.
"What? Oh, right, yeah! I forgot..." Kagome said sheepishly. "How'd you get past the press?"
Kagura snorted. "Them? Off for lunch breaks, those greedy pigs, no doubt sponsored by Kikyo. Anyways, I'll collect Sesshoumaru and we'll be off."
"He's coming?" asked Kagome.
"Can't be that bad. Besides, he'll foot the bill, and that works well for me," Kagura shrugged. "Oh well. Rin, you stay here with Kagome, ok?"
"Sure." Kagura had dressed her like a doll, though all she had on was a white T-shirt and jeans. Her hair was still in its lop-sided ponytail, which Kagome swore to try one day, if the effect made her look as adorable as Rin did.
Licking the last envelope shut, Kagome held out her arms for the girl to run into.
"I've missed you," said Rin.
"Me too," Kagome said. "How are you?"
"Fine. The weekend was boring. Sesshoumaru-sama was barely there, always frowning and running in and out and grumbling and sulking."
Kagome cracked a grin at the girl's grammar, and nearly choked when she tried to imagine Sesshoumaru sulking.
"It's true!" insisted Rin, amused at Kagome's reaction. "Kaede-sama was going to spoon-feed him his dinner."
Somehow the thought tickled Kagome beyond reason. Clutching Rin close, Kagome laughed for all she was worth, probably the first time since Kikyo made her TV appearance.
"Gossiping about me, weren't you?" asked Sesshoumaru shrewdly, appearing beside them.
"Rin wasn't, Rin wasn't!" squealed Rin, climbing up a chair to bury her head in his chest (it would've been better if she'd been taller).
Wish I could do that, thought Kagome enviously, then snapped out of it. What the hell, Kagome, he's your boss. Stop making Kikyo's crazy claims true.
"So, lunch or what?" Kagura asked innocently. Kagome rolled her eyes. Sesshoumaru probably hadn't been informed that Kagome would be going along, just like Kagome hadn't had a clue either. Kagura's attempts at looking blameless weren't very convincing.
"Kagura, one day I'll kill you," whispered Kagome as they walked out the door, Rin up in front dragging Sesshoumaru with her.
"Oh, but you won't regret it, I promise," replied Kagura with a wink.
"What do you want to order?" Kagome asked Rin.
"Ice-cream," answered the girl happily.
"Fish and chips for the girl," Kagura told the waitress.
Kagome arched an eyebrow. "Fish and chips in a fancy restaurant?"
"We eat here every week, it's no longer fancy," proclaimed Kagura with a sigh. "You guys order, I'll be back." She headed off for the restrooms, though Kagome got the sinking feeling that she wouldn't be coming back for awhile.
"What are you having?" asked Kagome.
"Water," said Sesshoumaru.
"Wow, I wonder what you guys do eat. Ice-cream and water," said Kagome sarcastically.
Someone slid into Kagura's seat... Who wasn't Kagura at all. A sinking feeling appeared in Kagome's stomach, as a young man whipped out a notebook and pen and his friend behind him switched on a video camera.
"Kagome's on TV," said Miroku for the tenth time to Inuyasha. "Oh, look! Sesshoumaru's with her."
Now that was something new.
"This is Masaru-san speaking live from the ritzy Sawako restaurant in the heart of Tokyo. We seem to have found Sesshoumaru Taisho with his secretary, with a little girl we have yet to find out about. Tell me, Sesshoumaru, who is the girl? What is your relationship with your secretary? And just how do you feel, now that the rumors about you being homosexual have been dispelled by this, um, startling discovery."
"'Actually'," Kagome was saying, "'We're here with another -'"
"Another child? It's strange, shouldn't your children have gray hair? Like, how black and silver makes grey?" Masaru chuckled to what he thought was a very funny joke. "But it's ok. So, how did both of you meet?"
