Chapter 37: Splintery demise
He had went to the convenience store as per Souta's request to buy enough packed lunches for the workers as making something or ordering would take too much time. He carried the bags down the sidewalk back home. Upon his arrival, he was met by his smiling daughter. Kagome had came by and dropped her and Shippo off before going missing somewhere. With Rin back home and playing with Shippo in his living-room, where they were sheltered from the polluted air outside, after a quick lunch, Sesshomaru returned to his work for most of the day.
When he had taken a break to drink some water and looked at how the workers moved about their work, he had spotted Kagome from his bedroom balcony. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed at the scene. She was standing in the middle of the yard, blushing furiously while looking up to some guy's face. He leaned on the rail, still sipping at the water he continued to observe the new... occupier. He was a head and something taller than her so he loomed over. His black hair was long, tied in a high ponytail. His shoulders wide and then his back smiled down to a narrow waist and hips. The guy said something and she... her blush spread all over her face and down her neck. Then she shook her head furiously and stepped to the side. An eyebrow roused on his part... Kagome's hands were both clasped in that guy's larger ones. She pulled a few times before he finally let go. Sesshomaru could almost hear her sigh from the movement of her shoulders. She rubbed her hands before shaking her head and taking the man's hand. She guided him inside through the working men. He saw them disappear in the direction of the stairs. Half a minute later he saw the man entering Kagome's bedroom. His eyes narrowed. The guy took off his shirt and unbuckled his pants. He looked away from him and eyes settled on Kagome as she too entered the bedroom and locked the door. Her blouse was lifted over her head and set aside. She neared the window and their eyes locked for a second. Her eyes were startled and a deep blush settled on her cheeks. The other occupant of the room obviously called her name when her head turned in the direction he knew was her bed. Kagome spared him another glance, tucking a shred of hair nervously behind her ear. Then she closed the shades in her window.
Sesshomaru straightened with a forceful push, the glass almost dropping to the deck below. With a sharp turn he went back inside, set the glass away and returned to his studio. He cracked his knuckles and sat down on the stool. Slowly he replaced the nearly finished work with a blank sheet. He picked up a black marker and started a new project. Thinking about it in this moment would not help. Thoughts and images flashed in his mind. He did not like the feeling building inside, as if laughing at his coherent mind. She had said that he had been her first... obviously he had asked, for him not to be her only. Her son had mentioned that her room was off-limits... the moment he had stepped inside with her in his embrace, that had changed... and the disagreeable thing was that he had pondered on throwing the glass at the guy's head. It would have most certainly hit the mark. He will ask not of her business, instead he shall continue to observe and then decide if he should agree to her plea or not.
He had found it impossible not to ruin his work... so as to avoid any more futile effort and wasted materials, he retreated in his bedroom to read... perhaps... it wold have been so, if only his eyes did not stray away from the page he had yet to turn. Time and time again his gaze wondered to the shades in her window. It had darkened outside in the last hour and the light in her room threw her shadow over the thin curtain blocking his view inside. Sometime she had moved about the room before returning to where he knew the bed was. Again her shadow stilled on the curtain. She stretched her hands over her head for a minute before resuming the rhythmic movements he had noted, to his shame. He set the book aside for it was useless to continue on and turned off his reading light. He stood and glided soundlessly over to the balcony. Fed up with this troubling feeling of doubt he grabbed the curtain to draw it closed. This doubt was not similar with the sentiment of betrayal neither would it point in that direction from her. It was more on his part. Should he let these little actions continue, and should he accept to aid her still, he would doubt his own conclusion and most likely ruin her. Be it by depriving her of a good match and happy existence, either throwing her into the hands of some bastard that would dry the life and spirit out of her in the years to come. With no glance to the window across him, the curtain was drawn.
Sesshomaru descended the stairs and made about his kitchen to prepare supper for all occupants of the property. He deemed it necessary... not to atone, but to settle the tense atmosphere he had let sit between Kagome and he, since yesterday. The two youngsters run to his side skipping from one foot to the other in sync. He spared them a glance and a raised eyebrow in question of their fidgeting.
"Well?" he urged and since he had not talked much today, his voice came out coarse. The two poor souls stilled and searched his face for any sign of reprimand. When finding none the smiles returned.
