A/N: New chapter. Enjoy! I'll try to update regularly
Married at 18
Chapter 2: Future Plans: Worst Birthday Ever
By: KNE
"What in THE seven hells are you doing here?!"
Kagome blinked. She blinked again and then slapped his finger away from her face. The man from last night….was the very same man that had almost turned her into a pancake in the middle of the street…and he was standing right in front of her! Yet….she was too shock to say anything. Sango had jinxed her….! "Well bitch? Answer me!" Ahh…the name calling was beginning.
The word definitely caught her attention, and her blue eyes snapped up to meet his golden orbs. "I should be asking YOU that!" She stretched out her left arm and pointed at the silver convertible next to him. "YOU almost killed me!" He only angrily glared at her.
Then with an arrogant snort he brought another finger to her face. "I knew it! You ARE a stalker! I knew it from the moment I met you!" She gawked up at him. All the anger she knew of began bubbling inside of her. Why that rich spoiled brat…..I can't believe…
"And why on earth would I do that?!" Her screams could be heard across the avenue. By now they were drawing a crowd (oblivious to them). His eyes narrowed dangerously and he took a step up.
"Don't ask me stupid questions, girl. Who knows what you have in that sick mind…."
"SICK! Why you son of a….! I'm going to call the police!" He snorted and smirked at her.
"Go ahead…." He brought his face a bit closer, "Only to have you get yourself arrested, bitch. Go ahead, no one's stopping you." His smirk widened as he saw her eyes widened. "From what I've seen so far it might be probation. I'll have a restraining order on you. And maybe you might even get a house arrest for stalking someone like me….." He crossed his arms over his black shirt and turned away with a "feh." Kagome's jaw dropped for the hundredth time that day. This was beyond insane. He made her sound like an obsessed fan of some sort. A fan of him? NEVER!
"I'm NOT stalking you, twit-face! I don't know even know who you are!" Kagome spat dangerously and matched his glare. "You have no right to make up false accusations! You were the one who almost ran all the people on this street over!"
"I did not! You're the one making it up! If I had wanted to kill you, I would have already done so!" His smirk had disappeared and now he was glaring angrily back at her.
Kagome's eyes widened. "You PIG!"
"Kagome!" Sango's voice suddenly piped in, shocking both of the two bickering adults. Both heads turned to face her. Sango grinned sheepishly and pointed to the light above them. "The light's green…."
"Yeah bitch, you're wasting time rambling…."
Kagome's head again whipped back to face the silver haired jerk. "What did you call me?!"
"I called you a bitch! Need me to say it again? Bitch…bitch….BITCH…"
Sango sweat dropped at the sight in front of her. She was standing around in the middle of the crosswalk while thousands of people stood at each corner watching the little scene that Kagome and the silver haired boy were making. The light had changed twice already, and the two had not even noticed a thing. She had called Kagome's name over and over, but now…..
"Apologize to me this instant!" Kagome was still yelling and she was no where close to backing down. But the immature boy only matched her with another insult each time she spoke.
"Kiss my ass! I'll die before I ever apologize to you!"
Sango rolled her eyes and glanced around nervously at the elderly couples next to her. She bowed quickly, muttering a quick 'sorry.' She would have to lecture her best friend later about putting her in awkward situation.
"So what's going on?" The man next to her asked, munching on a sandwich in his hands.
Sango sighed. "They're arguing." They were more than arguing, they were almost at each other's throats! Steam was practically making its way out of Kagome's ears!. Her aura was flaming…. But it WAS that boy's fault. A reckless and arrogant driver! He almost killed her…. Sango shook her head lightly. But now it seemed like the argument was way beyond the driving issue. They were arguing about…. Kagome being a stalker?
"I say the guy's going to get slugged sooner or later," the man next to her spoke again, craning his neck up to get a better view of the fight.
"For the hundredth time, I'm not stalking you!!!"
"And I'm saying that you are!"
"At this rate, I agree with you. Kagome won't back down…." Sango glanced up at the man to find her self staring into violet eyes. For a second she swore her heart stopped beating…. and then she casually turned away to face Kagome again.
"Think we should stop them and get traffic flowing again?" The man turned to face Sango, his face filled with amusement. Only then did Sango feel herself turn red. She was BLUSHING. What's wrong with me? I don't blush!! She lifted her head and looked at him in the eye.
"I've already tried. They seem pretty caught up in their conversation of…."
"I'll sue you if you touch my car!"
"Screw your car! You can't even drive it right!"
The man chuckled lightly and shrugged. "It's worth another try, eh?" Sango raised an eyebrow. He seemed nice enough. (If only she knew…)
"I'll take the guy, you get the girl." The violet eyed man grinned and then winked, before lightly pushing Sango towards Kagome. Sango nodded her head obediently and approached her best friend slowly as if Kagome were a dangerous animal. She glanced up to see how the other man was doing, only to see him quickly walk up to the silver hair boy and throw an arm over his shoulder….casually. Sango froze as she saw his movements. So they knew each other….??
But the fighting had ceased.
"Miroku?! What the hell are you doing here?" The sound of Inuyasha's words were now soothing in his ears. Miroku grinned and glanced up at the pretty girl that he had just spoken to moments before. She was pretty indeed…. He winked and then returned to face Inuyasha.
