Disclaimer: Ye olde Kagome don't own Inuyasha. Nuff said.
A/N: Hey! W00T! Over 50 reviews!!! *does a happy dance* For most people that's nothing...but I'm really happy that a few people seem to like mai story! Ami... you weren't far off. I'm not a huge fan of Hojo... I was TRYING to make him sound gay. Lol I don't hate him..I just think he's ignorant and clueless... and there's nothing really wrong with gay people anyway. Anyway this chapter explains more about Kagura and why she's working for Naraku. She isn't bad though, I love Kagura!
Chapter 14
Nothing More Then a Slave
"A," she snorted vigorously, "a FANBOY?!" Kagome's howls sounded suspiciously like those of a hyena as she continuously pounded her small fists on the table in glee.
"Shut up!" Inuyasha yelled forcefully, already perturbed as it was by the whole situation. That idiotic Kagome was doing nothing but rub it in his face! What a bitch.
"I'm sorry Inuyasha," she made an effort to stop her giggles. "But a fanboy? Just minutes earlier you were boasting about how many admirers you had, but I didn't realize your inventory stretched quite THAT far!" and with that the raven haired girl began to drown in gales of laughter. Inuyasha turned his head away from her, his lips twisted in a scowl. Damn that Kagome...
"Will you just shut up about it already? Just because you don't have many male admirers doesn't mean you should take it out on mine!" all this did was made Kagome laugh harder. Inuyasha was getting awfully tired of being the butt of her jokes, and he was just about ready to take the whole fucking pizza and shove it in her face.
Luckily she stopped after a few minutes to dig into the fishy pizza, and the once seething Inuyasha finally did the same. The two ate in silence for the remainder of the meal, Inuyasha because of his high temper and Kagome because she was too busy cramming anchovies down her throat. How she could eat so much and stay so tiny was a mystery to the teen icon.
~*~
"I'm going out! Don't wait up!"
"You're not going anywhere unless I say you are wench!" he protested bossily. He really could care less whether she left for five minutes or a lifetime, but after the horrid day he had just endured (courtesy of her obviously) he wasn't going to let her off so easily.
"Ugh, Inuyasha," she stamped her foot like a whiny child. "You're impossible! Look, I've said it once and I'll say it again. Just because this is your house doesn't give you the right to control my life! I need to go mail a letter, and by god I'm going to do it! Please leave me alone!" she turned to reach for the doorknob, but Inuyasha's words stopped her in her tracks.
"I hope you know that you don't need to go to some post office if you want something mailed. Just give it to me, and I'll run down to the front office for you". Inwardly he was curious as to who the letter was for. She can't have been on speaking terms with her family or she wouldn't have been on the streets in the first place. Heck, if she had a contact of ANY sort then what made her hesitate to write them when she was actually in need of their help? He mentally scoffed at that, the answer was very obvious. A stubborn girl like Kagome obviously valued her pride and independence way too much to ask help from anyone. What a stuck-up prideful princess.
Obviously Kagome could see right through Inuyasha's little plan though, because all he earned from the girl was another glare.
"You just want to snoop through my mail don't you?" she accused, rising up on her toes to intimidate him. It didn't matter. She still had a long way to go before she could come even remotely close to his level. He looked down the crook of his nose at her, as if she was some pesky lower class underling that wouldn't leave him be. All this seemed to do was make the girl more irritated.
"I'll go down and mail this at the front office myself then! Thanks for the tip Inuyasha!" her frown suddenly turned into a sunny smile, and she waved at him before exiting the expensively furnished building.
"Geez she's moody," he said aloud to himself, ignoring Buyo who had finally awoken from eternal slumber and was currently mingling at his feet. "Probably a menstrual case or something," he laughed at his own insult. He'd have to save that one for later.
~*~
A young woman who looked no more then twenty casually strolled down the sidewalk, her briefcase thumping against her thigh. She was clad in a designer navy blue business suit, nylons, and sleek high heeled shoes. Her black hair had been swept away from her face and twisted into an elegant black bun that seemed to fit her nature perfectly. She walked like every other city native, brisk and focused. Women who looked almost identical to herself were seen walking the streets every few seconds. She was the picture of an ordinary high class citizen.
But she wasn't ordinary.
