Standard disclaimer.


Chapter 12: Nothing More Than Feelings

Saying sorry was something Kagura found hard to do. She rarely apologized for her actions, whether her fault or not, unless deemed necessary.

But, three days of being treated as the Black Sheep of the family was something she could not deal with. Kagura knew she was wrong from the very beginning; and she knew she should take action to correct her mistake.

She did.

She patiently waited for her mother at the driveway, eager to finally show her way of apologizing.

But patience was never part of her virtue. Soon, she was growing impatient minute by minute. She instantly perked up the moment she caught sight of the yellow taxicab of Byakuya.

Kagura grimaced. She will never like her mother's companion but the least she can do was be civil towards him. Byakuya might one day become her stepfather.

Roze stepped out of the car, gave Byakuya a quick kiss before making her way towards the house's entryway. She and her daughter were not in speaking terms. She glanced briefly at Kagura before proceeding forward. Kagura hesitated, momentarily submitting to pride; but she gathered her will to call after her mother. Roze halted without turning around.

"I, uh… I just, umm…" Kagura found herself at a loss for words.

Roze sighed out loud. She knew her daughter was trying to do something she was not accustomed to. Just the idea of Kagura attempting for an apology was enough for her. She let a smile escaped her lips. "Do we have a visitor today?" she asked when she finally faced her daughter. She had noticed a car parked at the driveway.

Kagura understood her mother had accepted her 'apology'. She shook her head in answering the question. "No; there's no visitor. It's yours, mom," she pointed to the car. It was an old-model Toyota car, presumably second-hand.

"Mine?" Roze raised an inquiring brow. "You know I don't know how to drive."

A knowing smile finally appeared on Kagura's face. "You don't expect me to let you use public transport when you go to work in the morning, do you? I bought the car for your own use, mom," she said sincerely.

Roze was speechless. Kagura can never say sorry, literally; but her way of expressing an apology was extravagant. When she said nothing, Kagura took the chance to further explain.

"I'll be driving you to work every morning, mom. If you also want, I can pick you up from work too," she said in an embarrassed manner. "You know… That way, Byakuya doesn't have to go off his route."

Roze was completely taken aback. Her daughter did indeed feel bad for what she did. Then, something dawned on her. "My god, honey. The money you used to buy this car…" she trailed off. Kagura had used her own savings - the money she had saved up so she could one day travel around the world. "Take the car back, sweetheart. You didn't have to use your money for this." Roze couldn't help but let the tears fall from her eyes. She was a sensitive person after all.

Kagura shook her head, laughing a little. She gave her mother a hug. "Mom, I can always earn and save money. The safety of my baby brother is more important to me," she daid softly through muffled words. Kagura might seem a tough woman but in the interior, she inherited her mother's sensitivity.

The mother hugged the daughter tightly. She was confident the conflict between her and Kagura could be easily resolved. After some unspoken words through tears, Roze finally broke free from her daughter's embrace. Her tear-strained face beamed. "Baby brother?"

Kagura shrugged. "Well, Kanna said a baby brother would be a good addition to an all-female family." She snorted. "But another sister wouldn't be bad."

Rose chuckled. Her mood swung to the brightest and happiest level. She examined the car once more. Sure, it wasn't brand-new. It wasn't a Mercedes, or a BMW, or a Porsche. Red, the car's paint, wasn't even her favourite colour. But at the very moment, the car in front of her was the most precious object in the world. It symbolized her daughter's apology, care and love.

After minutes of inspecting the ins and outs of the car, Roze finally gave a nod of approval. "I love it, Kagura. The best car I've ever had," she exclaimed. Then her expression changed from delight to girlish excitement. She started to giggle. Kagura eyed her mother strangely, blaming the mood change to the pregnancy.

Roze once more pulled Kagura for an embrace. "Thank you, dear. I appreciate the apology." Then, before she stepped away, she whispered something that startled Kagura a bit. "The lover boy is here once more. "She inclined her head towards the direction of a man who just stepped out of a black car. "Sesshoumaru!" Roze called out, waving her hand at him.

Crimson eyes traced the approaching tall figure. He had been on Kagura's mind ever lately. The only time Kagura was able to block thoughts of him, he showed up. She tried to act all calm and composed; but this was a test of will she could never win. Every inch of a step Sesshoumaru took towards them, the louder the pounding in her chest went.

Kagura gulped down when he was finally a few inches away from her. "W-why are you here?" Kagura tried to sound rough but her voice croaked instead.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Jiyuu," he greeted Roze before acknowledging Kagura's question. "Business," he simply answered.

Roze stifled a laugh. Sesshoumaru's last visit was also 'business' which ended up with him having lunch with Kagura's entire family. "It's nice seeing you again, Sesshoumaru. I'll leave you two alone," she patted Kagura on the back. "I'll tell Gran Bett you're staying for dinner, Sesshoumaru," she winked at him before quickly disappearing inside the house, lest Sesshoumaru rejected the dinner invitation.

The two watched Roze's retreating figure in silence. Kagura faced him, arms folded. "If it's business you're here for, you should've just called."

