Tease
Ch. 6
Sesshoumaru rolled down his window and focused his camera on the couple kissing outside a popular café near his office. The scene sickened him for multiple reasons. One, the woman was the wife of his client and the man she kissed was definitely not her husband. Secondly, they honestly looked happy. Happy couples disgusted him as of late. Sesshoumaru was still licking his wounds from his disastrous first date. He couldn't bring himself to call Kagome. He didn't even know what to say. His absence didn't seem to bother the woman; she hadn't called him either. He glared at the couple again when his phone began to ring. He doesn't recognize the number, but picked up.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Taisho?"
Sesshoumaru didn't speak, recognizing the voice on the other line. Kagome.
"Miss Higurashi, how can I help you?" Sesshoumaru asked, mimicking her formal greeting.
"Did you forget about the early release day? Rin is the only student left here."
Sesshoumaru glanced at the clock that lit up. It was 2pm.
"Shit," Sesshoumaru cursed softly. He was supposed to get Rin a half hour ago.
"I'll be there soon."
When Sesshoumaru pulled up, he saw Rin waiting outside with Kagome. Kagome was giving her a French braid while Rin recalled a book she and Sesshoumaru had read the night before. Sesshoumaru stepped out the car.
"My apologies, I forgot about the early release day."
Rin smiled and ran to Sesshoumaru, "It's okay. Kagome braided my hair while we waited for you."
"It's very pretty," Sesshoumaru commented, not looking at Kagome.
Sesshoumaru picked up Rin's backpack and guided her to the car when the teacher called out to him.
"Mr. Taisho, could I speak to you for a moment?"
Sesshoumaru sighed inaudibly and opened the car door for Rin.
"Wait in the car. I need a moment with Miss Kagome," Sesshoumaru instructed.
Sesshoumaru walked back to the slip of a woman that was Kagome Higurashi. He stared at her, his own nervousness making him impatient.
"You needed to speak to me?"
His coldness was new to Kagome. Her own voice was soft, the pain of rejection evident.
"What happened? What did I do?"
Sesshoumaru sighed. He wanted so badly to avoid this conversation, to avoid the woman before him at all costs. If he didn't see her, he could imagine her just being pissed at him before moving on to another guy. He didn't have to look at her lapis eyes, knowing he was the reason for the ache in them.
"It's not you."
"Oh my God, are you really going to do the 'it's not you, it's me' line? I deserve better than that," Kagome scoffed as her feelings gave way to irritation.
"I shouldn't have asked you out," Sesshoumaru said.
That hurt to hear. Kagome didn't bother to hide her flinch upon hearing those words and Sesshoumaru backtracked.
Sesshoumaru ran his claws through his silver locks, "I mean to say, I don't date, but I wanted to get to know you. I-I'm sorry."
Kagome nodded, "You prefer things to be casual, no labels?"
Sesshoumaru nodded, relieved that she understood what he'd been trying to say. Kagome pondered quietly over the new information, glancing over at the dog demon for a moment.
"Then, let's be casual," Kagome stated.
"You want another date?" Sesshoumaru asked, dumbfounded.
"Well, whatever you want to call it. I don't need the labels either." Kagome answered with a soft smile.
She was giving him another chance?
Sesshoumaru mulled over her offer a split second, "How about we see each other tonight?"
"Tonight?" Kagome reiterated, surprised.
Sesshoumaru dipped his head away, feeling foolish and overeager.
Kagome smiled wider. "What did you have in mind?"
"Dinner again?" Sesshoumaru answered tentatively.
Kagome pouted. Sesshoumaru caught the reaction before a kind smile fell back on her face.
"What is it?" he asked.
Kagome fidgeted a moment.
"Well," she began, testing her reply on her lips, "I really wanted to get to know you. I guess I was hoping for something…different, since it didn't really work out before."
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to pressure you," Kagome stammered, rubbing the back of her head nervously.
"No, no I don't feel pressure," Sesshoumaru assured quickly, "How about you come over to my place? I'll...cook."
"You cook?" Kagome asked amused.
"I can," Sesshoumaru said, attempting to sound confident about the task, "What would you like me to prepare?"
Kagome grinned, "Hmm, I love oyakodon."
"Okay. That's…" Sesshoumaru racked his brain for the recipe. He had no idea what she was talking about.
