Ayame smiled, patting Rin on the head before leaving the room, closing the door behind her and pulling a string to alert a maid to finish tending to Rin. As soon as the maid arrived, Sesshoumaru led Ayame to their room with a hand to the small of her back, as he usually did. Ayame sighed, looking down at herself. She should probably wash up and change before dinner, too. She raked her fingers through her drying hair, shaking it lightly before moving to head toward her kimono cubby. She was halfway across the room when the sound of Sesshoumaru's voice made her stop right in her tracks.
"...Ayame..." ...It was all he said. But the tone of his voice... something was wrong. She'd known something was wrong! Why didn't she listen to her intuition?
Immediately, she turned and rushed to him, her eyes full of worry as she placed a hand to his cheek, kissing his other cheek a few times. "Sesshoumaru, darling, what's wrong? I had the feeling something was wrong. I'm so stupid, I should have asked you! I'm sorry.." She sputtered. He sighed, looking into her eyes.
He had to ask. He needed to. "...Ayame," he finally managed, after a moment of her fussing over him. He took her hands and lowered his gaze. "I saw you. ...And Kouga. At the fortress." He peeked up at her. Her eyes were wide and she paled significantly, even for a white wolf.
"S-Sessh.. that wasn't.... You have nothing to worry about. That didn't mean anything." She smiled softly, though her heart was hurting. So he had seen that. She felt terrible. She moved into his embrace, holding him tightly. He held her in return, but couldn't help the track his mind had been set on. He had never loved anyone like Ayame in his life, and he wanted her to be happy...
"...If ... if you would be happier to marry Kouga-"
"Shut up, Sessh." Ayame interrupted before he could even finish. She pulled back, giving him a sharp look. He was rather taken aback himself. She'd never spoken to him like that before. No one had. Ayame sighed. "Sesshoumaru, why don't you understand how much I love you? Yes, I did love Kouga this way once. But he ruined that. Yes, I still want to be his friend, despite that. But only his friend, I promise you that with all my heart, Sessh."
He looked at her rather flatly. Of course he believed her, but his eyes betrayed her words. "You seemed rather content..."
Ayame felt as though Sesshoumaru had just squeezed her beating heart. She stared at him a moment, silent. "...Is that what you think?" She asked quietly. "Why are you insisting that I'd rather be with him? Why, Sessh?? D-... do you... want me to leave?" She asked, tears welling in her eyes again as she took a small step back. Sesshoumaru was quiet a moment before shaking his head.
"No." He managed. "No, Ayame. I don't want you to leave. But... if you would be happier with him, then I-"
"Do you want to know, Sesshoumaru? Do you want to know how I would feel if I left you to be with him and couldn't be with you anymore?" She asked, her voice wavering as the tears began to slip down her cheeks. She stepped forward again, backing him slowly against the wall until she had him pressed there, her form against his and her lips mere inches from his own as she gripped his top.
"...Do you?" She whispered, looking into his eyes. He didn't say a word. She moved forward, taking his lips in a hard kiss as a hand slipped into his hair for a moment. His expression when she pulled back was of slight pain and confusion.
Ayame left the room.
Sesshoumaru sighed. Ayame had probably gone to help Rin finish cleaning up before dinner. They would speak more of this after the meal, privately. When they had more time. He sighed again and fixed his hair, leaving the room and heading downstairs. He hadn't heard anyone in the washroom, so Ayame and Rin were probably already at the table.
He turned a corner to enter the dining room and blinked. Everyone was waiting for him. ...For him, and Ayame. Wait.. what? He blinked in confusion, looking around the room once more. No... Ayame wasn't here. Where would she have gone?! He stood there in the archway, frozen in place as he scanned the room again. Again. No.. she really wasn't there. He stood there, certain that she'd probably sneak up behind him and place her arms around his waist or ask him why he was standing there. People began to stop and look at him. Ayame still hadn't come out yet.