Youkai weren't shunned among the human race, as it used to be. They weren't exactly welcomed with open arms, but they were tolerated. However, they were also very rare. Normally she had no problem with her youkai ancestry, she really didn't care what the others thought of her. Let them think.
But she couldn't afford being singled out today. Not when she had such an important mission on her hands. She stopped in front of a large black building and eyed the double doors warily. She debated just leaving right now and putting this whole mess behind her. She could catch a plane back to Japan and contact her younger sister, she was sure her beloved sibling would welcome her back with open arms. The two could live a nice, peaceful life together without the guilt and worry that had plagued them both for so long.
Shaking her head, she boldly made her way into the building. She COULD run, but her efforts would prove futile. She had tried to run once before, and he had caught her within hours, beating her within an inch of her life for being so rebellious. Her younger brother had conveniently been found dead the next day. Her cheeks burned with hatred at the memory, and she knew then and there that she could never leave. She'd be putting the rest of her family in danger, especially her sister. She would continue to serve him until death like the obedient slave she was.
Well all right, maybe not exactly obedient. But she was still nothing more then a slave. Oh sure, that exact title had never been used to describe exact her situation. But really, what else would you call it?
Months ago she had been living the life of a normal Japanese teenager, or as normal as it could possibly get for youkai women like herself. She was a spunky girl with a rebellious streak the size of Mt. Everest, but nobody could mistake her for a bad person. Deep down she cared deeply about her loved ones, especially her younger sister. The two were very close and acted more like best friends then siblings. Nothing had ever been able to tear them apart for long.
She had been ignorant as well, an impressionable girl who had never needed to question her morals much. When the invitation came to try a new club, she never even thought to hesitate. Her mom would be angry, she knew, but she had done this sort of thing before. Nothing horrible had ever happened, she was always very, very careful. She skipped out to the club that very evening, not thinking for a moment that this night would change her life forever
By the time the night came to an end, she was completely wasted. How she had managed to do it she still didn't know. Drinking had never been on her 'fun activities' list, and she often wondered to herself how any of this managed to happen, even today. She suspected that her drink had been drugged, most likely by the man that had managed to make her life a living hell.
And that's when she met him.
He had charmed her in a way that no man had ever been able to. She still pondered over whether it had been her he had charmed, or the drink. She liked to think it was nothing more then the alcohol talking, the thought of ever being attracted to this man, even for a moment, was enough to make her hurl. He had asked her to dance, and she had accepted immediately. They spent the night in each others' arms, and she was having the time of her life. She wanted it to last forever. But all good things must come to an end, and some were never good to begin with.
He asked her to come home with him when the evening had finally come to an end, and she had accepted without a second thought. This she KNEW was the drink talking, the real her would never have accepted such an offer, even from a man as charming as himself. He had driven her to a small house, and they talked for a short while. It was late by this point, and she asked to go home and get some rest. She may not have known it, but the hangover she was bound to have the next morning would be colossal, and she wouldn't have the strength to move for at least a day. He knew though. And that's why he asked her to stay the night.
She accepted the third offer from the man, and after finding her room she went straight to sleep. She was always surprised afterwards that he had never tried to make a move on her, hadn't tried anything sleazy during the night. But she supposed it was to be expected. Romance was the furthest thing from this man's mind.
The next morning she awoke, remembering only bits and pieces from the night before. She almost had a heart attack when she realized she was in a strange bed, she presumed it was that of some man and she had...no she couldn't think that way. She tried to move but found the pain was too much. She had collapsed moments afterward, letting herself fall into a deep slumber. When she awoke once more she was no longer in Japan. And that's when she realized she wasn't here to be some one night stand that would be leaving the next morning, scarred for life but unharmed for the most part. She had been taken for a reason. She had been kidnapped.
He had explained to her what his mission was, what it was that he hoped she could help him accomplish. He made his dreams hers too, and she was disgusted by it. She'd begged and pleaded for him to let her go, she wasn't really needed after all. But he had refused all offers saying that she was more then needed. She was crucial.
She tried to fight, she was youkai after all. Only problem was that he was youkai too and a much stronger youkai then herself. She was powerless against him. If she tried to get help her family would be killed. If she ran the same consequence would be executed. There was nothing she could do. She was nothing more then a slave.