"So Takashi, this is the girl you were telling me about?" Inuyasha and the girl's head whipped around to face the friendly figure. Miroku squinted and quickly ran his eyes over the girl's body. "Not too shabby…." He felt Inuyasha stiffen underneath his arm and at once he removed it, fearing for his own safety. Of course, the least thing he expected was to actually be right when he had made that statement. He really had no idea. But Miroku was just always….lucky? But from Inuyasha's reaction…She WAS the girl that he had gotten stuck with on the balcony. His luck just flew out the window…. Miroku smiled nervously and glanced back at the raging girl in front of him. One word described his situation. Screwed.
"You PERVERT!!!" The slap was too painful to watch. It was probably the most painful smack Miroku had ever encountered in his lifetime. It even echoed! Miroku stumbled backwards and gazed in shock, his jaw dropping completely. The girl held her red hand up and then winced in pain. "Itai…"
"YOU WENCH! What the hell was that for?!!!" Miroku sighed in relief; at least it wasn't him who got hit. "THAT HURT!" Inuyasha removed his shaky hand from his face. A perfectly red handprint left her signature of pain.
"THAT…." The girl whipped around to face him, "… was for being a pervert and almost running me over!"
"ME?!I didn't do anything!! It was him!" So much for a friend…
She snorted in reply. "Go away!" Miroku raised an eyebrow. Interesting…..Inuyasha had never been slapped by a girl before. This is definitely a first! Miroku leaned in, glancing from the silver haired boy to the fiery beauty.
"Gladly," he growled and spun around. "Should have hit you when I had the chance…." Miroku smiled sourly. Inuyasha just couldn't leave a fight without being the person to make the last remark. "Miroku get in the fucking car!"
And yet Miroku still felt like the lapdog.
Kagome gripped the pole and glared at the retreating car. Of all cars in the world, that car just had to belong to the silver haired freak of nature. Now she regretted not kicking his car a few times along with his head. At least she would be kicking some sense into that tiny itty bitty brain of his.
"Kagome….you okay?" Sango gently reached over to tap her on the shoulder. Am I okay? She had never encountered anyone so…so….MEAN! Sango snorted lightly and smiled. "Didn't I tell you I that you would meet him again before tomorrow?" Kagome whirled around at Sango's amused face.
"Whaa…?"
Sango laughed and pulled on her best friend's arm towards the sidewalk.
"Just recently you told me that the man you met on the balcony was the rudest most idiotic bastard that lived in the male society…." Kagome raised an eyebrow and looked at her friend. "And I totally agree with you. It's too bad such a good looking boy turned out to be a rotten egg…."
Kagome snorted. "Good looking my ass. He's ugly and stupid….and smelly…" Sango laughed lightly and glanced behind her shoulder. Kagome sighed again and lifted her head over the hundreds of people pushing passed them. "Maybe you'll meet your pervert then…."
Sango only laughed nervously.
"Kagome, I've never seen you so worked up over a guy before. It almost looked like we were back in high school…" Kagome huffed in fury. She was NOT worked up over him. Over anyone! Sango must have noticed the redness forming in her friend's cheek and quickly changed the subject again. "I feel like I've seen him before….." Kagome rolled her eyes.
"I can't believe he thought I was stalking him. What kind of person would accuse me of that? Only a big oaf like him. I don't even know his name!" Sango sweat dropped again.
"But he does look familiar. Maybe…."
"Maybe in the Guinness Book of Records for the dumbest jerk alive!" Kagome was seething again. Her aura began flaming. People were pissing her off lately, namely one person whom she had no idea who he was. The incident on the balcony should have taught him not to mess with her.
"Not all guys are sweet like Kouga, Kagome. There are just big jerks out there who think the world revolves around them. Whoever he was is definitely first on that list." Sango smiled eagerly and nudged her friend. "Kouga on the other hand…." This time instead of turning red from fury, Kagome blushed.
"Sangoooo…." She was whining again, making Sango smile. Kagome was so easy to read. Just one mention of Kouga, and the situation would turn like jelly. Kouga WAS and probably will be only, Kagome's first boyfriend.
"I still can't believe the idiot hasn't called yet. That's very unlike Kouga Kanzaki!" Sango laughed again as she watched Kagome roll her eyes.
"Can we not talk about Kouga?"
"Fine fine…" Sango replied in a sing-a-song voice. At least all thoughts had been reverted from the silver haired freak to the romantic boy off in America. "When's he coming back?"
"In a month…" Kagome's eyes darted upwards to one of the store displays and gasped. "Sango look!" Through the glass window, sat a shiny camera perched inside a small display. A beautiful camera. Kagome was instantly up against the window gaping. It was a new model and had just been released in the photography world. It was the first time Kagome had seen it…..up close.
"Look at all those zeroes….." Sango chirped in, as she straightened up. "Maybe your mom can help chip in." Even if that was a possibility….Kagome couldn't afford to ask her mother to buy her a new camera. They weren't exactly on the wealthy side and with her grandpa's hospital bills piling in….a camera was not their number one priority. Kagome slumped against the window and sighed. A dream was a dream….and it would always remain a dream.
"Yeah right…." Kagome mumbled, looking up at the gray clouds flowing by above them. Sango bit her lip and watched the girl. Kagome was never a gold digger. She never cared much about money….but there were times when the girl just looked so desperate.