"'Umm... Kagome was assigned to me by my mother'," began Sesshoumaru. "'I assure you our relationship is purely platon-' "
Masaru-san interrupted. "Yes, I'm sure. So, for our thousands of viewers, would you mind sharing with us the intimacies of your relationship? Like," Masaru's voice dropped to what he thought was a secretive tone. "Like, what it's like to make passionate love on a working desk?"
"Tell me this isn't happening," groaned Inuyasha, while Miroku switched off the TV in disgust.
The evening papers were full of the story.
'TAISHO NOT GAY – SPOTTED WITH SECRETARY HIGURASHI!'
'KIKYO'S STORY TRUE? A CORPORATE LOVE TALE'
'OUR JAPANESE CINDERELLA STORY: KAGOME WITH PRINCE CHARMING!'
Some articles went so far as to add that Sesshoumaru and Kagome had been college sweethearts. Kikyo, surprisingly, had remained quite quiet on the matter.
Naraku, however, wasn't. Another headline went as such:
'RIVAL NARAKU STANDS UP FOR TAISHO AND HIGURASHI: "I KNEW THEM PERSONALLY, AND THEY WOULD NOT HAVE DONE SUCH A THING."'
"What the hell is Naraku trying to do?" asked Miroku.
"You're asking me?" Inuyasha said.
"It's all over Japan, isn't it?" asked Kagome in defeat as she swirled around slowly on a barstool.
"Well, the latest is that you and I knew each other since kindergarten days, and were always the 'star couple' of our schools," said Sesshoumaru coolly. "Inuyasha must be going ballistic."
"Yeah? He asked me out, as a 'friend'. If anything, I thought the news would be about him and me."
"Drinking helps," was all Sesshoumaru said, sliding onto the chair next to her and waving the bartender over.
"I suppose I should be putting my skills into play?" asked Kagome, remembering the hotel episode in New York.
"Why not? Inuyasha would be proud. Ever tried a martini?"
"Nope, and I don't intend to. A sherry would be nice. I've never tried one, but it sounds delicious."
"A sherry for Kagome and something strong for me," Sesshoumaru told the bartender, sounding too disorientated for his liking but not really caring.
The bartender smacked two glasses down in front of them. "A sherry and 'something strong'."
"Cheers to our non-existent relationship," said Sesshoumaru dryly.
"Yeah, we'll need it," Kagome replied with a certain level of irony in her voice, and proceeded to drain her glass in silence.
Somewhere through their fifth round, Kagome spoke up.
"This isn't really fun, you know? Both of us here all alone, getting drunk."
"You know what's cool? If we screwed those damned media assholes in the ass by leading them on a wild goose chase."
Kagome giggled, her cheeks flushed. "And how do you think we do that?"
"Getting drunk and leaving a trail for them to follow, when it leads to nothing." He pulled Kagome off her chair, slapped a few notes on the table, and headed out the bar.
Outside, reporters strolled around trying to look nonchalant, eagerly waiting for their appearance.
"Let's lead them on a dance," whispered Kagome. She hoped she didn't look as drunk as she felt.
Walking into a nearby elevator, Sesshoumaru punched the buttons furiously, waiting impatiently for the elevator to arrive. When it did, they stumbled inside, just in time to see the reporters dash to the escape stairs, to wait for them to come from the elevator.
Slowly, the elevator climbed down the levels. Then, a short way from the ground floor, it stopped. The lights inside went dark.
"You broke the elevator," Kagome said in the darkness. "You pressed the button too many times."
"I'm sure I did," said Sesshoumaru mildly.
"You how we should give those idiot reporters something to write about? After all, we're so nice..."
"Hey... you mean like that?" While Kagome was staring into the dark, Sesshoumaru's demon eyesight allowed him to perceive everything clearly. Without warning, he reached out and pulled her close, pressing his lips to hers.
Kagome savored the taste of alcohol on his lips, then pulled away slightly.
"We're acting. No commitments," she said.
