Title: Western Thorn
Rating: PG-13 to R
Summary: It all started with a want ad in the paper. "Help needed for spring round-up. Cooks and experienced helpers needed. Call Sesshoumaru Taiyoukai at 407-555-BULL" Will this escalate into more than just a job? Sess/Kag pairing along with some San/Mir, Inu/OC, Kou/OC
Genres: Romance, Comedy, Drama, Modern Western, perhaps some slight angst
AN: Sorry about the delay. So much to do, so little time. Someone asked why I'm making all the guys act like Miroku except Sesshou. This may be an AU fic, but I wanted to bring out Kouga and Inuyasha's attraction for Kagome. Kageroumaru is a pervert because…I can't tell. It'd give away some of the plot. Well… please enjoy!
Warnings: Swearing and citrus in later chapters. Remember, this is obviously AU so therefore, slight OOC is expected. Also, they don't have a southern drawl. I decided that Sesshoumaru would sound stupid talking with that accent so don't imagine it. It's enough to make anyone laugh.
~*~
'My…what splendid similarities,' -The one girl on 'Maverick' the movie. I can't remember the name though.
Chapter Three
I stood over the kitchen sink. Emotions I didn't even know I had were causing heat to course through my veins. It must be the fact that two of my employees were talking instead of working to cause this heat. It's not possible for it to be jealousy. I have not felt feelings for a woman since… No sense bringing up the past.
The screen door slammed shut, the sound resounding in my sensitive ears…thank you, Father, for those genes…and the girl stomped past me to go to her room. That's my assumption anyway. Another thing…since when did I assume? Or ask myself questions? I can't even remember the last time I have felt emotions enough to lose my cool or the last time I have felt this guilty.
Guilt? Why do I feel quilt? Is it because I know she's not at fault? This is what it takes to make me feel emotions. A slip of a girl running to her room in tears.
Oh how the mighty have fallen. Whoever said that was not lying. The guilt is eating me up. Should I apologize? Give into my emotions and beg the girl for forgiveness? No. I will not lower myself to that level. I, Sesshoumaru Taiyoukai, will not succumb to that. I grabbed the blue towel and dried my hands, put my Pistons baseball hat back on, and grabbed the extra pair of leather gloves I came here to get in the first place.
This is going to be a long day.
~*~
How right I was. I went out to find Jaken, Kouga, and Inuyasha hogtied. I can only imagine what they did. Another question…since when did I have an imagination? I saw Amanda raise a rope and glare at me before roping a steer. Katrina glared at me and then whispered something to Sango and Amanda. Amanda nodded and then tossed a knife over. It landed in the ground up to the hilt…right between my feet.
What did I do to them? Yet another question. I wordlessly picked up the knife and sliced the three imbeciles free. They moved away from the three girls as Sango castrated the calf and sent him into the pen by the other calves.
"Excuse me, sir," Amanda said as she bumped into me to get the her horse. She mounted the palomino and nudged him into a trot.
"Excuse me. I have to start lunch," Katrina said as she bumped into my other shoulder.
"They must have PMS or something," Inuyasha muttered.
"Yeah. They came back from the house and glared at us," Kouga added. Back from the house. That explains a lot.
"Then the wenches tied us up," Jaken finished.
"Watch it, you little toady. One of the 'wenches' is still here," Sango said, glaring. She went back to castrating the calves Amanda just corralled.
I walked over to help some other men. After about an hour, I found that my headache is now a throbbing migraine.
"Jaken."
"Yes, milord?" What an annoying voice.
"Go retrieve some Tylenol."
He took off running. Why don't I get rid of him? Oh…that's right. He is loyal to the family. Tradition. Family. That is what it always falls back on…those two things.
I fought a sigh as I realized something else. I had to relieve myself. I excused myself from to the men and headed to the house because it was closer than the barracks.
I stand in front of the toilet. Ah…parting can be so sweet. Even my thoughts have been becoming less dignified since she came here. The dream last night…again the heat coursed through my veins. Maybe it's not because of anger towards wayward employees. Could it be…no. It can't be.
~*~
I wonder what Sango and Amanda did. From what Katrina said it had something to do with revenge. That jerk must be losing his touch. His face actually softened when he walked by me. I fought a snicker as I rolled out the pie crust. Poor guy. Maybe he is just under too much stress. I'll forgive him…this time.
I looked out the window and saw Lucky chasing some calves as Amanda chased them down on her horse, Moon. I saw Sango glare at Sesshoumaru and then castrate a calf. Geez. And she was afraid I would hurt the poor babies.
"Maybe we should order pizza," Katrina said suddenly. I looked over at her like she was crazy. She grinned a grin that would haunt my dreams forever. "On his credit card. Maybe twelve large pizzas and five two liters of coke and Cinnasticks. What do you think?"
"Hmm…while that would be amusing, that's just too mean. He seems like he's under a lot of stress."
"Point?"
"I don't want to feel guilty about causing him a hernia, thank you very much."
She sighed. "I suppose, though he still deserves it."
"I suppose he does. Or maybe he just has problems with his emotions," I said.
"He might, though he didn't have to be such a jerk about it. It's all that pervert's fault too. Is it considered premeditated murder if I had thought about killing him, but I just kill him spontaneously?" she asked, the look on her face scaring me slightly.
"The fact that you even asked me makes it premeditated murder," I replied, placing the apple pie into the oven.
She sighed and started taking out some meat. An eerie silence fell over the kitchen. I reached over and turned on the radio. I don't know why, but I was slightly surprised when something other than country floated through the speakers.