"Don't worry Kags. You know what they say….a good artist can paint with any brush!" She managed a small smirk from her friend. "And if you're so worried about it, just marry some old rich guy, and then take all his money when he kicks the bucket." Kagome laughed and straightened up.
"Like that will ever happen."
"You never know."
"Sango!"
"I'm joking, Kagome. I'm joking. You'll marry someone you love and have hundreds of tiny little Kagomes and Kougas…."
"SANGO!"
Inuyasha grunted as he snapped the cell phone shut. Miroku glanced over and grinned.
"What did the old man say?" Inuyasha's answer was a few profane words and then ended with his right hand smacking the wheel.
"He's making this dinner date thing such a big deal! The fucking bastard's threatening to cancel my credit cards if I don't go." Inuyasha gripped onto the wheel and sunk his nails in. His father was worst beyond worst and needed a big kick in the ass. Sesshomaru was never forced to go to things like these! Why the hell do I have to? Realization hit him once again…Because Sesshomaru had the fucking bastard wrapped around his fucking finger….just because he was a fucking A student.
"Just go Inuyasha!"
"I won't."
"You're just going to get yelled at. And then it'll make your day even more perfect than it already is…." Miroku raised an eyebrow referring to the incident earlier. That definitely got the stubborn boy's attention. Inuyasha whipped his head to face the pervert next to him.
"Don't talk about that bitch. If you didn't go and make that stupid comment about her, she wouldn't have slapped me! I was slapped! ME! INUYASHA TAKASHI!" Miroku winced and turned his head away.
"So she kicked your ego…..get over it." Inuyasha flinched. She did not kick my ego! My ego is perfectly fine! "And your ego is not perfectly fine, Inuyasha. I've never seen you get so worked up over some girl that you don't even know."
"And that's a good thing for her. If I knew her name I would make sure that THAT girl ate dirt for the rest of her fucking life." Miroku chuckled and patted Inuyasha on the arm.
"But dude, I thought you said she was ugly…..she was NOWHERE close to ugly…."
And that was the end of Miroku.
"Dinner at who's?" Kagome quickly glanced at her mother on the opposite side of the limo. A limo! To Kagome's surprise, a limo had arrived in front of the shrine to pick them up. It was shocking in deed and she almost doubled over when her mother had told her that she had nothing to do with it!
"At the Takashi's. They're old friends of your father's." Mrs. Higurashi gently smiled and reached over to pat Kagome's arm. "Happy birthday, honey." Kagome smiled nervously and looked out the tinted windows. Takashi's? She'd never heard her mother mention them ever….
"Mama. Why do I have to wear this?" Souta squirmed in his seat and tugged on the red bow around his neck. "I feel so stuffy like this." The eight year old boy continued to struggle and then finally gave up when the bow did not budge.
"Because it makes you look handsome, Souta." Mrs. Higurashi smiled and quickly licked the tip of her thumb. "Now stay still, there's something on your face…."
"Ma….!" Kagome laughed as she watched her mother grab a hold of the little boy. Her family was little and only consisted of four people, including her grandpa…but everything seemed perfect. Now that Kagome was heading off to college soon….even she was afraid to leave them alone. Her mother was a hardworking woman who even worked over time to support the family. "Ma! It's gone okay?!" Souta struggled from the neck hold and scrambled over to his sister.
"Gosh Mom…now I smell like your spit…" Souta muttered a few incoherent words as he wiped his face with the grey sleeve of his blazer. Kagome rolled her eyes. For an eight year old boy, Souta had one hell of a language.
"Souta! I gave birth to you! You'll smell like me for the rest of your life!" Mrs. Higurashi laughed and pointed at the two siblings. Souta only groaned in disgust.
"Mommmm! I didn't need to hear that!" Again Kagome giggled. Her family was weird. "Now I'm scarred for the rest of my life!" The eight year old fell back onto the leather seats and covered his ears.
"Get over it Souta!" Kagome hastily pinched his elbow. "You'll smell like mom for the rest of your life…."
"Ahhhh!"
The Higurashi trio laughed altogether once more before the limo came to a complete stop. They closed their mouths immediately and Souta sat up quickly. "Are we here?" Mrs. Higurashi sat up and looked around.
"I guess we are…." On queue, the door to the limo was jerked open, revealing the chauffeur.
The man peered in carefully and then cleared his throat. "We have arrived."
Souta was the first one out…..followed by Mrs. Higurashi and then Kagome. The three scrambled out and peered around while Souta and Kagome's jaw dropped. The place was…..huge! They were standing in front of what looked like a gigantic mansion. Small fountains surrounded the sides accompanied by a large one on the front lawn. All the lights glowed inside creating an extraordinary atmosphere. The place made a medieval castle in Ireland look tiny.
"Man o man! Where are we?!" Souta quickly spun around, taking in the view. The mansion sat on top of a large hill that over looked the city. The winding driveway that curved to the entrance were filled with lined limos and sports cars, while a sweet smell of cinnamon could be smelt from inside.
"Is this a hotel, Ma?" Kagome asked, spinning around just like Souta (like little children). Mrs. Higurashi only laughed.
"Mom! Look at that! They have their own basketball courts!" Souta began shouting as he jumped up and down pointing at the cement grounds not too far away, accompanied by tennis courts and what looked like an outdoor pool. "That's so cool!"