Kagome chuckled, "It's simple. It's rice topped with chicken, an egg and onions that's been simmered in a broth. That's the traditional way of cooking it, at least. I always add mushrooms to mine."
"Ok, I will make oyakodon for you."
Sesshoumaru texted Kagome his address, "How about you come over at 6pm?"
"You invited her over?" Inuyasha asked over the phone line.
"Yes." Sesshoumaru had his brother on speaker phone as he tried to decipher which ingredient to cook first.
"And you said you would cook?" Inuyasha went on incredulously.
"Yes," Sesshoumaru reiterated with a sigh.
"But you can't cook worth shit."
"I'm aware of my dilemma." Sesshoumaru grated before wiping his brow, "I don't need your comments. I need to know if you can watch Rin again tonight."
"Shit, tonight? Sorry Sess, I have plans tonight."
"Oh. It is short notice, I know."
Sesshoumaru couldn't cancel on Kagome. He doubted that Kagome would be so forgiving if he messed up both dates. Inuyasha could hear the hesitation in his brother's voice.
"Hey, I think Kikyo has a friend that babysits. She's certified in CPR and everything. I'll see if she can watch Rin. I'll you back in a sec."
Sesshoumaru knelt and handed Rin a small cell phone. With a babysitter secured, Sesshoumaru's date was a go, but now the prospect of leaving Rin with a stranger made him more nervous than seeing Kagome again.
"Ok, Rin keep this on. If anything happens, you call me and you call the police."
He'd spoken with her on all the things to do in an emergency. Rin listened as well as any child did when being told boring directions, but he hoped the words stuck.
Rin rocked on her feet and looked at the phone, "Anything happens?"
"If anyone touches you in a bad way, call me. Remember what I told you about that?"
Rin bobbed her head in affirmation, "Nobody touches my swimsuit area. If someone does, even a grown up, I tell you."
"Good girl and if someone is hurting you-"
"Like before?"
Sesshoumaru swallowed, but nodded, "You tell me and the police, like before."
Rin scuffed her feet against the wood floors. Sesshoumaru tousled her hair gently.
"What is it, sweetheart?"
Rin bit her lip, "What if no one believes me?"
Rin's voice was hardly a whisper. Sesshoumaru's eyes softened and he pulled the little girl into his embrace.
"I'll always believe you. I promise," Sesshoumaru said, smoothing her hair back.
A knock at the door broke the father and child away. Sesshoumaru stood and opened the door. A young woman waved.
"Hi, I'm Botan. I was contacted to babysit Rin!"
Sesshoumaru nodded and called Rin to the door. He waved goodbye, watching his daughter depart with the babysitter.
Sesshoumaru lucked out with a recipe that gave step by step instructions along with footnotes to know what the hell he was actually making.
Sesshoumaru read the instructions aloud, "Make a Dashi broth. Footnote: Dashi broth is a basic fish stock made from smoked tuna, usually fish heads, and dried kelp."
Sesshoumaru glanced around his kitchen. He didn't even have fish at his house, much less fish heads or kelp. Time to improvise. Sesshoumaru rummaged through his cabinets until he found some left over shrimp seasoning from some ramen packets he'd had. He tore the packets open into a boiling pot of water.
"Shrimp is similar to fish," Sesshoumaru reasoned feebly.
He glanced at the clock. Kagome would be there soon. Sesshoumaru threw some rice in a pot and poured in some water, setting the stove on the highest temperature. He cut the onions and chicken and threw the raw food in the broth. He darted in his room, changing into a pair of black dress pants and white button up shirt. Sesshoumaru jogged back to the kitchen and pulled out a carton of eggs. He slipped on an apron before cracking the eggs. He glanced at his watch. Shit. He only had ten minutes or so. Sesshoumaru heard the doorbell ring. It seemed he had less time than that. Sesshoumaru walked to the door and opened it.
Kagome smiled at him, almost shyly. She was dressed far more comfortably than their first date, wearing a simple, white peasant blouse and goldenrod corduroy skirt, cut just above her knees.
"Are you gonna let me in?" Kagome joked.
Sesshoumaru stepped aside for her and led the woman to his living room. Kagome gasped softly at the adjacent dining room. He was really trying to impress her. Two candles were lit with an unopen bottle of wine on the table.
"This is beautiful Sesshoumaru but you didn't have to do all this. I thought we were going casual."
Sesshoumaru gave her a half-smile, "It's nothing."