She finally drew herself out of thought when she arrived at his office door. How he had managed to find this place was beyond her. She thought the little apartment they shared had been just fine and was actually a bit sad when they had been forced to move. She understood why though, the girl had found them. Now she knew just where NOT to go, and they couldn't have that happening. They needed her, she was the whole reason they were here and not in Japan. In a roundabout way the girl was the whole reason for all her problems, but she could never hate her. Not after she found out what they were trying to do to her, and what sickened her most was that she was part of it.
She rapped on the door a few times, and it opened quietly without a hand ever being laid on its handle. She was used to this sort of thing though, so it didn't faze her. She calmly walked in the room and sat on a cushioned chair, crossing her legs underneath her. She coolly switched her gaze to the man who sat at a desk not ten feet from her. He didn't faze her either. Much.
He spoke from where he sat, not even bothering to turn and face her. "So," he began, "did you find her?"
She debated on what to say. On the one hand, she knew that the girl was obviously there, even with the hanyou's great acting skills she had still figured out the obvious. On the other hand, she had been given no clues toward the matter, and if she were a complete idiot she wouldn't have suspected a thing. She shook her head violently, trying her hardest not to appear the slightest bit suspicious.
"No, he said he hadn't seen her since your last little stunt," she said, her voice void of any emotion.
"Any clues as to where she could be?" he asked, a bit disappointed at the girl's first answer.
"No, he hasn't any more idea then we do," she answered in the same apathetic tone.
"Hmm," he mused, stroking his chin softly, "I'm still not entirely sure that the boy was telling the truth. You do know who he is after all?"
"Yes, I am aware of his status," she answered coolly, still trying to sound nonchalant to this beast of a man.
"His acting skills must be polished then, and he could very well have been lying. I won't give up on him just yet; we'll follow him a bit until we're sure. Are you keeping tabs on the building?"
"Yes, nothing less then 24 hour surveillance. If either of them leaves, we'll know in an instant".
"That's good," he said to himself softly. "That's very good". His face was still hidden in shadow, but you could see a sinister grin peeking out from the darkness. And it was that sight that scared Kagura more then anything.
'You are a filthy bastard Naraku,' she thought inwardly, her fists clenching, 'and I will kill you before you're able to lay a hand on that girl'. She had made this promise to herself the day she had been informed of her mission, and she was prepared to keep it. Not yet though, she couldn't interfere yet. She needed to wait until the ideal moment arose, and when it did she'd strike. Naraku would never know what hit him, and she could finally claim the thing she'd yearned for ever since this whole mess began. Her freedom.
~*~
"Miroku wake up!"
"Just a minute Shirley, I've got Alice in the next room and wha-?" he finally forced himself awake at Inuyasha's yells and poundings. They were getting awfully painful.
"What do you want Inuyasha? I was just trying to get some sleep," he mumbled, rolling over on his side. The last thing he wanted was one of Inuyasha's annoying wake up calls. When Inuyasha wanted to talk there was no stopping him. This was half the reason he had been so anxious for Kagome to move in with him. He wanted to be left alone.
"You mean you aren't hiding a girl around here anywhere?" the hanyou sniffed the air, trying to find traces of some unsuspecting female. Finding none he let out a low whistle.
"What happened Miroku? What are you doing all alone?"
Well now that he was awake, the least he could do was defend himself from Inuyasha's accusations. "Hey, don't be so amazed. This isn't the first night I've been alone, and you know it as well as I do".
"You're right, it has to be at least your third".
"Oh shut up," Miroku said crossly. Usually he was the picture of calm but being woken up at three in the morning can do things to your morals. Putting on his usual calm front he asked a far more urgent question. "What are you doing here anyway?"
"I dunno, I was bored," the hanyou answered simply.
Normally Miroku could ignore his blatant disregard for others but this was too much. "You woke me up at three A.M because you were BORED?" he grumbled angrily. He had been in the middle of a really pleasant dream too!
"Dreaming about Sango again?" he asked pointedly, hoping to cause the angry Miroku some embarrassment. He was thoroughly disappointed when the only response he received was a shrug.
"Yeah, actually. And you ruined it!" he accused, pointing an angry finger at Inuyasha. The hanyou was a bit amazed at his inability to blush, but he shouldn't have been surprised. This WAS Miroku after all.