"It's a waste of space actually. My sons don't play anymore…." A warm voice suddenly piped in making Souta and Kagome whip around from their new found amusement. Standing before them was a beautiful woman in a dark blue dress. Kagome managed to grab Souta by his collar and pulled him closer before he got too excited. She looked familiar….. The woman smiled at the two siblings before turning to face Kagome's mother. Her eyes instantly brightened and she pulled the woman into a hug.
"Emiko! It's been too long!" The brown haired woman pulled back and smiled down at Mrs. Higurashi. "How have you been?" Kagome took a step closer. The Takashi's….?
"It's been wonderful Izayoi…..and what about you and Inutashio?" The names hit Kagome like a thousand tons of bricks. Izayoi and Inutashio Takashi. As in THE Takashi's.
"The Maple Hotel…." Kagome managed a whispered as she loosened her grip on Souta's collar. Souta scrambled to his mother's side. Lady Takashi turned her head away from Kagome's mother and smiled at her words.
"And you must be Kagome-Chan. You're just as beautiful as your mother said you were!" Two skinny arms were suddenly wrapped around Kagome's shoulders. Kagome could only sink in and go with the flow. What were they doing at Inutashio Takashi's mansion? The Takashi's were one of the richest families in Japan and owned the famous Maple Hotel chain. The hotel that Kagome had been at last night! But her mother had never mentioned to her that they knew Takashi's, let alone being invited to dinner at what looked like the Takashi's mansion. Kagome was still gaping when Lady Takashi pulled away and smiled sweetly again.
Kagome politely smiled. "Thank you."
The woman gently took Kagome by the arm and pulled her towards the entrance. "I hear you're a very smart girl and you're planning to major in photography!" Kagome nodded gleefully and glanced back at her mother. Mrs. Higurashi only smiled sheepishly and shrugged. Souta on the other hand had now taken interest in the mansion's belongings.
"Your mother speaks so much of you. You look just like your father…..he was a very good man. Did you know that?" Lady Takashi continued to talk and glanced up at the young girl. She WAS beautiful. And kind all at once….the perfect daughter in law. Kagome Higurashi was not only the daughter of Jin Higurashi, but she was the perfect….no…ONLY candidate for her son.
Dinner could not begin yet, since HE wasn't here yet. Lady Takashi glanced at her husband who was now looking at the silver watch on his left wrist. "So, I hear you're going to Tokyo University! It's a wonderful school….Many of my friends went there when I was younger." Lady Takashi smiled again, pushing for another conversation. Hopefully the girl wouldn't notice how worried she was. This was a very important dinner date!
Kagome smiled and nodded. "They have a great photography course….and it's close to home, so I can visit whenever I want to." The girl was smart indeed. Not like those airhead girls that Izayoi had seen her son sneak in.
"Is that so? Usually girls your age just can't wait to get out. I remember I was like that….Always rebelling. I was your typical teenager….isn't that right Inutashio dear?" Lady Takashi glanced over to her husband who gritted his teeth and nodded his head. He was obviously angry at the fact that Inuyasha had not arrived yet. The boy was a trouble maker….
"I'm different I guess…." The young girl smiled and set down her tea cup. Lady Takashi smiled, yes….yes you are.
Kagome licked her lips and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear again. It was like the two were sending signals to each other without thinking she would notice. Lady Takashi and her husband had been glancing at each other every five seconds. It was making Kagome feel nervous.
"Uh….are you guys waiting for someone?" Lady Takashi's head whipped to face her. The woman laughed nervously and shook her head.
"My son actually..... He was supposed to be joining us for dinner. He's late though…." She trailed off and then laughed nervously again. Kagome raised an eyebrow. Okay? "You'll like him once you meet him. He's such a gentleman…" her voice seemed to crack at her last statement, but Kagome didn't notice. She just nodded her head and smiled back.
"How many sons do you have?"
"I have one son." Lady Takashi leaned forward and set her teacup back onto the small table in the center of the room. Kagome raised a finger to her forehead. She could have sworn Lady Takashi had been saying "sons' the whole time. Plural. "I have a stepson also. They are very nice boys. You should meet them Kagome-Chan." Once again Kagome missed the crackle in her voice.
"Your home is just wonderful Izayoi. You've always told me how you wanted a small house on the riverside…..now you have a mansion next to the city!" Kagome glanced at her mother who had stood up and was now looking around. Lady Takashi smiled and stood up.
"My dreams didn't exactly go my way…..would you like a tour? I would love to take you, Emiko!" Before Kagome's mother could even argue she was dragged away by the bubbly woman. Souta followed, leaving Kagome in the large sitting room alone. Where did Mr. Takashi go?
Kagome sighed and stood up, taking great interest in the large paintings on the wall. What was a low class family doing here in high class residence? And what was their connection any way? Kagome would definitely have to ask her mother when they got home. How did someone like Inutashio Takashi know her father, a mere man from a poor district? They must have been friends in college or something. Kagome sighed and stopped next to a photograph against the fireplace. She gasped when she noticed the familiar face smiling back at her. It was her father…..and Inutashio. The two looked like they were somewhere in the city….and Jin Higurashi had one arm thrown over Inutashio's shoulders.