"We're acting. No commitments," he agreed.
"How long are we going to be stuck here in a broken elevator?"
"A very long time."
"Long enough for some fun?"
"Maybe." Hell, he would probably regret it later. But later was later. Now was now.
"You know what we're doing is rather shocking?" giggled Kagome, searching for his lips again, trying to make contact.
"Yeah," he mumbled, tracing circles around her lips, twirling a lock of her hair around his fingers, treating his fingertips to the silky softness of her long tresses.
"Inuyasha will kill us," Kagome whispered, weaving her hands through his hair and reaching for his collar, tugging it loose.
"The publicity will kill me," he answered.
"They already have. We're already dead, you and I. This is heaven. Don't you think?"
"Yeah, making out a certain beautiful secretary of mine. How does 'personal assistant' sound? Making out with a certain beautiful personal assistant of mine."
"Is there a difference?" moaned Kagome. Two smooth hands had slipped up the back of her top, running fingers down her spine, sending shudders through her body.
"Hell yeah," muttered Sesshoumaru. "My secretary I would stare at and take on trips with me, unable to do anything about it. My personal assistant I could – quoting that Masaru idiot – 'screw on a desk'."
"You would screw me on a desk?" asked Kagome, licking her bottom lip.
"Why not? Try and imagine it. Isn't it beautiful?"
"Yeah, until Jakotsu, or better, your dad, walks in on us."
"Oh, but they wouldn't. I would be conferring with my personal assistant on important matters – do not disturb."
Kagome grinned lecherously. "Then my promotion would serve our advantage."
"Pity it's only for tonight," said Sesshoumaru. "I would enjoy a secret relationship."
"Not so secret anymore, huh?" asked Kagome, noticing that the elevator doors had opened and reporters were busy snapping pictures of them in such a tight embrace.
"Well, then we find a more secret place." As fast as their intoxicated bodies would allow, they sprinted towards the parking lots.
"To the mansion," Sesshoumaru decided. "They'll have a hell of a time climbing up the hill," he added with a sneer.
A few minutes later...
"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Kaede asked in puzzlement as he pushed open the door, giving Kagome an urgent kiss for the view of the press who were just huffing up the hill and had the winding, hundred-meter driveway to cross.
The Taisho family confused Kaede. First, Inuyasha came home with two girls who ran off in two minutes, then Sesshoumaru came home with a girl. A girl! Kaede had turned away more than a hundred girls from the door who'd come looking for Sesshoumaru, but she had yet to see Sesshoumaru bring one home. What's more, the girl looked like the one that had come with Inuyasha before and the secretary from all the TV shows.
Really, thought Kaede. You never cease to be amazed. I thought Inuyasha with Kikyo was the last shock I would get, but then you get stuff like Sesshoumaru bringing home a girl. A girl! I thought he detested all females his age except Kagura.
She'd barely had time to recollect her thoughts when the doorbell rang. Outside, flashing cameras and loud microphones were shoved at Kaede through the door.
"Did you see a couple come in, silver-haired man and a rather good-looking girl?" they yelled.
"Nope. You're on private property" said Kaede pointedly, slamming the door.
The crowd groaned and tittered, until someone yelled, "There's them! Up on the third floor! You can see their shadows!"
Sure enough, Kagome had drawn the pale curtains and switched on the lights, making sure their shadows could be seen well through the windows from the garden outside on the ground floor.
"And now comes the undressing part," Kagome said after a lengthy time of making out.
"Exaggerated moves work well," Sesshoumaru added.
"Like how?" Kagome wanted to know.
"Like this," Sesshoumaru said, slowly sliding Kagome's top off and flinging it to the other side of the room, and allowing her to do the same to him. Her fingers moved quickly to unbutton his shirt, but he was faster and slipped her skirt off her thighs.