He sat her at his couch and went to check on their food. He beat the eggs and poured them in with the chicken, onion, and broth medley, covering the food with a lid. He walked out and sat on the couch.
"Hey, did you need any help?" Kagome asked.
"No, I'm sure the oyakodon will be finished soon."
The two lapsed into a silence. Sesshoumaru ran his hands through his hair, swallowing.
"Do you always do that when you're nervous?"
Sesshoumaru looked at her confused, "Do what?"
Kagome smirked, "You comb through your hair a lot."
Sesshoumaru dropped his hand. "I hadn't noticed I suppose."
The two were roused by the sound of the smoke alarm. Sesshoumaru sped back into the kitchen, waving away the smoke coming from the stove.
"What the hell?" Sesshoumaru coughed.
He turned the knobs to turn the stove off. The broth looked alright, but the rice was burnt. He hadn't put enough water in the pot. He scraped the rice into a bowl. Surely it couldn't taste that bad. He scooped his broth mixture on top with a sigh. Kagome peeked into the kitchen.
"Are you alright?"
Kagome looked down at Sesshoumaru's attempt at oyakodon. He regarded the dish quietly.
"I forgot the mushrooms."
Kagome laughed and walked up to the forlorn male.
"Let's try it together, okay?"
Sesshoumaru grabbed two forks, passing one to Kagome. They took a bite. Sesshoumaru spit out his bite in a napkin immediately. Kagome was sweet enough to swallow his putrid meal. Sesshoumaru set the dish on the counter, glaring at it. It was all wrong. The rice was burnt, but the eggs were still runny. The broth was too salty, yet the chicken was still bland somehow.
"It isn't that bad," Kagome said nicely.
Sesshoumaru continued to glare, settling into that cute pout Kagome liked. Kagome laughed lightly and grabbed the bottle of wine from the dining room.
"How about we crack open this bottle and just order a pizza?"
Kagome let out a jovial laugh as she poured another glass of wine.
"So you actually gave your brother fleas? Why? That sounds so awful and itchy."
Sesshoumaru smirked, tearing away another slice of pizza, "It was around Halloween. We were much younger and Inuyasha had snuck into my room while I slept. He was mad at me for stealing some candy from his treat bag so he licked every lollipop he had and stuck them to my tail. I had to cut them out. I bought a jar of fleas in retaliation and put them in his bed. It backfired horribly."
Kagome listened intently, "What happened? Did you get in trouble?"
Sesshoumaru lounged back on the couch, finally at ease. It was easier to talk to Kagome than he expected. The wine probably had something to do with it too though.
"Yes I did. Though the fleas attacked Inuyasha first, they multiplied pretty quickly. I accidently infested my entire family with fleas, myself included."
Kagome laughed, holding her sides. "I'm not laughing at you, I swear."
"It's fine. I'm glad this story makes at least one of us happy," Sesshoumaru said dryly with a smirk.
Kagome quieted with a smile still present and thought about Sesshoumaru's story.
"Hey, wait. Where is your tail?" She asked.
"Hidden. As you can imagine, it can be quite bothersome to have my tail exposed all the time."
Kagome leaned forward, "Can I see it?"
Sesshoumaru released a bit of his power, revealing a plush white tail. Kagome's eyes widened.
"Oh it's so fluffy!" She squealed, inching toward the furry appendage.
Sesshoumaru shook his head, amused with the young teacher's description.
"Rin says the same thing."
"It looks so soft; Rin is lucky kid," Kagome scooted even closer to him, her fingertips just brushing the hair.
"You want to touch my tail?" Sesshoumaru asked, his honey eyes glimmering.
Kagome gave him a Cheshire-wide grin, "Yes, please!"
Sesshoumaru's tail moved to Kagome's lap. Kagome watched in awe before taking the tail in her hands. It was as soft as she imagined and surprisingly warm in her hands. She stroked his fur tenderly and Sesshoumaru released a soft growl. Kagome stopped.
"Sorry, I got carried away. It's kind of therapeutic to pet it. I didn't hurt you, did I?"
Quite the opposite actually, but Sesshoumaru wasn't going to admit that and seem like a creep when they were getting along so nicely.
"I'm not used to my tail being touched," Sesshoumaru said instead.
It wasn't a lie outright.
"Alright, your turn to answer a question. Let's see. Tell me something interesting or entertaining about yourself." Sesshoumaru said.