"Sango wouldn't like to hear that," he pointed out to the man who gave another shrug.
"Sango isn't here though is she?" he gave a quirky grin. "So what's really up anyway? There must be SOMETHING you wanted to talk about. And why didn't you just wake up Kagome and leave me alone?"
"I told you already, I couldn't sleep and I was bored. What more reason do I need? Besides, the LAST person I'd want to talk to is KAGOME," he spat out her name as if it was the worst insult he could bestow upon anyone. Miroku vaguely wondered what had happened between the two. He voiced his thoughts aloud.
"What happened between you guys anyway?"
"What HASN'T happened? That girl has used every possible means to get under my skin. I have half a mind to throw her out of my house this instant! What were you thinking sending HER up? Certainly you saw how evil she is!"
Miroku had seen nothing of the sort; she had actually seemed like a very sweet, sensible girl. Knowing Inuyasha as he did, he suspected that most of the evil hadn't come from Kagome at all. "Are you sure you were nice to her?"
"Nice? I let her live with me didn't I? That's nice enough! She should be more grateful!" he crossed his arms.
Miroku sighed. "You really need to learn to treat people more like equals and less like little underlings. I was hoping that Kagome could help teach you just that. Maybe in the end, she will," he didn't have much hope for that though. The thought of a nice Inuyasha seemed almost as absurd as the thought of himself become some sort of monk. He laughed inwardly at the thought, then turned back to his conversation with a disgruntled Inuyasha. "So what do you think of her so far? Be brutally honest," he braced himself for the string of curse words that were sure to follow, but miraculously few came. Inuyasha seemed to be deep in thought for a moment, then proceeded to answer Miroku's question in four words. Miroku's first prediction hadn't been far off.
"She's a damned bitch".
The dark haired man sighed. Was there anyone who could bring out the good in him? Was there even any good to bring out? Perhaps he had been overestimating Kagome a bit. "Anything else?" he asked pointedly, hoping for a little more insight then that.
"She's rude, ungrateful, annoying, arrogant, nosy, and did I mention annoying?" Miroku had an urge to nod but decided not to. Nothing was worse then the wrath of this particular hanyou. He didn't notice that Inuyasha still seemed to be deep in thought, and was jolted out of his thoughts by the hanyou's next words.
"Still, I guess there's something a little...intriguing about her. She seems to be full of secrets," he paused again, wondering if he should continue. "And I guess it was sorta fun to find someone who can argue back, other then you of course," Miroku grinned at this. "I guess she could grow on me, maybe. But she's still a bitch," Inuyasha gave a (surprise, surprise) smirk at this.
"So you guys are friends?"
Inuyasha thought for a moment. "No, I still barely know her".
"But do you think you could ever BE friends?" Miroku asked pointedly.
"I dunno," Inuyasha responded honestly. "Maybe, maybe not. It depends on how things go".
Miroku felt an urge to clap at these words, then decided to ignore it. If Inuyasha somehow became good friends with Kagome then maybe he would give Miroku a little more time to relax. The hanyou was great to have for a best friend, but a little intoxicating. It wasn't his fault though, and Miroku knew it. He was practically all Inuyasha had left in the world, and he didn't mind being there to support him (especially if Sango was there supporting him too). Maybe, given time, Inuyasha would finally open himself up to someone new like Kagome. It was a long shot, but you never know. A new friend would do him good in the long run. Miroku shot Inuyasha a calm grin.
"Well that was a nice chat. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back to my happy place," he closed his eyes and let himself drift off into a dream state. Inuyasha gave him another smirk, but this one was a bit gentler then usual.
"Yeah, and I'll bet Sango is somehow dancing naked in this "happy place"hh," he laughed and began the walk back to his own domain. With friends like Miroku and Sango, things might be looking up for him after all.
A/N: Well this didn't have very much stuff between Inuyasha and Kagome but I had to move the plot along at least a little, and that meant at least INTRODUCING the baddies. You probably guessed by now who Kagome's father is and if you don't know then you'll just have to wait! ALSO, Kagome is not a hanyou. I can't tell you why right now but she's full human! Anyway...until next time! More Inuyasha and Kagome next chapter but probably not fluff (or at least not romantic fluff). After all, they've only been living together for three or four days. Not much can happen in such short time. Bye!