"Can we have omurice?" Sesshomaru's eyes widened at their simple request. Simple indeed, for most maybe. His eyes traveled to the construction site across the yard. He saw Kagome descend the stairs with her... visitor. The lights in her house were lit everywhere on the ground floor for only now did the workers packed up their stuff to leave. They should be back early tomorrow to ruin his morning... Back to the two that involuntary interested him. He noticed the gesture between them then Kagome had embraced the man and waved him off with a tired smile. As he made his way through the missing wall, he high-five with Souta and left the property in a relaxed stroll. Eyes lingered on his form to make sure he had left. Something about the man screamed in the back of his mind 'wolf'. Then he looked back at her. Kagome turned in his direction and met his eyes. She put away the contents of her hand in the back pocket of her jeans. Then with a few nods and good-byes to the workers and a hug to Souta along the way she neared them. Rin tugged on his hand while Shippo dared not to do so but also pleaded with his eyes. "Well, daddy?" Sesshomaru's attention reverted back to the problem at hand. He had not cooked fried rice omelette since his college days and he would not present his daughter with a half mastered dish from his memory. He was about to shake his head when Kagome intervened.
"Is something wrong?" she asked at the grave expression he most likely wore. The two kids' heads turned to her and instantly their eyes lit up. She only blinked at his mournful ones.
"Mom, can we have omurice?" her eyebrows rose to her bangs. Was this the reason for this grave atmosphere?
"I can't see why not?" she pondered and upon seeing his slouching shoulders, realization lit in her eyes. A smile graced her lips and she tried to quickly hide it behind her hand. Sesshomaru eyed her warily. All events of today and the day before turned to mist blown away by wind. She had that cat-like attitude that always lightened the mood. But he wished not to be her prey tonight. She giggled like a silver bell. "Can I cook?" she finally asked coming to his rescue.
"Okay!" the two young ones agreed for they would get the dinner they wished for. So they quickly returned to their game. Kagome neared him and he stood to full height looming over her. Then leaned against the counter, arms crossed, to make space for her.
"So, what do you have in the fridge?" she asked more of politeness, but her head was already inside the fridge. He sighed and let a hidden smile crawl on his lips. So much like her to do so.
"Whatever else you need I'll go and fetched it." her movements stilled and then with various things in her arms she emerged. She set them on the counter next to him. He looked at the ingredients to refresh his memory. Onion, carrots and bell pepper, bacon, milk, butter, a cardboard of a dozen eggs and leftover rice from lunch. There was more than enough for six people as he had made plenty. She searched his cupboards and got oil, sugar, salt, pepper and a cube of stock powder. Then his drawers and she smiled.
"Sesshomaru," she murmured, her eyes shining.
"Hm?" he responded looking at her. She held a wooden spoon in her hand.
"Fetch!" she said throwing the cooking tool out the open door into the darkened yard. He just roused an eyebrow at her. "You said you would fetch!" she whined. He shook his head to keep from laughing.
"I did," he admitted. "but only for things you need and don't already have." he chuckled at her pout as she stomped to the open door. She stilled there for a few seconds then turned to him.
"You wouldn't happen to have another wooden spoon around, would you?" an eyebrow was arched in question of the need. He shook his head no. She sighed.
"Then go fetch one from my kitchen." he strolled to her.
"You already had one." he reminded looking over her nervous face.
"Well, yours just met a splintery demise between Hatsuyo's teeth."
The said dog perked its triangular ears forward, the tip resting smugly against its cheeks in attentiveness from his pounced position. He continued to chew on the chunks of wood in his mouth before spitting them off his tongue. Sesshomaru glared at it. Hatsuyo remained uninterested by the display and wound its large canines around what was left of the spoon's tail. The man's glare deepened. The dog lifted the wooden object, holding it securely between jaws. Then as much as its lips allowed grinned wide showing every one of those white gleaming molars. And so just to spite him, it chewed down, splinting the wood in more than two pieces. Two more chews and those chunks were spit out. Hatsuyo stood to its feet and strolled away into the darkness of the yard. Sesshomaru scowled. Kagome barely kept from laughing both hands over her face like a surgical mask. Sesshomaru sent her one hateful glare before leaving the house and walked the path to her open house. He roamed about the dust and debris filled kitchen till he had found another spoon. He muttered under his breath curses aimed at the likeness between pet and master. And above all he swore at the glee in those black cat's eyes watching him with such delight.
A/N: I hope I did not disappoint you (much at least) and that you found some pleasure in continuing to read this story. I wish you all an easy and fruitful start of the week. Hopefully the next chapter would be ready for tomorrow. I shall use two of those courses for the task. Thank you all for reading!