"More interesting than my double life? More entertaining than your flea story?" Kagome laughed.
"If you can," Sesshoumaru joked back.
"I've got nothing!"
"Oh do you let your students get away with that type of answer?" Sesshoumaru chided playfully.
Kagome took another sip of wine, tapping her chin in thought, "Um, I know morse code."
"Really?" Sesshoumaru confirmed with a grin.
Kagome looked away, eyes casted on her half empty glass, "I mean, I know it may not be the coolest thing but-"
"I know morse code."
Kagome looked at him in surprise, "Really?"
Sesshoumaru blinked yes, ending with a wink. Kagome was smiling so hard she felt her face would crack.
"So you're handsome, intelligent, and seem to be one of the last good guys in the world."
Sesshoumaru chuckled. She was exaggerating, but he couldn't help feeling flattered. Kagome smiled and asked her question.
"So you're all these things, why are you still single?"
Sesshoumaru sighed, "My job always put me in dangerous positions. I never wanted to risk the safety of my loved ones if someone tried to use them to seek revenge on me. Plus, I loved my job, but-"
"But you love Rin more?" Kagome offered.
Sesshoumaru smiled softly, "Far more. I'm still surprised by how attached I've become to her."
"What about your last relationship?" Kagome just couldn't resist asking; she knew it wasn't a job alone that held him back.
Sesshoumaru frowned.
"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Kagome amended.
Sesshoumaru sighed, "It's fine. My ex was a miko named Tsubaki. She actually wanted to date Naraku, but settled for me after she discovered he was a half-demon. Her words."
Kagome stared back at him disbelievingly, "You're her version of settling? Seriously? Who is this girl?"
Sesshoumaru nodded, his confidence secretly bolstered that she would come to his defense.
"We dated a couple years. I thought of marrying her at one point."
Kagome rested her head on the couch, "Marriage is a big deal. What happened?"
"At the time, I was approaching 30, I wanted to start a family, and since we were dating, it just seemed like a natural progression."
Sesshoumaru shifted in his seat slightly and turned from Kagome.
"I spoke of my possible proposal and she grew angry."
"Why would marriage upset her?" Kagome inquired.
"She wanted to become my mate."
When Kagome's puzzled expression didn't change, Sesshoumaru elaborated.
"When a demon marries a human, the bond is still breakable. It can still end in divorce. However, a mate is for life. Moreover, the bond is incredibly strong. You feel what your mate feels. In some cases, one can even read the other's mind."
"Wow," Kagome breathed out, "So did she just want to commit more than you?"
Sesshoumaru guzzled down a bottle of water, finished with his wine. "No, she was deceitful. Mating a demon prolongs your life to the same life span as the person you mate. In doing so, you also retain your youth, maintaining for years the look you had when you mated. As a miko, she would also see a great increase in her power. That's what she wanted, power, not me."
"Eternal youth and demon power, wow. I never realized how big of a deal mating is."
"I was a fool."
Kagome looked over at the dog demon. He gone silent, trapped in his own thoughts. His general expression was blank, but his eyes looked so morose. She couldn't stand it. She placed a light peck on his cheek, grazing over his magenta marking with her lips. Sesshoumaru turned to her, charmed by her display.
"Well, if you ask me, Tsubaki is the fool, not you."
Sesshoumaru smiled slightly. Kagome continued.
"And Naraku is cute I guess, but you're so much better! Don't tell him I said this, but he looks like the bad guy. Like if he were in movies, he'd be the villain every time."
"Someone's had too much wine," Sesshoumaru chuckled.
Kagome giggled, glad to see his spirit brightened, "That may be true, but you know I'm right."
Sesshoumaru felt his phone vibrate continuously. He glanced down.
"Speak of the devil; it's Naraku. Can you give me a moment? He never calls unless it's something important."
Sesshoumaru spoke to Naraku briefly before his eyes slid to Kagome somberly. Kagome frowned when she saw his golden eyes locked on her. Sesshoumaru stood.
"What is it, Sesshoumaru?"
Sesshoumaru handed her his phone, "The police department has been trying to contact you. We need to go."
Kagome timidly grabbed the phone, muffing Naraku's voice against her chest.
"I don't understand. Why do the cops need me?"
Sesshoumaru shrugged on a jacket, "It's that fox kit, Shippo. He's at the station. He was forcefully removed from his home. He's waiting for you."