"They look so young…." Kagome whispered, smiling at her father's clueless face. She didn't remember much of him, besides the fact that he was a very smart and friendly man. Sadness overcame Kagome as she set the picture back on the mantel. Her father had died in a car accident eight years ago, not long after Souta had been born. Even Kagome didn't remember much….but Souta couldn't even remember one single detail. The boy was always curious though.
Kagome sighed and moved to the next picture frame on the mantel. Lady Takashi was mounted on top of a horse staring up at the sky. She was gorgeous. Brown locks and warm brown eyes. It was a good picture, almost grade A. She must have not known the picture was being taken either, because it looked all so natural.
"Probably just got married…." Kagome whispered and set the picture frame down. Kagome shuffled forward to look at the next picture. A small boy perched on top of a tree branch. Kagome squinted and brought the picture closer to her face. Three men that looked like bodyguards were below the tree, all shouting at him. But the little boy was smiling down at them an acorn in his hand ready to be thrown at their heads. Kagome giggled. How cute! She set the picture down and moved forward. And then she froze. Her hands were instantly on the picture frame of the little boy on the tree. That face….It looks familiar…. Kagome's eyes traveled to the little boy's hair. Platinum blonde….silver hair……golden eyes. Annoying smirk. "Oh….my….g…"
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Kagome literally jumped a foot in the air as she spun around to face the voice, the picture frame slipping from her hand and hitting the carpet. Luck was never on her side to begin with…..
His eyes widened instantly….and then his jaw dropped. Kagome swallowed….so he recognized me?! Kagome instantly fell to her knees and picked up the silver picture frame, hiding her face from shame. Now he had every right to call her a stalker….
His jaw was tensed while he straightened his body quickly. Kagome bit her lip and glanced back up at the angry boy. So HE was a Takashi too? Kagome turned around slowly and placed the picture frame back on the mantle feeling his eyes burn a whole through her shoulder. She turned back and faced him completely, feeling her confidence drain away. Shit….
Cracking a small nervous smile, Kagome bit her lip. "So you must be Sesshomaru."
He decided right then and there that she had to die. What was the little bitch doing in HIS house? His home!! And now she was calling him Sesshomaru?!
"What the fuck did you just say?!" The bitch smiled devilishly and wiped her hands on her blue dress.
"Oh my bad then. You must be the demon child of the family…." Inuyasha lunged at her, grabbing her by the shoulder and shoving her against the fireplace. The little whore….
She winced. "Oww! What the heck was that for?!" The girl tried to shove him backwards but unfortunately women were weaklings and Inuyasha didn't budge.
"And just what the hell are you doing in my house? YOU ARE A STALKER!" Her hands dropped from her shoulder and she glared up at him.
"I am NOT a stalker! I didn't even know you lived here!" Inuyasha pointed a finger at her face. He knew he wasn't the most brilliant man that existed. But he wasn't stupid either. How could someone not know who he was? It was like not knowing who the first man to step on the moon was!!
"Liar!" He reacted by grabbing her wrist and jerking her with him. She stumbled forward as he dragged her out of the sitting room. Never is his mind….
"What are you doing?! Let go!" The girl screamed as she tried digging her nails into his skin. Inuyasha only ignored her.
"I'm teaching you a lesson! I'm calling the cops on you so they can lock up your sick ass mind and I'll never have to see your ugly thing of a face anymore!" Inuyasha could feel her struggling as he pulled her into the main hall. He was pissed off as hell…to think that he had actually arrived home to come face to face with his worst nightmare. Where was security when he needed them?!
"I am not stalking you! Let go! Your parents invited my family for dinner!!" Inuyasha froze. Dinner? Could it be….He whipped around and glared at her, pointing his finger at her nose once again.
"Tricky. But I'm not stupid! You snuck in here and you're stealing stuff from my house to add to your sick shrine. I know people like you… and you all deserve to go hell!" He began dragging her again, ignoring the shouts and screams that penetrated through the halls.
"You're a monster! Let go of me this instant!" Inuyasha smirked to himself. She wasn't going to get away with it this time. He was usually never this violent with girls, but this bitch was asking for it. If she wasn't a stalker, then she probably was paparazzi. It would explain the stupid camera…..and the fucked up attitude. He would sue her for all she was worth. Though he would probably just gain extra pocket cash, she would die of hunger. Good riddance… Inuyasha froze again when he felt the sharp pain surge through his right hand.
"Fuck no…" he whispered turning around. The bitch bit him! He shoved her off almost instantly and yelped in pain. "What the hell are you doing?!" He glanced at the back of his hand and found bloody teeth marks, freshly engraved in his skin.
She quickly backed up and spat, the wiped her lips quickly with her hand. She glanced up at him, her hair thrown in frenzy. "Shit," she whispered, continuing to glare at him. "Now I'll die of poison…"
"Not before I kill you…" Inuyasha retorted quickly before he jumped forward and grabbed her wrist again; ignoring the thrashes she was sending out.
"Let GO OF MEEEE! I'll scream rape if you don't!" Inuyasha practically laughed. Amateur. He had her trapped.
"This IS my own home, remember?" He glanced back at her raging face and then smirked triumphantly, "Of course you do…..you did stalk me…."
"I AM NOT STALKING YOU!" He ignored her and continued, ready to throw away the trash.