A/N: Hey! W00T! Over 50 reviews!!! *does a happy dance* For most people that's nothing...but I'm really happy that a few people seem to like mai story! Ami... you weren't far off. I'm not a huge fan of Hojo... I was TRYING to make him sound gay. Lol I don't hate him..I just think he's ignorant and clueless... and there's nothing really wrong with gay people anyway. Anyway this chapter explains more about Kagura and why she's working for Naraku. She isn't bad though, I love Kagura!
Chapter 14
Nothing More Then a Slave
"A," she snorted vigorously, "a FANBOY?!" Kagome's howls sounded suspiciously like those of a hyena as she continuously pounded her small fists on the table in glee.
"Shut up!" Inuyasha yelled forcefully, already perturbed as it was by the whole situation. That idiotic Kagome was doing nothing but rub it in his face! What a bitch.
"I'm sorry Inuyasha," she made an effort to stop her giggles. "But a fanboy? Just minutes earlier you were boasting about how many admirers you had, but I didn't realize your inventory stretched quite THAT far!" and with that the raven haired girl began to drown in gales of laughter. Inuyasha turned his head away from her, his lips twisted in a scowl. Damn that Kagome...
"Will you just shut up about it already? Just because you don't have many male admirers doesn't mean you should take it out on mine!" all this did was made Kagome laugh harder. Inuyasha was getting awfully tired of being the butt of her jokes, and he was just about ready to take the whole fucking pizza and shove it in her face.
Luckily she stopped after a few minutes to dig into the fishy pizza, and the once seething Inuyasha finally did the same. The two ate in silence for the remainder of the meal, Inuyasha because of his high temper and Kagome because she was too busy cramming anchovies down her throat. How she could eat so much and stay so tiny was a mystery to the teen icon.
~*~
"I'm going out! Don't wait up!"
"You're not going anywhere unless I say you are wench!" he protested bossily. He really could care less whether she left for five minutes or a lifetime, but after the horrid day he had just endured (courtesy of her obviously) he wasn't going to let her off so easily.
"Ugh, Inuyasha," she stamped her foot like a whiny child. "You're impossible! Look, I've said it once and I'll say it again. Just because this is your house doesn't give you the right to control my life! I need to go mail a letter, and by god I'm going to do it! Please leave me alone!" she turned to reach for the doorknob, but Inuyasha's words stopped her in her tracks.
"I hope you know that you don't need to go to some post office if you want something mailed. Just give it to me, and I'll run down to the front office for you". Inwardly he was curious as to who the letter was for. She can't have been on speaking terms with her family or she wouldn't have been on the streets in the first place. Heck, if she had a contact of ANY sort then what made her hesitate to write them when she was actually in need of their help? He mentally scoffed at that, the answer was very obvious. A stubborn girl like Kagome obviously valued her pride and independence way too much to ask help from anyone. What a stuck-up prideful princess.
Obviously Kagome could see right through Inuyasha's little plan though, because all he earned from the girl was another glare.
"You just want to snoop through my mail don't you?" she accused, rising up on her toes to intimidate him. It didn't matter. She still had a long way to go before she could come even remotely close to his level. He looked down the crook of his nose at her, as if she was some pesky lower class underling that wouldn't leave him be. All this seemed to do was make the girl more irritated.
"I'll go down and mail this at the front office myself then! Thanks for the tip Inuyasha!" her frown suddenly turned into a sunny smile, and she waved at him before exiting the expensively furnished building.
"Geez she's moody," he said aloud to himself, ignoring Buyo who had finally awoken from eternal slumber and was currently mingling at his feet. "Probably a menstrual case or something," he laughed at his own insult. He'd have to save that one for later.
~*~
A young woman who looked no more then twenty casually strolled down the sidewalk, her briefcase thumping against her thigh. She was clad in a designer navy blue business suit, nylons, and sleek high heeled shoes. Her black hair had been swept away from her face and twisted into an elegant black bun that seemed to fit her nature perfectly. She walked like every other city native, brisk and focused. Women who looked almost identical to herself were seen walking the streets every few seconds. She was the picture of an ordinary high class citizen.
But she wasn't ordinary.