Having reached a reasonable state of undress, Kagome allowed herself to be lowered to the bed. She shivered as the silk comforter and crisp clung to her skin. Sesshoumaru flicked off the lights and followed suit, but as soon as they were out of view from the reporters he slipped off the bed onto the floor.
"You think we fooled them?" asked Kagome.
"Yeah. I think they've gone home to gloat about tomorrow's cover story. Which is, really, nothing at all."
"How true," laughed Kagome, feeling her warm cheeks.
There was a rustling of the curtains as Sesshoumaru moved to look out the window. "Yeah, they're gone."
"Good. Do you have anything to drink?" Kagome asked, wriggling under the comforters and letting her head fall on the pillows.
"What do you want?"
"Sleep," said Kagome truthfully.
"Don't we all," said Sesshoumaru under his breath. He slipped on a T-shirt over his working pants and went to find Kaede. The woman had better not ever tell anyone that Kagome had been there.
Inuyasha fumbled for his keys and barged through the door loudly. It was rather late – Kaede was probably already in her room.
Yawning, he walked upstairs. Sesshoumaru's room was dark.
Good, thought Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru isn't home. He always used Sesshoumaru's room when his brother wasn't around – it was so much bigger and better.
Opening the door, his nose picked up a scent of alcohol, and above all, roses and ice wine.
Since when did Sesshoumaru put roses in his room and drank ice wine, Inuyasha didn't know. In the darkness he felt his way to the bed.
Without bothering to undress, he slipped under the sheets.
Without warning, someone shrieked.
"What was that?" asked Kaede. She was still staring at Sesshoumaru. She'd brought the boy up, and never once had she seen him in such disorientated clothing. A person who made sure his clothes were always spick and span didn't ever show up in a crumpled T-shirt and dressy slacks.
"Sounded like Kagome," Sesshoumaru was telling her. "Like I said, don't tell anyone she was here."
He opened his room door and switched on the light.
Kagome was perched on one side of the bed, clutching the coverings to her body and arguing with Inuyasha, who was in rumpled clothes and seemed more shocked than anything. Both were engaged in a heated argument.
"You idiot!" yelled Kagome. "What are you doing here?"
"I was about to ask you the same thing! And what happened to the rest of your clothes?"
"Who gave you permission to get into the same bed as me?"
"Who gave you permission to even be here?"
"Me," said Sesshoumaru from the doorway.
Inuyasha's jaw smacked the ground. "What are you doing here? Are you trying to prove the reporters right or something?"
"Something like that." Sesshoumaru didn't sound interested.
"WHAT!?" exclaimed Inuyasha.
"We're going led the reporters on a fake trail, pretending we were sleeping with each other and all. Then, we would disprove them in the morning," explained Kagome. "Now give me a hug."
"You're drunk, both of you," Inuyasha accused. "I could smell it a mile away. And just how the hell are you going to prove it?"
"Easy. There was no way Kagome was sleeping with me, because she spent the evening at her home with her family and friends. We'll get Jakotsu or that Mango girl to back us up," Sesshoumaru said.
"It's Sango," hissed Kagome.
"Yes, her. Whatever."
"Kagome, you staying the night or what?" asked Inuyasha.
"Don't know," mumbled Kagome from the foot of the bed, trying to keep herself covered while she searched for her clothes.
"If dad comes home, you'll be so busted, Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha said.
"For what?" inquired Sesshoumaru politely. Too politely for Inuyasha's comfort.
"For sleeping with a minor, or something!"
Kagome fought between laughing and marching up to slap Inuyasha. "We're not having sex, grow up!"
"Well, what am I supposed to think? A half-naked girl in my brother's bed? Umm... right, they were simply socializing," Inuyasha said with a small smile.
"Not funny, you idiot!" Kagome cried, throwing a pillow at him.
"My apologies," laughed Inuyasha, catching it and flinging it back at her. His claws had pierced the pillow covers, and as it sailed across the room...
"Oh, god," muttered Sesshoumaru, as feathers started flying everywhere.