"You're sons are adorable, Izayoi…." Mrs. Higurashi glanced up at the large oil painting of the family. "He looks exactly like you." Lady Takashi smiled again and nodded. Inuyasha WAS the adorable one of the family. Sesshomaru resembled his father greatly; both handsome and dashing…..mixed with ice. Girls had always chased her eldest son since middle school. But he was too smart and much too focused on the company business to pursue any girlfriends for the matter. Sesshomaru was one of a kind….and most definitely going to be the most successful. And then came along Inuyasha. Unlike Inutashio and Sesshomaru, her youngest son became the most arrogant boy that he was. Even as a child he was already as sneaky as it could get. Unlike Sesshomaru, school was not part of his 'priority' list. It was more like girls. And lots of them. Amazing how different he turned out to be from the rest of the family. It must have been her blood that set the current.
The boy was a walking billboard.
"I hope she likes him…." Lady Takashi turned to face her best friend since high school. "I've always wanted to be related to you….and Inutashio and Jin were like brothers! It's only natural that our children marry…." Emiko only sadly smile at the mention of her late husband. Lady Takashi sighed and glanced back at the portrait. "The only way the family and company can merge completely…."
"Kagome will like him. She's not a very judgmental person unless the first impressions turned out rough. She doesn't have very many enemies either…..so I'm sure her and Inuyasha will get along just fine…."
Lady Takashi could only cross her fingers. "Hopefully….."
Unfortunately…. 'hope' never came around, and the French doors of the grand hall were suddenly thrashed opened, cutting through the peaceful aura.
"MA!!!!!!!!!" Both of Kagome's hands would have flown to her ears if one of them wasn't being dislocated by a certain jerk at the moment. Kagome stumbled up as the boy came to a complete halt.
"Inuyasha? INUYASHA! What are you doing?" Now Lady Takashi had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Inuyasha ignored the question and jerked Kagome to the front, one hand still around her bruising wrists.
Kagome winced. "Itai…."
"Is it true you invited this girl for dinner?!" Kagome bit her lip and glanced back at the silver haired jerk. The idiot was ripping her arm off! Only then Kagome noticed that her mother stood beside Lady Takashi and both Souta and Inutashio watched from a distance (cautiously). Weren't they going to help her? "She's an intruder Ma! I told you that we needed better security!" Now it was Kagome's turn to roll her eyes and cut in before he made her sound like a complete thief.
"I did NOT break in!"
"Don't lie to my mother!" He angrily jerked her arm again, almost sending her sprawling across the marble floor.
"Inuyasha! She did not break in! Release her now!" Izayoi Takashi took a step forward dangerously while Inuyasha immediately dropped his hand from Kagome's wrist and took a step back. Kagome silently snorted and turned to face him.
"I told you I wasn't stalking you." I hope he gets a beating from his parents!! She knew he wanted to kill her from the look in his eyes, but it looked like Lady Takashi had complete control over him now. Now it was time to run. Kagome quickly hurried over to her mother's side and then turned to point accusingly at the silver haired boy.
"Mama! That's the man from last night!?" Unfortunately, those were the wrong words to speak. Both of the women whirled around to face her.
"You've met?!" They both shouted in unison. Then a small smile suddenly appeared on Lady Takashi's face. It almost looked deadly. She turned around to face her seething son.
"Inuyasha why didn't you tell me you already met Kagome-Chan?" Her voice had suddenly sweetened…..it was too odd. Inuyasha blinked. What the hell is going on? What do you mean 'why didn't you tell me you already met Kagome?' I don't even know that bitch!
"What?" He gawked. What the fuck is going on? Who the hell are these people and why the hell is SHE in my house?! Inuyasha swallowed. He didn't like the feeling he was getting. He suddenly wished he hadn't listened to Miroku and come. Kagome was the first to get over the shock. She turned to face her mother once more and opened her mouth to speak….only to throw another accusation towards him.
"Mama….he's the pervert that tried to kiss me!"
All of Inuyasha's five senses came whirling back from where ever the hell it went and hit him smack in the face. All heads were suddenly on him
"WHAT?!" He heard his father's voice bellow along with the gasps from the two elder women in front of him and the bitch. And the biggest ass of them all suddenly decided to join the conversation….Inuyasha rolled his eyes, referring to his father.
"Kiss?! What do you mean kiss?!" His mother turned to face him. "You tried to kiss her? When? How?" Inuyasha gulped….he was dead meat. He was being interrogated for doing something he hadn't done!
"He tried to take advantage of me last night!" The girl screamed again. Inuyasha suddenly wanted very much to leash out and strangle her before she revealed anything more about him that could get his ass kicked by the man he called 'father'. And this time he had a feeling his mother was not going to jump in any time soon.
"I…I did not try to KISS her!" He whipped around to face the lying bitch…. "I did NOT try to take advantage over you!"
She snorted and took an angry step towards him. "Yes you did!"
"Is this true Inuyasha?!" His father was yelling once more. The little boy who stood in the corner of the room was now laughing hysterically…..wait? What was a kid doing here? Inuyasha swallowed, confused yet angry. "Inuyasha!"
Stop calling my god damn name!!
"Inuyasha!!"
"N..N..NO! I did not! I didn't try to kiss her god dammit!" This must have had to have been the worst day in his life. Now he was being accused of being a rapist? A pervert? A….
"This is wonderful news!" His mother's warm voice suddenly exclaimed, making Inuyasha double over.