I know you think that I shouldn't still love you,
I'll tell you that.
But if I didn't say it, well I'd still have felt it
where's the sense in that?
I promise I'm not trying to make your life harder
Or return to where we were
Well I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be
I know I left too much mess and
destruction to come back again
And I caused but nothing but trouble
I understand if you can't talk to me again
And if you live by the rules of "it's over"
then I'm sure that that makes sense
Well I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be
And when we meet
Which I'm sure we will
All that was then
Will be there still
I'll let it pass
And hold my tongue
And you will think
That I've moved on....
Well I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be
Well I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be
Well I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be
As much as I love that song, it is not something I wanted to listen to at the moment. I watched in horror as a tear fell down and hit the white marble counter. Why the hell am I crying? So what if tomorrow would have been our wedding? Or that a week before that, I realized that my fiancé was using me as a replacement for my cousin?
I failed to realize that Katrina wrapped her arms around my shoulders in a comforting manner. I just leaned into her shoulders and cried into her white shirt. I felt as if the world was closing in on me. I clutched her shirt as I drowned my sorrows in tears.
Why me?
~*~
I walked into the house and paused at the sound of muffled sobs. I followed the sounds into the kitchen and saw Kagome weeping into Katrina's shoulder. Katrina glanced at me before going back to comforting Kagome. It must not be my fault because I didn't receive a glare.
Nonetheless, my heart felt like someone was squeezing it. I silently walked into the kitchen and replaced Katrina's arms with my own. Kagome didn't even look up. She just clutched my shirt and sobbed into it.
I picked her up bridal style and carried her into her room. I sat down on the sunflower-adorned comforter and held her to my chest, running my fingers through her hair.
The sobs subsided and she looked into my eyes. Her blue eyes stood out in her tear-blotched face. She whispered two words. Two words that made me feel better. "Thank you."
I smiled a true smile. The first one for a long time.
~*~
My heart skipped a beat at that smile. Granted, it wasn't anything massive, but it made me smile in return. I sighed in content and leaned into him. Just for a moment, if only for a moment. I want to feel like I'm loved, even if I'm not. I need to feel needed.
I felt my eyes close as he ran his fingers through my hair. I lifted an unsteady hand towards his cheek. He watched me through unreadable eyes as I touched the light skin. His cheek was slightly warm, though still cool.
I feel like a schoolgirl, fresh out of school, in the arms of a god. Whoa…back that train up. There is no way in hell he is a god. Maybe the closest thing on Earth, but not a god. Afterall…even gods have emotions. This guy is just a thorn. A western thorn stuck in my side. And like all thorns, he can be removed.
What if you don't want him removed?
What the…
Honey, I'm your voice of reason.
Voice of reason? Where were you last week?
On vacation. I could picture a miniature me rolling her eyes.
"Kagome," a velvet voice said from above me. I looked into Sesshoumaru's eyes again and saw something in them. Something I would have missed if I hadn't turned when I did. Concern. He was concerned about me.
"Hmm?" So I am not that smooth after a good cry-down. Sue me. It felt good being in his arms.
"Why were you crying?" He asked that in such a way it didn't sound like he cared, though his eyes betrayed him.
I gave him a sad smile. "Just some old memories."
"Tell me."
Go on. What can it hurt?
Me.
He could be different. Not all males are the same.
"Tomorrow would have been my wedding day." I felt him stiffen beneath me. "Only my fiancé was with his ex last week. And he's probably with her now." I felt my lip tremble. Damn emotions.
I could almost hear him growl. How strange.
He gently set me down on my bed. "Stay here and sleep." For once, I was happy to obey an order.
~*~
I know…short and I took forever. I rewrote this quite a few times because it didn't make me happy the first few times. Hence the short chapter. That and the fact that I'm swamped by homework. -_-' Not only is It short, but it's sad and confusing. Let the reviews come!
Review Responses:
Western Mistress, Ohayo Tenshi, Dark Topaz, Trina3, Silver Fang13, please, Kery Katko, kasia matsubishi, Kagome takes over the wor, Cryxxy-Chan, Demoness-of-Myth, Familia-Ficz: It's still going. Sorry for the delay.
Fat Cat Buyo: I'm glad that you like this pairing in AU fics. Otherwise, I would have had to point you in the direction of some Inu/Kag fics. Anyway…thank you for telling my about the spelling thing. *shifts from foot to foot* I am so embarrassed that I missed that.
ladyofhtedragoms1: I like premeditated murder though! Besides…It's only premeditated if you let someone else know or get caught planning. Hmm…I wonder how far I can humiliate the baddies. *cackles*
AnImEfReAk81: I can't believe I actually put that pick-up line in here! That was really nasty! *pales and turns green*
wolf: I envy you. My poor gums didn't even heal right. They never warned me not to play my bass clarinet. That was a major no-no. Had the blood not clotted right or if there would have been air pockets, I would have been in a lot of trouble.
Mistress Fluffy: *cackles* The pervertedniess is part of the plot. Lilfrozenfire needs a good plot. Without the plot, she would not have any fluff and that would make her sad. *tear*
Nankinmai: I hope that this works for you. Truth be told, I haven't seen Ayame yet, so I have no clue how I would make her act. So I made up a character.
Daxemon: *horns pop up* How well you know me. A lemon is in store. In a few chapters.
LilNezumi LilInu: Dogs are better than guys. It's been proven. And Tamora Pierce is the best! Did you read her new book? I stole it from my friend. I loved it. *squeals*