Chapter Eight – Did the Plan Call for Cuddles?

It was a week before Sesshoumaru and Kagome went on their second date, making sure to include Rin this time, realizing it'd been pointless to go to dinner without their intended audience. The work days had been a blur of rigid politeness – an overabundance of personal space and cement-infused boundaries. Kagome had discovered some uncomfortable facts about Saya's possible whereabouts, recognizing mentioned landmarks as coinciding with ones around her family's shrine. She was reluctant to share them, hoping she was wrong, and vowed to investigate herself after this plan was put to rest.

They agreed that enacting their initial over-the-top routine would be enough to dissuade Rin once and for all, and decided a movie night at the Taisho residence would be a fitting locale. No one else would witness them acting like simpering morons, and they could put the entire debacle behind them afterwards.

The day had been unseasonably warm, and even the growing shadows of evening hadn't made the temperature dip. Kagome now stood at the steps of the address Sesshoumaru had given her, coat over her arm, letting her mouth fall wide. The residence was large enough to be called a manor, surrounded in sprawling gardens, masoned walkways, and a profusion of columns. Her hand hesitated at the doorbell, deeply reluctant to begin what was sure to be a painfully-awkward night.

The door opened without her having to ring it. Sesshoumaru and Rin stood on its other side, wearing matching flannel pajama pants, and Kagome's eyes bugged at the sight of her employer's printed t-shirt.

'Rad Dad' was emblazoned across his chest in all caps.

Does he dress only in extremes? Her brain tried to reconcile this presented image with the man who probably thought everyone owned a travel iron. Either the stuffiest of business attire or supreme Saturday comfort?

Sesshoumaru noted her reaction with an outward wince. "It was a gift," he murmured by way of explanation, red heating the back of his neck.

Kagome hid her surprise quickly. "It suits you," she crested the step with a radiant beam, stretching to tiptoes before she could second-guess herself and grazing his chin with a kiss.

The peck threatened to make the red spread to his face, and she caught his adam's apple move in a pronounced swallow. "Won't you come in?" He invited stiffly.

They had already shared more contact and expression than they'd traded in the last handful of days, and Kagome squared her shoulders, mindful it was all for Rin's benefit.

She crossed the threshold, self-deprecation edging her smile. "Can't seem to pick the right outfits for our dates," she patted her jean-clad thigh. "Underdressed for Iris, overdressed for a night in."

Rin took in her green sweater and denim with approval. "You look nice… Kagome."

The woman's smile strengthened, before she remembered the plan and palmed her cheek, tittering with phony modesty. "That's so nice of you to say Rinny. You're such a sweetheart," she pulled on her sweater's hem. "This old thing is so shapeless, it does nothing for my figure."

It was actually a most beloved selection, clinging in all the right places, while still being warm enough to be practical. She palmed its deep v-neck, looking pointedly at Sesshoumaru for a compliment.

He had not quite recovered from his mortification at his own clothes. Rin had cajoled him into the newly-christened loungewear with little debate, his thoughts distracted when she'd first held the ensemble up. Sesshoumaru was reluctant to admit he had missed exchanging more than report revisions and vault updates with his assistant, and part of him was looking forward to abandoning the stilted niceties, even if only in pretend.

"The color suits you," he mumbled. "I… like it," he finished lamely.

Kagome twirled some of her hair, batting eyelashes and giving a giggle. He knew she was trying to appear pretentious and self-satisfied, but found the raven lock twisted about her finger, flashing with a lustrous shine, deeply distracting.

It didn't matter if this plan renewed their conversations, he decided. It needed to come to its conclusion. Immediately.

After a tour of the house, where Kagome had remained draped on Sesshoumaru's arm, extolling on everything burnished and valuable she saw, they ended up in the living room.

She had purposefully ignored the smattering of framed photos and sentimental items along the way, trying to maintain her cover, but couldn't hold back a soft gasp at a large painting bearing Rin's signature on the room's main wall.

Leaving Sesshoumaru's side, she treaded across polished hardwood toward the scene – a dark landscape dotted with fireflies and broken flowers – drinking in its colors and details.

"This is haunting," she whispered under her breath. "Beautiful, Rin."

The girl padded up next to her. "I call it 'The Before'," she mumbled.