"What?!" He heard himself and Kagome shout at the same time. Horror was clearly written across her face. Lady Takashi's smile widened as she began walking towards Kagome. Kagome only swallowed cautiously and glanced back at her mother who looked away innocently.
"Kagome-Chan. Do you know how my family knows your family?"
Kagome watched the woman approach her and then shook her head slowly…..taking in the cinnamon aroma that Lady Takashi smelt of. The woman smiled and glanced to her husband like she was asking for permission before continuing the story. "Back when we were still very young….your father and my husband met in high school." She paused and smiled to herself in reminiscences. "They became the best of friends immediately and vowed to do everything together."
So they were best friends? Kagome rubbed her sore wrists. But she had never known that….. Her mother had never even mentioned about the high school years. Inutaisho Takashi was one of the most recent newsmakers, no one even mentioned anything!
Lady Takashi continued with her story. "So when they went to college together…..they both wanted to start a business together and become partners. Since your father and my husband grew up in the country…..they both worked hard and were able to buy a small plot of land near the countryside where they started their business."
Kagome swallowed. She was never informed of this….. Izayoi smiled deepened and she gently glanced up at Kagome's eyes. "Do you know what that was?" Kagome shook her head slowly. Lady Takashi raised a small finger to Kagome's noise. "They named it the Kaede Inn." Oblivious to Kagome, Inuyasha was also listening nearby. He was stupefied….shocked. Kaede Inn….was just another name for the Maple Hotel… meaning that his father had a partner. Inuyasha's head whipped around to face the silver haired man listening as well. It was Impossible.
"It started out small at first….a small Inn for travelers and tourists to stay at while they were passing through. But amazingly, within a year….Kaede Inn's popularity was growing." Kagome licked her lips again. Her father…..was one of the creators of the Maple Hotel chain? The most expensive hotels in all of Japan and Asian….
Inutashio cleared his throat. "As the business grew….I wanted to gain so much more, but your father…..he was still in love with the countryside. He met your mother, settled down and was ready to start a family. I on the other hand……" Inutaisho glanced over at the large portrait of the Takashi family. "My illegitimate child was the first to be born." Kagome's eyes followed his to see a very handsome man who stood behind Inuyasha and his mother, his eyes piercing cold. Inutashio's words probably meant that he was a player himself. Kagome narrowed her eyes…like father like son.
"Sesshomaru…." She heard the idiot behind her whisper. Obviously, the boy had been kept out in the cold until now.
"And through your mother…..I met Izayoi and fell in love." Lady Takashi was practically swooning as they proceeded with the trip down memory lane.
"But what about Kaede Inn and my father?" Kagome pressed on…. not interested about the romantic story of Inutaisho and Izayoi Takashi. What did this have to do with her father now?
"Well. We were always best friends, and shall remain best friends forever. But, Jin wanted to live a peaceful and normal life….and I wanted power. And so I continued on, and Jin stayed behind." Kagome suddenly felt light. Her father had a chance to become a billionaire and chose to leave everything just to live peacefully? Kagome really WAS like her father. It made her feel….proud.
"But when Inuyasha was three years old, and Emiko had just come home from the hospital with you. We all decided that no matter what…..the Takashi and Higurashi family would be one. And so on that day…..Inuyasha, you made an oath to be with Kagome forever." All heads turned to face the arrogant boy again.
"WHAT?! I don't remember this?!" A gruff voice cut in angrily.
"Of course not Inuyasha. You were only three, and you repeated everything that we told you to. You were such a good boy back then." Inuyasha growled as his mother turned away from him.
"Then how come I've never met this girl before?!" Inuyasha lifted his chin towards the blue eyed girl. "If this story is true then why aren't we like the Brady bunch and their neighbors? I don't even remember Dad mentioning the name Higurashi before." Lady Takashi lifted a finger.
"Ahh…If you've already forgotten, we lived in America until you were fifteen and Sesshomaru was twenty, before we actually came back to Japan." Inuyasha stared down at his shoes, obviously thinking hard about something. Kagome only groaned at his stupidity.
"Six years! Didn't you learn how to subtract in school?" Inuyasha's head whipped up and he sent another deadly glare towards her.
Finally (willingly), he turned to face his mother again. "But that leaves six years. Why didn't you guys tell me anything?"
But somehow, during their little conversation….Kagome had realized something.
"What do you mean the Takashi and Higurashi family would be one?" Her eyes darted from Izayoi, to her mother, and then back to Inutaisho. "What are you implying?" That's when she saw the twinkle in Lady Takashi's eyes once again.
"Of course. We were all good friends and were so sure that since you were the eldest daughter of Jin and Emiko, you would be the one to marry into our family…." Lady Takashi paused and waited for a reaction but received none. She then smiled and continued. "But then your father passed away in that awful accident while we were still in America. Inutaisho was drowned in so much work, that we couldn't even make it to the funeral." She sent a sympathetic look towards Kagome's mother. "…and since my sons were already teenagers, the idea of getting them to marry a complete stranger would be difficult. We figured that it was just a small little dream that we possessed for you to become part of our family. And with work….we never got around to meeting you after your first birthday." Kagome sighed in relief. She was so sure they were going to bombard her with some crazy announcement.
"So why the hell are they here then?"
Kagome could feel a vein pop. How can a person like this be ?! He was a Takashi after all, her father and mother's best friends!
