Sesshomaru sat stunned and seething on his cushion. He looked exactly the same as when she first walked into his study, but he was angry and also stunned. How dare she embarrass him like that! In reality he had expected some sort of negative reaction from her. She was quite peeved at breakfast with the treatment from Lord Harou like she was some courtesan trying to sleep her way to become Lady of the Lands. In that situation, her anger was somewhat justified but poorly timed in his eyes.
Or was it that he didn't understand how great the execution of her angerwas.
He truly expected Lord Harou to try and attack her, like earlier. Not stand their muttering about some woman with his father. Said father looked equally disturbed.
"Lord Harou"
The Northern Lord momentarily snapped out of his state to answer him.
"Oh! Yes, I am ... satisfied with her reasonings." The fox sent his father a well meaning look.
"Son, Harou and I will take our leave"
They practically ran out of the small study leaving its young occupants to stare at the place where they once stood. What had just happened? Sesshomaru wasn't too sure, but he knew one thing. He could blame Natsu for Kagome's outburst.
"Natsu, if I had known you leaving with the Miko would have caused all these problems, I would have kept her myself"
"Kept her, Sesshy? Those are dangerous words to be thrown about at these times"
His eyes cut to his general reclining on a fat yellow cushion. Eiji shut up.
"Sesshomaru, we both know you wouldn't. To properly train her you would have needed to leave with her. Something that someone in your position is incapable of doing"
"Sessy," he said experimentally as if he was tasting it, "You've maimed for less..." his general mused out loud to everyone and no one.
"It was something that someone in your position couldn't do either, baka! You know how your otou-san gets when you disappear."
"Ow! There's no need to hit me you know. We both know she needed to be trained, and she was willing!"
"So why didn't you stick to the plan then."
"The confidence she carried yelling at him... "
"No offense, Fubuki, but your style wouldn't have been best for her."
So Fubuki was the one that was supposed to train her. That unsettled Sesshomaru slightly, because he knew the snow wolf. He knew them all in honesty. The scene that was happening was not something he was unaccustomed to. In reality, every time they came together, it always happened to similar to this. Fubuki and Natsu argued while Eiji plotted or daydreamed and he ignored them while he occupied himself in productive endeavours. This was their routine from since they were children.
If the other two were as consistent in his life as Eiji, Sesshomaru may have easily considered them as his friends. In technicality, they were. He would only speak to them freely in a situation like this where they were all alone. He began looking at the documents in front of him.
"Her eyes...
"Sesshomaru's way would have turned her into a golem like the former clay bitch miko-"
"Clay bitch miko- Are you talking about the shiro's horse, Kikyo"
"Apparently he is"
"She used to be a golem? How is she alive then?"
"Well it happened around this time last year, when Toga returned-"
"That's a really long story. All you need to know is that Kagome did it"
"The miko! How powerful is she?" He muttered to himself.
"Anyway. The only other person that would have been fit to do it would have been Eiji, and she only found out about his existence today."
"And Sesshy here wouldn't have let me go for such an extended time. Especially with someone he's interested in."
Interested in? Sesshomaru felt nothing of the sort. He was interested in no one, especially some mortal miko. The other two stopped talking. They were invested in what Eiji had to say.
"You are wrong"
"I'm wrong? Come on Sesshomaru, she called you Sesshy and still has her tongue in that pretty little mouth of hers." He paused for effect and Fubuki picked up where the other left off, biting the proffered bait.
"And she was bold enough to say it in front of us"
"My guess is that Sesshy is the more acceptable name she has for him"
"Oh it is. Kagome told me she had next one" Sesshomaru tensed subtly, "but she never said what it was" he relaxed.
"Guess we'll have to coax it out of her." Eiji proposed
"You will not"
"Why shouldn't I?"
Sesshy, that was one of the nicknames she had for him. It was another reason for his anger. He personally had no qualms against the term of endearment, (after months of her using it on him) . But usually it was when they had their private conversations. But now they knew a part of his special connection with the miko, and that just wouldn't do. He wasn't one to share. And that was the second reason he was angry.