Finally, his eyes narrowed slightly in the direction of his brother. Inuyasha caught his gaze and Sesshoumaru turned, abruptly leaving the room despite even Rin's call for him to sit and eat. A few seats moved back, standing to head after him, but Inuyasha rushed to the dining hall's archway, motioning for everyone to sit. "I'll take care of this." He nodded, and turned to see where Sesshoumaru had gone, catching a glimpse of his hair turn into a study down the hall.
He hurried to catch up to him and entered the study. "Sesshoumaru?" He asked softly. Suddenly the door closed behind him and he blinked, finding himself caged in his brother's arms against the door. "Hey, Sesshoumaru, what the fu-"
"Where did she go? You know something, don't you Inuyasha? Tell me!" He demanded. Inuyasha growled slightly.
"I came to comfort you and this is the thanks I get?!" He snapped back. Sesshoumaru glared at him another moment before letting out a sigh and releasing his brother, moving to flop into a chair. Inuyasha huffed slightly before following, sitting in the chair across from him.
"We .. had a bit of a fight." Sesshoumaru began, glancing away from his brother.
"...About Kouga?" Inuyasha asked, and Sesshoumaru looked him right in the eyes.
"Oh. So that's what you've been acting strange for. You saw them, too?"
"Yeah, I saw them!" Inuyasha frowned, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms. "I should have jumped Kouga for you.. damn!"
"It's fine, Otoutou, calm down. I... I don't think... that she..."
Inuyasha watched his brother, waiting for him to finish. He blinked, noticing that his light-skinned older sibling seemed to have gotten rather pale, and his hands were shaking slightly. Inuyasha sighed and moved to kneel by Sesshoumaru's seat. "Oh you don't, do you? What happened, exactly?"
The Taiyoukai sighed. "I asked her if she'd rather be with Kouga, she told me no, and I mentioned that she looked content with him. She asked me if I wanted her to leave, I told her no, she asked me if I wanted to know how she'd feel if she were with Kouga and not me... and then she kissed me and... left?"
"None of us saw her leave, Sesshoumaru."
Now the older dog turned to look right down into Inuyasha's eyes.
"Then where is she?"
Inuyasha sighed, shaking his head. "I donno, Sesshoumaru.. maybe she just.. went for a walk or something to cool down. If we can't find her around the castle, I'm sure she'll be back soon. Alright? Don't worry so much." He took one of his brother's hands, patting it gently. Sesshoumaru looked down at his brother and gave him a small hint of a smile, then nodded.
"Alright, Inuyasha. We shall see, then." He sighed and stood, Inuyasha following suit. Sesshoumaru paused as they reached the door, his hand on the handle. "...Inuyasha?"
His ears twitched as he blinked at Sesshoumaru. There was something more? "Huh?"
"...Please don't tell anyone. You may speak with Kagome of this, but noone else is to know. Understand?"
Inuyasha sighed, but nodded. He did understand. Ayame's pack would freak out if they thought she was missing, and if Ayame just needed some time to think and be alone, she'd be pretty upset that the pack had gone to find her. "Yeah. I understand, Sesshoumaru."
"...Good." Sesshoumaru took in a deep breath and opened the door, the two of them returning to the dining hall.
Rin blinked when Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha sat, the space on the other side of her Lord empty where her "Mother" should be. "Sesshoumaru-sama..." she asked meekly. "Where is Ayame? She's going to miss dinner..."
He turned to her and gave her a pat on the head. "She will return soon, Rin." He reassured her, already feeling the eyes of the Guard on him. "She just stepped out for a walk. If she misses dinner, there will still be plenty for her to eat when she returns."
Rin nodded, seeming alright with this excuse. But the Guard exchanged a few glances, eating slowly. An action that did not go unmissed by Sesshoumaru. They weren't glances of suspicion and worry. They almost looked....
Guilty?
A/N: I will be updating more ASAP. Don't worry, I didn't intend to be gone for so long and only give you two chapters! More coming soon. Very soon. I promise.
