For All Eternity
This had never happened before. Never in his entire life had he thought of a person in such a manner. If his feet were hooves, the marble floor would have cracks all over its smooth surface.
For the first time, the Prince of Ice is deeply worried.
"Hao, aren't they home yet?" he growled. The shaking old man had noted the frustration in his young master's face. In fact, this had been the proof that his Madam Kagome already had a special place in his master's cold heart.
"Not yet, Young Master. Perhaps of a heavy traffic?"
"Damn it, Hao!" Sesshomaru slammed his fist on the coffee table he had been passing by for several times. Old Hao jumped in his place in shock.
He made a deep bow, both his arms stiff on the sides. "I-I-I'll go check the- -"
The phone rang. Hao stood up straight, his eyes on the side table standing on one corner of the room. He turned to answer it, but his Master had blocked the way.
On the second ring, Sesshomaru picked up the phone. He opened his lips to talk, but the person on the line greeted him first.
"Hello Sesshomaru." The male voice was undeniably familiar.
He tightened his hand on the receiver and through gritting teeth, he was able to talk. "Where are they, Naraku?"
"Don't worry, dear friend. They're doing fine. In fact, I'm watching over them now. Would you like to talk to any one of them?"
"Don't you dare touch them… Or else…"
"Or else what, Sesshomaru? You're going to sue me?" Hearing that irritable chuckle made Sesshomaru angrier. "The Joker has two aces, while you? Ahh… You're fresh out."
"Where are they?"
"Try looking for yourself."
"Naraku, where are they!?"
The line was cut off. Sesshomaru silently burned with anger
Hao sighed. And what is the use of the telephone after using it?
As if he heard the old man, he threw the phone on the wall at the other side of the room in full force.
"DAMMIT!"
"Ah, Young Master, calm down!" Before you break the antique side table…
"Get my car ready."
"Y-y-y-yes! At once!"
It was half-past nine and Kagome and Sango were still trying out formal dresses for the soiree. It was already late and Kagome felt very tired, her eyes were watery and her feet were sore. But Sango continued insisting her to try another dress.
"I still think the blue dress looks better…" Sango crossed her arms infront of her while watching Kagome twist and turn before her, staring at the velvet dress she is wearing.
"Sango, I'm going to wear a dress for just a night! It's far too expensive!" Kagome raised a brow at her confused friend.
"Don't worry about the price, dear. I have Sesshomaru's card with me, you can even buy four of them, if you only want to."
Kagome blushed, looking at her own cheeks at the mirror. "I know that, but you see…" She paused for a deep sigh. "I don't think I will be happy in this kind of life, Sango."
Sango's eyes widened. "What are you talking about? You can get anything you want with him, plus, you'd get the chance to know my cousin at a closer perspective."
"Yeah, like there's more I have to know…"
"Kagome, Sesshomaru isn't what you think he is. He's a lot different when you get to know him." Sango smiled.
"Oh, that's fun. I hope I won't get burned…"
"You just don't know him that much. But when you do, you'll like him."
"I'd like him more if he was asleep. He scares me most of the time and doesn't even talk to me. Like he likes me better if I were gone."
"You know, when Uncle Inutashio introduced his first wife to my family, we were surprised that he already had a child with her. I was two back then, and he was six, but I perfectly remember how much he loved her mother Ayako. It was surprising that he had been very shy once in his life." Sango smirked at the wonderful past she had been trying to recall. "I was the first one to try to approach him and ask his name."
"You have been very close?" Kagome asked with full interest.
"Yes. Back then I'm not really enjoying his company." Sango laughed.
"I see…" Kagome began unzipping the velvet dress to try another red dress that was intentionally created to bare her soul to the public. The neckline was unbelievable low, plus the dress would need a handkerchief to cover up the bareback style. "Sango are you serious with asking me to try this… unruly dress on?"
"Yes, now where was I…" Sango scratched her head. "Oh, yeah. I could remember the small smiles that he makes whenever I chase him around, and make jokes. But soon I also avoided him because of what I've been hearing from my aunts."
"Hearing? Rumors?"
"I could remember them saying that Madam Ayako was a prostitute, and that she and her son doesn't deserve to be part of the family. Plus, the fact that I've been told that he's awfully sick."
Kagome's jaw dropped. "His mother? I hardly believe it."
"Yeah, me too. My mother tells me to keep quiet whenever I ask her if it's true. Even before my parents died, I still don't know if it's actually true." Sango looked crestfallen. "And when Ayako died five years later, we all found out that Sesshomaru was actually becoming worse. He's becoming more and more sick day by day, and that he started running away from home, and coming back only when he knows his father isn't around. By then Inutashio brought home his second wife, along with Inu Yasha."
Kagome's eyes went blank. Something just hit her suddenly. "Have I told you before that I've met Sesshomaru once when I was five?"
"No wonder." Sango just smiles. "He usually…" She was cut off by the loud voices outside the dressing room.
"Sir, you can't go there! Women are –?!"
"Quiet bitch! Step aside!"
"Please sir!"
Sango was alarmed, the male voice headed towards the dressing cabin where they are in. Her friend was only in her underwear and not even aware of what's happening outside and she wouldn't want her to get hurt.
"Is there something wrong?"
"Kagome, put your clothes back on, hurry! We have to…"
They were stopped by the loud knock on their door. "Open this door, now!" The voice was masculine, and it was low and sharp.
People outside were screaming for the security guards. More masculine voices approached them, but they were trying to make the scary man leave their door.
"Sir, you have to come with us right now."
He growled low and dangerously. "Leave!"
Then the sound of a cracked limb echoed inside the small cabin where Kagome and Sango are standing quietly. After that cracking sound, more people screamed in fear.