"They are here because we love them Inuyasha. But they are also here because of a problem that we have encountered." As Lady Takashi finished her sentence, both heads snapped back to face her.
Inuyasha's eyes flared as he cautiously looked from his father to mother. "What kind of problem?"
"Money."
"WHAT?!" At this rate Kagome was going to become deaf. The stubborn boy just had to scream into her ear every five seconds. "How the hell do we have money problems?" He was right though.. Kagome was dumbfounded. What kind of money problems could Inutashio Takashi have?
"It's quite complicated actually….." Inuyasha raised his head taking a step closer. He had all night….after all.
"What's going on?"
Inutaisho sighed impatiently. "The business ratings will continue to drop if Maple does not expand past the Asian country. It's going to be bad for stocks and Maple is being built on every beach there is on Japan. We can't afford to lose money at the same time that we are building hotels across the country. It's too risky…."
"What…?" Inuyasha obviously was dense when it came to business. He did not understand a word.
"Meaning Inuyasha, that Maple is dropping unless we expand to the west. The American hotels are also our competitors and they have been appearing more and more around the coasts as well….."
Inuyasha scratched his head. "So why don't we just expand to the west? We have enough money now right?" Kagome rolled her eyes. There was always a catch, and the idiot was too dense to understand the situation.
"Let me finish, Inuyasha…." Inutaisho's eyes suddenly traveled to the young girl who stood next to her mother. "If it was that easy, Inuyasha. I would already have expanded Maple ages ago. But the problem lies in the fact that Maple was not started just by me. I don't have full authorization to it….." The drama was unfolding and Kagome could only dread what would be next. "When Jin and I started Maple. We signed a contract stating that the both of us were needed to make decisions like this….." Inuyasha stared hard at his father. What was he trying to say?
"But we've lived the past 21 years without this Jin Higurashi person. Why do we suddenly need him now?"
"Jin never really left the business completely. He stepped down and handed the job of decision making for me. The money to me. But his name is still on that contract. Maple is still half his, meaning I need his consent in order to expand Maple to the west."
Kagome's eyes slowly traveled to look at Inutaisho. "But my father is dead….how can you get his consent?" And then that's when Lady Takashi's face lit up. Both Kagome and Inuyasha felt themselves take in a deep breath.
"A Higurashi needs to….."
Kagome swallowed. "Can't my mother just sign a new contract and hand the company completely over to you?" She saw her mother flinch from the corner of her eye. "Can't she?"
"Unfortunately, your father left everything that has to do with Maple to you, Kagome." Her mother's words pierced through her. Slowly turning to face her mother, Kagome felt her heart clench. That meant that….
"But Mama, if it's mine, then all I have to do is sign consent and let Maple expand….."
"No. You're too young." Again…there was more news to add to the drama that Kagome had never known about. "You have just turned eighteen legally today. But your father's will specifically indicate that you have to be at least graduated from college and over the age of twenty one before you can have complete ownership of your half. Until then you can not receive and money or do anything with it….."
Nearby, Inuyasha watched the scene fold out in front of him. The wench was also a billionaire then? He suddenly felt at lost. All twenty-one years, his father had actually had a partner?? A partner?? Did Sesshomaru even know of this?
"Then how do we solve this? Wait until I'm twenty one?" Kagome glanced nervously around. She suddenly felt like a thousand pounds of bricks were falling around her
"Maple won't last long against the American competitors for another three years…."
"And what do you suggest?"
"Merging."
Inuyasha took an angry step forward, pissed for being left out of the conversation. "What the hell is that?"
"Meaning you…" he pointed a rather hasty finger at his son, "….and Kagome will have to get married in order to hand all authority to the Takashi family."
Sure….both families were expecting a tantrum from one of them. But they weren't expecting a nuclear bomb to explode from BOTH of them.
A/N:
Okay…..lots of information in this chapter. But I had to give a reason WHY they had to marry…and I couldn't do that in a few sentences. And I'll try filling in the blanks in the next chapter. I just really wanted to get a second chap out for those who wanted to read it. You'll understand why Kagome's mother wants Kagome to do it, and maybe even why Kagome's dad wrote his will like that. Hehehe
I'm surprised I even got over twenty reviews. I was expecting nothing…but I had this story at the back of my head so I decided to.
If any of you guys actually read my author profile; I'll try to update lately on how my other fics are doing.
I read from some people that this story isn't really great compared to my other two. I'm sorry if it isn't and I don't take it as a burn.
And some of you think it's going to fast. I'll see what I can do.
I guess I'm trying to take it at a different angle that's all. And now I'm willing to answer questions for those of you who have questions.
Umm….oh yeah!
Corner Girl – I emailed you but never got an answer (about the beta reader thingy), so if you want to email me back my email is on my profile. I hope you got this message…hehehe
And…. Miroku and Sango have met! Some of you guys are probably wondering why Miroku hasn't pulled any perverted stunts. I wonder too…..lol. We'll see how their relation goes.
Thank you so much for reviewing. I appreciate 'em a lot!! And like I said I love reading them, and I know for those of you who write stories, you guys like reading them too! This chapter went okay (in my opinion). I'm working on other stories for too, so that's why…
Thank you!!
Next:
Chapter 3-
5 Months A deal: Playing the Bride