Youkai weren't shunned among the human race, as it used to be. They weren't exactly welcomed with open arms, but they were tolerated. However, they were also very rare. Normally she had no problem with her youkai ancestry, she really didn't care what the others thought of her. Let them think.
But she couldn't afford being singled out today. Not when she had such an important mission on her hands. She stopped in front of a large black building and eyed the double doors warily. She debated just leaving right now and putting this whole mess behind her. She could catch a plane back to Japan and contact her younger sister, she was sure her beloved sibling would welcome her back with open arms. The two could live a nice, peaceful life together without the guilt and worry that had plagued them both for so long.
Shaking her head, she boldly made her way into the building. She COULD run, but her efforts would prove futile. She had tried to run once before, and he had caught her within hours, beating her within an inch of her life for being so rebellious. Her younger brother had conveniently been found dead the next day. Her cheeks burned with hatred at the memory, and she knew then and there that she could never leave. She'd be putting the rest of her family in danger, especially her sister. She would continue to serve him until death like the obedient slave she was.
Well all right, maybe not exactly obedient. But she was still nothing more then a slave. Oh sure, that exact title had never been used to describe exact her situation. But really, what else would you call it?
Months ago she had been living the life of a normal Japanese teenager, or as normal as it could possibly get for youkai women like herself. She was a spunky girl with a rebellious streak the size of Mt. Everest, but nobody could mistake her for a bad person. Deep down she cared deeply about her loved ones, especially her younger sister. The two were very close and acted more like best friends then siblings. Nothing had ever been able to tear them apart for long.
She had been ignorant as well, an impressionable girl who had never needed to question her morals much. When the invitation came to try a new club, she never even thought to hesitate. Her mom would be angry, she knew, but she had done this sort of thing before. Nothing horrible had ever happened, she was always very, very careful. She skipped out to the club that very evening, not thinking for a moment that this night would change her life forever
By the time the night came to an end, she was completely wasted. How she had managed to do it she still didn't know. Drinking had never been on her 'fun activities' list, and she often wondered to herself how any of this managed to happen, even today. She suspected that her drink had been drugged, most likely by the man that had managed to make her life a living hell.
And that's when she met him.
He had charmed her in a way that no man had ever been able to. She still pondered over whether it had been her he had charmed, or the drink. She liked to think it was nothing more then the alcohol talking, the thought of ever being attracted to this man, even for a moment, was enough to make her hurl. He had asked her to dance, and she had accepted immediately. They spent the night in each others' arms, and she was having the time of her life. She wanted it to last forever. But all good things must come to an end, and some were never good to begin with.
He asked her to come home with him when the evening had finally come to an end, and she had accepted without a second thought. This she KNEW was the drink talking, the real her would never have accepted such an offer, even from a man as charming as himself. He had driven her to a small house, and they talked for a short while. It was late by this point, and she asked to go home and get some rest. She may not have known it, but the hangover she was bound to have the next morning would be colossal, and she wouldn't have the strength to move for at least a day. He knew though. And that's why he asked her to stay the night.
She accepted the third offer from the man, and after finding her room she went straight to sleep. She was always surprised afterwards that he had never tried to make a move on her, hadn't tried anything sleazy during the night. But she supposed it was to be expected. Romance was the furthest thing from this man's mind.
The next morning she awoke, remembering only bits and pieces from the night before. She almost had a heart attack when she realized she was in a strange bed, she presumed it was that of some man and she had...no she couldn't think that way. She tried to move but found the pain was too much. She had collapsed moments afterward, letting herself fall into a deep slumber. When she awoke once more she was no longer in Japan. And that's when she realized she wasn't here to be some one night stand that would be leaving the next morning, scarred for life but unharmed for the most part. She had been taken for a reason. She had been kidnapped.
He had explained to her what his mission was, what it was that he hoped she could help him accomplish. He made his dreams hers too, and she was disgusted by it. She'd begged and pleaded for him to let her go, she wasn't really needed after all. But he had refused all offers saying that she was more then needed. She was crucial.
She tried to fight, she was youkai after all. Only problem was that he was youkai too and a much stronger youkai then herself. She was powerless against him. If she tried to get help her family would be killed. If she ran the same consequence would be executed. There was nothing she could do. She was nothing more then a slave.