The look in his amber eyes promised reparation to anyone that would do such. They didn't need to also know about 'Fluffy-sama'. He saw the unadulterated fear creep into their eyes. But then Eiji's face took on a smirk.
"Okay Sesshomaru, we won't ask. But why were you anticipating her arrival. I say this because when she broke in and disrupted last night's female introductions, you didn't even appear surprised. As a matter of fact, you smirked as if you expected no less. Are you sure you're not a little bit interested"
"I respect her. That is all. I have no romantic interest. Any interest you perceive is platonic in nature."
It was right at that moment his father and Lord Harou returned to his study, looking much calmer than before they left.
"Didn't you just leave, milords?"
"Yes! Harou and I had something important to discuss. What did we miss?"
"Your son may actually have an intended by the end of the games, milord" Eiji said.
"He might?"
"Yes otou-san. But he only has a chance."
"Natsu, you know how proud he is. He might not want to sully his line with huma- "
Sesshomaru whipped the wolf's hand across his knuckles like he was some petulant school child
"Don't you speak about the miko that way." He spat at him. Not a single hair was out of place. As he lowered his hand, Jaken came crashing through the doors of his study squawking as though he was choking.
"MILORD I AM SO SORRY ! BLAME THE ASTRONOMERS FOR THEIR INCOMPETENCE "
"Jaken"
"I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS HAPPENED"
"Jaken" intoned his father menacingly.
"THEY GOT THE WRONG DAY. YOU ONLY HAVE 18 NIGHTS NOT 27. AAIIIIIIEEEE" He screamed as he flew out the window from a kick by Lord Harou.
"Sesshomaru how do you handle such a loud retainer?"
Sesshomaru chose not to answer the Lord. He rose gracefully from his desk. He swept from the room in a flourish.
"I bet he's going by Kagome"
"Who wouldn't want to go where she is"
"Is that the miko, son?"
"Hai"
"It seems we were teasing the wrong person Natsu. Looks like the mighty Fubuki is also interested in the miko"
"If he doesn't want her, I have no problem trying. The little I know of her interests me and I'm humble enough to admit it."
"Fubuki, I know it's been ages since I've last seen you, not withstanding when I came back last year, but you seem like the type to float from female to female. Why the change?" Toga asked.
"Well, mi'lord, when I met her last year, I spent the day and well into the night with her. She has been on my mind since then."
"Is that why no female tried to kill you? I thought you were worried about my missing son"
Fubuki took on a defensive position, crossing his arms and looking away. He opened his mouth to answer but chose against it.
"He's not alone. I am also curious about her. I've only seen the tiniest of glimpses in her, but if Sesshomaru respects her, then there must be something there."
Natsu began to resemble a fish as he looked at both of his friends. Harou was counting the amount of suitors she already amassed in quiet, begrudging admiration. And they were all powerful demons. Toga was thinking along the same as his long time friend, but he came to different conclusions. While he knew he was going to have fun with her under his wing, he so realised that there might be a growing number of men he might have to beat off from her.
"Please tell me you don't have any interests in her too" Toga asked wearily. If Harou's son wanted in that'll be something. Something in his mind reminded him that they said Sesshomaru was also interested. Knowing his eldest, he would have to observe their actions over a period of time, especially when they believed they were alone (a hard feat when one was a crazy alert dog and the other was a Miko trained as shinobi and so happened to be an empath). Even if his son felt something,he would be too proud to do anything about it.
The young fox's face morphed into one of disgust.
"That is disgusting to think about. She's been my student for a year. And while I was living with her I posed as a family member. It just sounds incest like to me. It's similar to if you asked me if i wanted my... cousin. Yes my cousin."
...888...
Next chapter we will be moving on to the second day (finally). I've started it and it's going to be a long one. Sango and Kagome will finally talk, as well as Eiji finally speaking with Kagome. How do you guys think those conversations will go?