Sesshoumaru eyed her, partially inclining an eyebrow. "I wanted to discuss something with you in personal."

"Then we should talk in my office. Follow me," she walked towards the extension of the house that was made into a small office. "You don't have to stay for dinner," she said as she walked ahead of him, trying to hide the growing flushness of her cheeks. She fished for the office keys on her pocket. "It's already past business hours. Be happy I'm even entertaining you for a business conversation without an appointment." She unlocked the door then stepped inside. "Have a seat," she huffed out.

"I prefer to stand. This wouldn't take long," Sesshoumaru said.

"Fine. I'm not even gonna offer you anything to drink," Kagura said, folding her arms once more and trying to look stern. "What do you want to discuss? Or are you just here to scope up how I run my business since I'm doing deliveries for your company?"

Sesshoumaru frowned a bit. He could not discern why she was being – or attempting to be rude towards him. The last time he remembered, they parted on good terms three days ago. He was not surprised though. Kagura's mood could swing faster than the speed of light. One time she could be all gentle and nice; and the next all brute and gruff. "I want to offer your company a year-long contract."

"Year-long?" Kagura's expression softened. "You mean, we would continue doing deliveries for the Gold&Amber?" She could not believe it. This was exactly her hope; what her company really needed. A one-year contract with a big company such as Sesshoumaru's would guarantee Kagura's business to stabilize financially. She didn't know whether to hug Sesshoumaru or kiss him. She decided neither. Suddenly she felt shy around her. "I… I don't know what to say. You're, you're not joking, are you?"

"I never jest when it involves my work," he coolly answered. "The trucking service we have under contract had major problems in their business. They wouldn't be able to provide the service we need. Your company had provided what we required. The management wanted to retain your services. I figured if I personally asked, you would adhere."

"If you only know how this means to my business. Of course I accept!"

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Very well. The management would arrange a date to formalize the contract."

Kagura nodded in agreement, excitement clearly showing on her face. Sesshoumaru managed to put a happy exclamation point on her day. She gazed down her feet shyly. "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

Sesshoumaru wanted to snort. Just few minutes ago the woman told him not to stay. Kagura indeed was an intriguing individual. "As much as I would want to, I can't. I have dinner engagements. Please tell you mother and grandmother my apologies. I should go," he said, starting to walk out the door. Kagura stopped him by taking hold of his sleeve.

"Wait. I just wanna say thank you. Really. This means a lot to me." The sincerity in her eyes was evident.

"It was not my decision. It was the management's."

"But you have the last say on such matters. And the fact that you didn't reject their decision meant a lot to me."

Sesshoumaru nodded. That was true. He could have simply contested the management's decision in giving Kagura's business a one-year contract. "Very well," he acknowledged with a nod.

Kagura watched him go. Just when she decided to start hating him again (because he occupied her mind too much), he did something that melted her heart. What was it about Sesshoumaru that could make her heart beat faster, her palms sweaty and her stomach in knots? Kagura sighed happily as she locked her office. Tomorrow she would have good news to her three employers, all thanks to Sesshoumaru.

A blush and a smile crossed her face.

OOOooOOooOOOooOOooOOOooOOooOOOooOOooOOOooOOooOOOooOOooOOO

It was dangerous ground he was stepping into. But as dangerous it seemed like it, the more he wanted to take a step further.

Sesshoumaru knew what he was getting into was wrong. He was actually the one who suggested retaining Kagura's services to the company, and the management was more than willing to do so. Jiyuu Trucking Services performed to a near perfection, good enough to deserve a one-year contract. But there was also another catch to it. Sesshoumaru wanted to have more reason to see Kagura, or simply to have more connection with her.

Sesshoumaru was aware of how wrong his intentions were becoming.

He continued staring out his apartment balcony. It was a cool night. Surprisingly, the night was also engulfed in silence, as if he was never really in the city. He hadn't been back to the countryside for almost a week. He had simply used work as an excuse to Koura. The truth was -as strange as it may sound- he wanted badly to stay in the city

He gulped down the last drop of his scotch. He was not a constant drinker unless he needed to calm down his nerves. Sooner or later, Sesshoumaru knew, he should decide how to resolve the confusion he was having. It was something he was not looking forward to.

He internally made fun at himself. No matter how intelligent a person was, when it came to matters of the heart, he (or she) would still succumb to foolishness and stupid emotions. It was something Sesshoumaru thought he would never have to experience.

But there he was, sitting idly in a chair out on the balcony, pondering of things beyond his usual care.

He hated the feeling.


A/N: like my other fic (bless the broken road), I also wrote this in the car during the family's 15-hour trip to Chicago. So, it wasn't the best I've written… and it's indeed quite short. Sorry. Hope you all still liked the way things worked out.

Also, I got the movie where I ripped the plot of this fic. YAY!

Anyways…please be kind enough to leave a review to this beggar-of-an-authoress in me.

THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO TOOK TIME TO LEAVE A NICE REVIEW. I'm truly honoured and appreciate all your efforts.

Till next chapter!