"Now," The voice seemed to be standing next to their door. "Kagome, open the door…"
"Do you know this guy, Kagome?" Sango whispered at her, with her eyes sticking like glue on the surface of the door.
It was when Sango had noticed that Kagome was trembling. She turned to look at her friend's face and saw that she has turned pale. Tears were forming at the sides of her face and the red gown that she lastly tried on was clasped close to her chest, as if she was trying to cover herself even though she's full clothed.
"Kagome?" Sango worried even more. "What's wrong with you, Kagome?"
"Can you remember me, my dear Kagome?" The voice went on again. "You were so little when I last saw you. I hope you still can remember me."
"Go away…" Kagome's lips trembled, and so did her voice. "Please leave…"
"I can't leave my dear. No," He smirked. "Not without you!"
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Kagome turned to Sango for comfort and cried there in her arms, saying her last phrase repeatedly, but a little less quiet than before.
And as if on cue, Sango's cell phone rang. She quickly pulled it from her pocket to silence it, but when she looked at the small screen her heart leapt with joy.
"Don't worry, Kagome. I don't know what's happening here but I sure know he can help us."
Sango lifted her cell phone to her right ear and clicked it on. "Sesshomaru! Go quickly at the third floor! We're inside a dressing room and we can't get out!"
"What's going on, Sango?" Sesshomaru's voice made her feel a lot better. "Are you with Kagome? Are you both all right?"
"I am, but I don't know about Kagome, she seemed to be very scared."
"Tell her I'm coming."
"Quickly, Sesshomaru!"
The line was cut. Then people from the outside were talking to each other, telling another person to stop and stay out of the issue, for his own sake.
"Sango! Kagome!"
Sango sighed with relief. "Kagome, did you hear that? Sesshomaru's here to get you!"
Sesshomaru looked at the isolated part of the room where a security guard lies of the floor with a severed arm. His blood was all over the shiny floor and his face was in a wild grimace of pain. Four paramedics were all over him, getting ready to carry him off to the ambulance
He took more haste steps towards the innards of the boutique. He was about to walk past him when the poor security guard called him back.
"Don't go there; the police will be here in a couple of minutes to retrieve your friends. You shouldn't go there, the weirdo will pull your arm off as well."
But he went on, as if he heard nothing. He walked towards the dressing area. But there was someone standing at the entrance. He was about six feel tall, he had large tattoos all over his face that matched the tint of his black hair, which had short streaks of red and gold everywhere. He looked arrogant, looking directly to Sesshomaru with an unusual evil smirk on his face.
"Welcome to the Boutique, sir. How may I help you?" His smirk grew wider.
"Where are they?" Sesshomaru asked, his tone low and serious.
"They're inside, trying out our very new editions of formal wear from Italy. Would you like to try some of it as well?"
"Step aside and leave."
His façade changed from the cool type to the angry, insulted look. "As you wish, sir. I only wanted to greet my dear Kagome. I haven't seen her for quite a while."
"Leave now, before I do something you will definitely regret."
He bowed deeply towards him. "As you wish, Sesshomaru."
"I'm warning you. If you ever dare to go near her again…" Sesshomaru watched him walk towards him, staring at his every move. He might try to attack him when he's not looking.
He still kept his gaze on him until he finally reached the exit of the boutique. Seven police officers, ordering him to surrender, greeted him there. He did raise his hands. Two of them locked the cuffs on his hands and took him away.
Sesshomaru entered the dressing area quietly; sweat dripping from his forehead in exhaustion. "Sango? Kagome?"
Doors unlocked. One opened up and Sango walked out from, it. She had a disturbed Kagome wrapped in her arms.
When Sesshomaru saw her appear from the door, he slowly approached her. "What happened to her?"
"I don't know." Sango looked at her with full concern on her face. She held her tighter and closer to herself. "When she heard your voice outside, she started calling you for help."
His sharp amber eyes looked at her pale face. He walked closer to Sango and took the trembling girl from her arms. She was cold as well and trembling.
"Kagome."
"..Sessho...maru?" She sobbed.
"It's alright now. He's gone." One hand went up and combed her hair reassuringly.
"Is he coming back?"
"No." He sighed. "We're going back home."
"..o-Okay.."
Sango had insisted to drive them home. Sesshomaru and Kagome sat at the back quietly. But every now and then she would glace at them through the mirrors. She knows that Sesshomaru's aware of his glances because of the irritated look on his face.
She was tight in his embrace with her head on his warm chest. She had his purple coat hanging on her shoulders.
"Do you know that man?"
Sango sweat dropped. Sesshomaru is the perfect person to start a conversation. Fortunately, she cooperated.
"No."
"He knows who you are. He said you've met before."
"Please I don't want to talk about it now." She was close to crying again.
Silence.
"I was just being apprehensive. Forgive me."
What?
"You were what?" Kagome lifted her face to look at him. Perhaps she didn't hear him right.
"Do you not think that I should be?"
"No, its just…" Kagome placed her head back on his chest. "I'm just embarrassed that I've made you worry. I bet you had cancelled all your appointments due tonight because of me."
"It doesn't matter. It happens."
Silence.
"Sesshomaru?"
"Yes?"
"Where did you go?"
He looked down at her. "What?"
"I looked for you and called for you before, but you weren't there."
Sesshomaru just kept silent. Perhaps these are only aftershocks.
"It was cold that night and I was scared."
"Go to sleep."
"You never came to help me before."
"Kagome you need to rest."
Kagome paused and simply scuttled to his chest.
And in a few minutes she was asleep. And everything went quiet again, except her soft sobs that were evident in the stillness of the night.