Blue-gray eyes roamed over brush strokes that alternated between jagged and smooth, highlighting the conflict their creator had wrestled with. "You put so much emotion into this," Kagome marveled, bring a hand up to her mouth. "I love it."

Rin blushed, ducking her head and hiding beneath her bangs. "Thank you."

Sesshoumaru joined them, palming his daughter's shoulder. "She's working on another right now," he said, pride evident. "We're going to turn one of the wings into an art studio."

Kagome didn't pull her gaze away, absorbed in shadowed trees and the vastness of a night sky. "Absolutely," she encouraged, only half-aware. "Such talent and feeling here; her ability to instill so much in the viewer – impart such suffering and hope – she should get a whole floor."

Sesshoumaru stared at her from the corner of his eye, caught up in how the awe parting her lips gave her a breathless look. In the back of his mind, he dimly noted she was showing too much depth and authenticity, but the trappings of his plot faded to background as his daughter straightened under Kagome's praise, lifting her chin high.

"Maybe I'll show you some of my other works some time," she offered, almost shy, as she motioned towards the TV. "But enough about this old painting, let's go start the movie."

Kagome lingered in protest before prying her gaze away. Surveying the room, she mentally shook herself, remembering her role. "Of course," she retook Sesshoumaru's elbow, but slid her hand down, grazing stripes before circling his wrist in a loose hold. Her clasp turned to a squeeze, conveying again without words how much the pain and catharsis of Rin's work meant to her. No amount of office reserve could prevent her from sharing it, and Sesshoumaru felt a rare smile lift his mouth, genuine and approving. Kagome's eyes didn't widen at its appearance this time, and the flinty chill in their blue depths began to thaw.

She kept hold of his wrist, and Sesshoumaru led her to the couch Rin had already flung herself on, remote at the ready.

"I think you'll like this one, Kagome," Rin said, turning the television on. "It's new."

Sesshoumaru leaned close, speaking at her ear. "She spent a long time selecting it for you," he murmured. "Along with the outfit I was badgered to wear for the occasion."

Kagome shivered as the timbre of his voice tickled her neck. No wine affected her, so why was its cadence so noticeable all of a sudden?

"Sounds great," she said. "Which one is it?"

Rin squinted at the TV screen. "Die Harder."

"Ah," Kagome managed to hold back a wince. "An action movie. Love those."

That was an utter lie. The explosions, blares of light, and heavy-handed soundtracks always put her on edge. Despite her perfume, Sesshoumaru seemed to sense her unease.

"Come," he instructed, pulling her along. "I will fetch the popcorn."

"Ok," Rin bobbed her head, queuing up the film. "But then make sure you sit next to Kagome."

Kagome was in purgatory, surrounded by specters intent on tormenting her enough to make her wish her life choices had been different. Sesshoumaru sat against her, ramrod straight, keeping his eyes on the car chase squealing before them. His arm was around the back of her neck, draped over her shoulders, with claws stretched down her sweater's sleeve. Rin had not been pacified by anything less, completely unaware such contact was all the more awkward after their week of extreme professionalism. The girl was curled up on the couch's other end, fighting the weight of heavy eyelids that kept fluttering closed.

Kagome had tried taking the action movie in stride, but quickly found herself flinching and biting back embarrassing whimpers. She hated these. Give her a historical drama or a well-researched documentary any day. Sesshoumaru's stilted embrace barely registered in her stewing dislike of the genre.

Peeking over at Rin, she allowed her gaze to fall to her lap, knowing she wasn't missing anything pivotal by excusing herself from having to witness the main character hang from the door of an eighteen-wheeler while simultaneously shooting into oncoming traffic.

Sesshoumaru shifted, trying in vain to maintain a degree of propriety amidst their near-cuddle. "You are being very accommodating about this," he said, keeping his voice low. "Thank you."

Kagome jerked as a loud boom erupted from the screen, making him reflexively clutch her bicep. "What, enduring this terrible movie or your handsy hug?" She joked. "Do I sense a raise in my future?"

"Blackmail, Miss. Higurashi?" His tone was mild, but his fingers flexed and uncurled instantly. "I did not know a regurgitated sequel would be your tipping point."

The actor offered a terrible pun, looking directly at the camera, before swerving across lanes towards an exit.