She finally drew herself out of thought when she arrived at his office door. How he had managed to find this place was beyond her. She thought the little apartment they shared had been just fine and was actually a bit sad when they had been forced to move. She understood why though, the girl had found them. Now she knew just where NOT to go, and they couldn't have that happening. They needed her, she was the whole reason they were here and not in Japan. In a roundabout way the girl was the whole reason for all her problems, but she could never hate her. Not after she found out what they were trying to do to her, and what sickened her most was that she was part of it.
She rapped on the door a few times, and it opened quietly without a hand ever being laid on its handle. She was used to this sort of thing though, so it didn't faze her. She calmly walked in the room and sat on a cushioned chair, crossing her legs underneath her. She coolly switched her gaze to the man who sat at a desk not ten feet from her. He didn't faze her either. Much.
He spoke from where he sat, not even bothering to turn and face her. "So," he began, "did you find her?"
She debated on what to say. On the one hand, she knew that the girl was obviously there, even with the hanyou's great acting skills she had still figured out the obvious. On the other hand, she had been given no clues toward the matter, and if she were a complete idiot she wouldn't have suspected a thing. She shook her head violently, trying her hardest not to appear the slightest bit suspicious.
"No, he said he hadn't seen her since your last little stunt," she said, her voice void of any emotion.
"Any clues as to where she could be?" he asked, a bit disappointed at the girl's first answer.
"No, he hasn't any more idea then we do," she answered in the same apathetic tone.
"Hmm," he mused, stroking his chin softly, "I'm still not entirely sure that the boy was telling the truth. You do know who he is after all?"
"Yes, I am aware of his status," she answered coolly, still trying to sound nonchalant to this beast of a man.
"His acting skills must be polished then, and he could very well have been lying. I won't give up on him just yet; we'll follow him a bit until we're sure. Are you keeping tabs on the building?"
"Yes, nothing less then 24 hour surveillance. If either of them leaves, we'll know in an instant".
"That's good," he said to himself softly. "That's very good". His face was still hidden in shadow, but you could see a sinister grin peeking out from the darkness. And it was that sight that scared Kagura more then anything.
'You are a filthy bastard Naraku,' she thought inwardly, her fists clenching, 'and I will kill you before you're able to lay a hand on that girl'. She had made this promise to herself the day she had been informed of her mission, and she was prepared to keep it. Not yet though, she couldn't interfere yet. She needed to wait until the ideal moment arose, and when it did she'd strike. Naraku would never know what hit him, and she could finally claim the thing she'd yearned for ever since this whole mess began. Her freedom.
~*~
"Miroku wake up!"
"Just a minute Shirley, I've got Alice in the next room and wha-?" he finally forced himself awake at Inuyasha's yells and poundings. They were getting awfully painful.
"What do you want Inuyasha? I was just trying to get some sleep," he mumbled, rolling over on his side. The last thing he wanted was one of Inuyasha's annoying wake up calls. When Inuyasha wanted to talk there was no stopping him. This was half the reason he had been so anxious for Kagome to move in with him. He wanted to be left alone.
"You mean you aren't hiding a girl around here anywhere?" the hanyou sniffed the air, trying to find traces of some unsuspecting female. Finding none he let out a low whistle.
"What happened Miroku? What are you doing all alone?"
Well now that he was awake, the least he could do was defend himself from Inuyasha's accusations. "Hey, don't be so amazed. This isn't the first night I've been alone, and you know it as well as I do".
"You're right, it has to be at least your third".
"Oh shut up," Miroku said crossly. Usually he was the picture of calm but being woken up at three in the morning can do things to your morals. Putting on his usual calm front he asked a far more urgent question. "What are you doing here anyway?"
"I dunno, I was bored," the hanyou answered simply.
Normally Miroku could ignore his blatant disregard for others but this was too much. "You woke me up at three A.M because you were BORED?" he grumbled angrily. He had been in the middle of a really pleasant dream too!
"Dreaming about Sango again?" he asked pointedly, hoping to cause the angry Miroku some embarrassment. He was thoroughly disappointed when the only response he received was a shrug.
"Yeah, actually. And you ruined it!" he accused, pointing an angry finger at Inuyasha. The hanyou was a bit amazed at his inability to blush, but he shouldn't have been surprised. This WAS Miroku after all.