"Ugh," Kagome groaned. "A substantial raise."

Rin snuffled and roused, blinking blearily. "Is he still being followed by the bad guys?" She glanced over at them, and Kagome – fearing she'd been overheard – immediately drew her knees up, burrowing into Sesshoumaru's side.

"Yes, they know he knows of the bomb they planted," she rested her head on his chest, brushing locks of wayward silver away. "It's all quite exciting."

The chest beneath her quaked with a suppressed chuckle, and she grinned in spite of herself. He could smile and laugh? Who knew?

The actor growled out exposition in the truck's cab with the quippy woman he'd saved, and Kagome felt a yawn building up in the back of her throat. She turned her face into Sesshoumaru's t-shirt to hide it, and he mentioned other events Rin had missed to cover the sound.

The film meandered on, and Rin resettled herself horizontally, eyes closing within minutes. Kagome had had every intention of lifting her head and reclaiming their vestige of distance, but found her neck unwilling to crane back.

"You are surprisingly comfortable sir," she groused, soothing an itch at her temple by rubbing it against the upraised letters spelling 'Rad'.

"When I am not flinging taunts on restaurant curbs to unsuspecting passersby?"

"Yes, exactly."

His arm kept her encircled. "Perhaps your alternative – paying attention to this marvel of storytelling – is just the more unpalatable of two unfortunate choices."

Kagome felt drowsiness descend in a curtain of warm torso and even breaths. Before she'd thought to council herself otherwise, she crooked a wrist up under her chin, letting her bent elbow stretch to his stomach. "That must be it," another yawn escaped. "Aloof loners aren't cut out for snuggling."

Sesshoumaru stared at the television, catching none of the moving images flickering across its screen. "Said loner might try and make an effort for agreeable individuals," he supplied evenly, pleased the words betrayed none of the distraction starting to rage within. Tucked seamlessly against him, his assistant's facsimile of intimacy was as convincing as any of her maneuvers. How was she to know he'd never afforded a female such familiarity? Coupled acts of release were very different from this nestled contentment.

"Pfft," Kagome's itch had moved to her nose, and she rooted it into more shirt cotton. "His bar for agreeable is exceedingly low," the words were muffled. "On account of his prickly, Push-Potential-Friends-Away nature."

Sesshoumaru didn't pause. "Perhaps he didn't realize the friend in question could be such diverting couch company?"

"Well he should have," she countered. "I hear she's a dazzling specimen."

The hand at her arm drew her tighter in answer, and Kagome suddenly realized there was an unfamiliar undercurrent to the banter that had resprung so readily. Had Sesshoumaru always been so glib? Was she imagining the heartbeat under her ear had sped slightly?

Her eyes snapped open, and she spread the palm at her chin, pushing to rise. He hesitated, keeping hold momentarily, before lifting his arm to the cushions behind them. Kagome righted herself, making a big show of adjusting her sweater and reaching for a handful of popcorn from the half-eaten bowl on the coffee table. She kept her attention glued to the film, watching with more interest than she'd mustered all evening.

Sesshoumaru cleared his throat, unwilling to let the lines they'd spent all week resharpening fail to blur again. "Dazzling?" He picked up her thread. "I'd been thinking merely 'warm' or 'soft'."

Kagome stopped mid-chew. Swallowing hard, she turned back to him. "Told you. Low bar," her expression went dry. "And soft? That sounds suspiciously like a comment on my weight."

"If it were commentary, it would only be complimentary," despite the smooth reply, she caught a line appear in his jaw, as if he were biting back a wince.

Kagome smiled. "Are you saying I feel nice, when I'm only here, practically in your lap, under false pretenses?"

This time, his discomfort was more noticeable, manifesting in closed eyes and a sharp inhale. It appeared Sesshoumaru was regretting life—or word—choices as well. "I did not devise this plan anticipating such a benefit," he managed. "But am not immune to appreciating it now."

Kagome's smile faltered; a long beat of silence passed before she was able to find her voice. "It's hard to predict what's going to come out of that mouth of yours," she searched his face. "It doles empty platitudes as easily as it jeers."

Golden eyes looked away. "They were not meant to be empty," Sesshoumaru murmured. "Lack of practice, remember?"

She hummed an affirmative. "Rin coach you on what to say too?" All this repartee didn't jive with the scorn in front of Iris, or the cool indifference of before.

"She did not, though I'm sure she would have, had I allowed it," the daiyoukai motioned to a folded blanket over the end of the couch. "This was placed quite deliberately, in case we got 'cold'."

Kagome's smile crept back at the exasperation in his tone. "She insisted on a restaurant, selected everything tonight – what date would you have picked?"

His gaze widened a fraction. "For us?"

She shrugged. "Sure."

Sesshoumaru was unclear why she'd asked – was she rethinking her stance on pursuing friendship? Or simply curious and making conversation? He was just as unclear why he fervently wished to know which it was.

"I would have ascertained your preferences and interests in advance," he said carefully. "And selected something we shared a mutual enjoyment of."

Kagome tapped her chin. "We'd have gone to an auction specializing in relics then, or possibly a museum."

"It would have suited far better than contrived, farfetched action."

She snorted. "Yes. For sure."

They both glanced around the room, struggling to latch onto something that would steer the exchange to safer waters. Talk of real dates served no purpose to the plan.

Kagome drifted back to the painting behind them. "She has a gift," she motioned with her chin. "Do you think she'll pursue it after she finishes school?"

Sesshoumaru's quiet exhale held both relief and disappointment. "I will hound her with the same tenacity she's inflicted upon me to ensure such."

"As an inuyoukai, known for stubbornness, I have no doubt."

He blinked. "You know about the differences among youkai races?"

Kagome didn't want to talk more of her past, but truth slipped from her lips before she could rein it back. "A bit," she admitted. "Naraku was obsessed."

The hanyou's mention flooded him with cold hatred. "Oh?" He inquired nonchalantly.

Kagome shifted. "He was originally born a human."

Sesshoumaru stiffened against her. In a thousand years, he had never heard of such sorcery. "He must have sought the darkest magics to change himself so."

She fumbled through a nod. "He isn't done either," she rubbed her hip unconsciously. "He'll never stop researching new mysteries and grasping for supremacy."

Sesshoumaru heard a telling note in her tone; it held no waver, only the steel of revulsion and betrayal. He briefly wondered how this woman had become so readable, regardless of perfume – he had never been perceptive to the emotional state of others before. "What did he do, Kagome?" He asked.

She started to scoot away, but he brought his arm from the sofa cushions, grabbing her knee.

"Tell me."

She stared at a point below his collar, unable or unwilling to meet his eye. "Badgering me with that famed tenacity, eh?"

"I was attempting concerned persistence."

Kagome shook her head. "Relentless," she mumbled. "And incorrigible."

"Both traits of Rin's which you've admired."

"In her."

Sesshoumaru reached out and took her chin, lifting it up. "I will not reward your trust with callousness this time."

Kagome pulled her face from his fingers. "It doesn't matter…," she began, trailing off.

He glanced at her hip, wracking his brain for possible causes of her scar. One floated from the haze, ghastly and near-hearsay. "Did he…?" Sesshoumaru's eyes grew piercing, and Kagome let her own flutter closed.

Forget getting to know each other better, she thought. This scheme is freaking soul-baring.

Sesshoumaru closed his claws into fists. "He stole your miko powers, didn't he?"

Prying, determined, pointy-eared busybody.

Kagome sighed, savoring the darkness behind her lids a moment before letting them open. "Very astute."

He stayed quiet, waiting for more, hand still on her knee. Kagome's gaze grew faraway, staring at hardwood floor as she obliged his silent appeal. "I was untrained, and he was able to gather them into a physical form," the words hitched and stumbled. "Which he then ripped out of me."

The clutch at her knee tightened. "How did he know you'd survive such savagery?"

Blue-gray eyes lifted to gold. "He didn't."

Sesshoumaru did not often feel the urge to impart a hug – he indulged Rin when the need was great – but he had the overwhelming desire to do so now. It mingled with a blinding rage to tear her former fiancé apart, in sharp contrast, and he decided neither would be appreciated by the woman before him.

"I am surprised…," he groped for speech. "Out of all the applicants for your position, I found someone who shared so many similarities with my daughter's past."

Kagome nodded ruefully. "Must be fate."

"Indeed."