"Sango wouldn't like to hear that," he pointed out to the man who gave another shrug.
"Sango isn't here though is she?" he gave a quirky grin. "So what's really up anyway? There must be SOMETHING you wanted to talk about. And why didn't you just wake up Kagome and leave me alone?"
"I told you already, I couldn't sleep and I was bored. What more reason do I need? Besides, the LAST person I'd want to talk to is KAGOME," he spat out her name as if it was the worst insult he could bestow upon anyone. Miroku vaguely wondered what had happened between the two. He voiced his thoughts aloud.
"What happened between you guys anyway?"
"What HASN'T happened? That girl has used every possible means to get under my skin. I have half a mind to throw her out of my house this instant! What were you thinking sending HER up? Certainly you saw how evil she is!"
Miroku had seen nothing of the sort; she had actually seemed like a very sweet, sensible girl. Knowing Inuyasha as he did, he suspected that most of the evil hadn't come from Kagome at all. "Are you sure you were nice to her?"
"Nice? I let her live with me didn't I? That's nice enough! She should be more grateful!" he crossed his arms.
Miroku sighed. "You really need to learn to treat people more like equals and less like little underlings. I was hoping that Kagome could help teach you just that. Maybe in the end, she will," he didn't have much hope for that though. The thought of a nice Inuyasha seemed almost as absurd as the thought of himself become some sort of monk. He laughed inwardly at the thought, then turned back to his conversation with a disgruntled Inuyasha. "So what do you think of her so far? Be brutally honest," he braced himself for the string of curse words that were sure to follow, but miraculously few came. Inuyasha seemed to be deep in thought for a moment, then proceeded to answer Miroku's question in four words. Miroku's first prediction hadn't been far off.
"She's a damned bitch".
The dark haired man sighed. Was there anyone who could bring out the good in him? Was there even any good to bring out? Perhaps he had been overestimating Kagome a bit. "Anything else?" he asked pointedly, hoping for a little more insight then that.
"She's rude, ungrateful, annoying, arrogant, nosy, and did I mention annoying?" Miroku had an urge to nod but decided not to. Nothing was worse then the wrath of this particular hanyou. He didn't notice that Inuyasha still seemed to be deep in thought, and was jolted out of his thoughts by the hanyou's next words.
"Still, I guess there's something a little...intriguing about her. She seems to be full of secrets," he paused again, wondering if he should continue. "And I guess it was sorta fun to find someone who can argue back, other then you of course," Miroku grinned at this. "I guess she could grow on me, maybe. But she's still a bitch," Inuyasha gave a (surprise, surprise) smirk at this.
"So you guys are friends?"
Inuyasha thought for a moment. "No, I still barely know her".
"But do you think you could ever BE friends?" Miroku asked pointedly.
"I dunno," Inuyasha responded honestly. "Maybe, maybe not. It depends on how things go".
Miroku felt an urge to clap at these words, then decided to ignore it. If Inuyasha somehow became good friends with Kagome then maybe he would give Miroku a little more time to relax. The hanyou was great to have for a best friend, but a little intoxicating. It wasn't his fault though, and Miroku knew it. He was practically all Inuyasha had left in the world, and he didn't mind being there to support him (especially if Sango was there supporting him too). Maybe, given time, Inuyasha would finally open himself up to someone new like Kagome. It was a long shot, but you never know. A new friend would do him good in the long run. Miroku shot Inuyasha a calm grin.
"Well that was a nice chat. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back to my happy place," he closed his eyes and let himself drift off into a dream state. Inuyasha gave him another smirk, but this one was a bit gentler then usual.
"Yeah, and I'll bet Sango is somehow dancing naked in this "happy place"hh," he laughed and began the walk back to his own domain. With friends like Miroku and Sango, things might be looking up for him after all.
A/N: Well this didn't have very much stuff between Inuyasha and Kagome but I had to move the plot along at least a little, and that meant at least INTRODUCING the baddies. You probably guessed by now who Kagome's father is and if you don't know then you'll just have to wait! ALSO, Kagome is not a hanyou. I can't tell you why right now but she's full human! Anyway...until next time! More Inuyasha and Kagome next chapter but probably not fluff (or at least not romantic fluff). After all, they've only been living together for three or four days. Not much can happen in such short time. Bye!