Author's Note: …^o^;; It's been a month. Oh geez people, I'm so sorry. I don't really have that good of an excuse. At least, not for the latter half of the month. I was studying and worrying myself with school and crap until the 20th-ish, but..I don't really have any other reason.. ._. I'm going to try to write TWO chapters right now to make it up to you. ^_^ That's probably what I could've written if I had gotten my arse in gear. I'm so sorry. I also broke 100 reviews! ..YAAAY! I feel so so so so good…And again, I got inspiring e-mails from Ashley. You guys make me happy! All right, I don't own Inuyasha or the characters, it's all copyrighted, blah blah.
~
Kagome woke up much earlier than usual that morning, before dawn had even broke. Her mind was mulling over so many things she felt it would be impossible to fall back asleep under these circumstances. When she had returned back to Sesshoumaru's room the previous night, after personally scrubbing and drying the stained cloth herself, her master was already in bed. Kagome presumed that he was asleep, but the man was unpredictable and she wouldn't have been surprised if he was quite awake.
The maid sat up in her bed, rubbing her arms a little as the cool air coming in from the windows finally struck her. The window curtains swayed back and forth lightly in the chilled breeze, and almost mechanically she stood to remedy that little problem. Striding over to the open window she leaned over some, grabbing onto the shutters and staring out at her surroundings. A wave of nostalgia moved over her as the stars sparkled in the sky, crickets and other nocturnal bugs chirping rhythmically in the forest. Forgetting her original goal of shutting the window, she ended up sitting on the ledge as she often did, legs swinging against the outside wall of the castle as she stared out into the sky. In her mind she could hear the voices of her mother and brother singing some old rhyme happily, and she could see Souta's energetic figure hopping cheerfully around the grass outside. Her heart wrenched in an ironic twist of happiness and misery as she raised a hand to the coins hidden in her collar.
Detachedly, Kagome wondered if all maids came across their work in the way she had. If they were stolen from their small villages in the dark of night, never to be returned back to their families. Somewhat more aware of her own thoughts, Kouga began to make his way into her mind. Questions that she had since ignored began to bother her. For example, why was it that he had made some sort of 'deal' with Sesshoumaru? Everyone seemed to know who she was, and she highly doubted that all maids received any level of recognition upon entering their jobs. Apparently Kouga had owed Sesshoumaru something, but why did it have to be a random girl off the streets? One who had a family, who put up a fight, who had never served anyone before in her life? What was Kouga's and Sesshoumaru's connection? Other than the fact that I now owe them both my life…Kagome thought bitterly. Her feelings towards Kouga were odd, even to her. She hated him for what he had done; stolen her away from her family and the life that she had loved so much. However, he had gotten himself injured saving her when he would have probably been better off letting her die. She was grateful, but begrudgingly so. Her feelings towards Sesshoumaru were, arguably, even more confusing. His presence soothed her in a way that she couldn't explain, even though it made her absolutely furious at the same time. Am I really that petty a person? That I only feel comfortable when I've lost my temper at someone? She smiled wryly to herself as she realized the one person she loved arguing with most was the one person who could have her killed in an instant.
As if she didn't have enough things eating away at her, there was one more thing that Kagome couldn't forget about. Naraku and Kikyou. Even though Sesshoumaru had just scoffed at her, told her that she was just acting natural in not feeling any connection, something else disturbed her. She hadn't told Sesshoumaru that they were dead. Still, there was no way that Naraku could just be an apparition. He was well known and all-around hated by most everyone in the castle. No one seemed to notice anything strange about him, at least not when it concerned his presence in the living loop. Kagome shuddered as she remembered the look that Naraku had given her the other day. His eyes were dark and frightening, and just having been in the same room with him had caused her hair to stand on end. Most disturbingly, he had shown some sort of strange interest in her that Kikyou had feared upon their first meeting. Kikyou…Kagome placed her hands down onto ledge, beginning to notice the numbness in her legs due to the cold air. Inuyasha and Kikyou…I don't know what to say to Inuyasha. And what about Kikyou…? What had happened to her? Why had she looked so miserable? If she's just an apparition too…along with Kanna…Her eyes widened slightly in realization. Kanna was dead. Or, at least, that was the conclusion that she had rather rashly come to. But, if Naraku and all of his servants were some sort of beings different from mortals, that obviously had to include Kagura. There was a thick mist of mystery surrounding the foursome, and Kagome had always been able to sense it from Kanna.
That's it. Kagome tightened her grip on the ledge, narrowing her eyes in determination. I'll find out…I'll find out what the connection is between all of them! She let out a big puff of air, for some reason feeling as if a weight had been lifted from her chest. I won't have to wonder anymore, not after I find out…I won't have to think about it until I have solid proof…And any knowledge I have, if it could help Sesshoumaru…A small voice in the back of Kagome's mind kept on piping into her thoughts, silently warning her that it would be best if she didn't get involved. These people were quite obviously not the kind who one would usually meddle around with. Nevertheless, powered by the intimidating thought of a future consisting of only Sesshoumaru and serving him until her death, Kagome decided she'd rather play spy than sit around vacant, just waiting to have her head cut off.
Slowly and surely, with a new sense of direction, the maid slid herself from the ledge and quietly shut the window behind her, as to not disturb her master. The sky was beginning to become a tad bluer, hinting that the sun was creeping up on the horizon. Well, no point going back to sleep…Kagome cautiously looked over to Sesshoumaru's sleeping form, which didn't appear to have moved at all, and she carefully crept past his bed to the door. She shot one last glance towards him, pausing to confirm the fact that he was indeed asleep. Kagome was not as naïve to believe that he was unconscious just because his eyes were closed, but such a rare look of peace was on his face that she doubted he was as attentive as usual. So beautiful…The raven-haired girl couldn't help but stare at his hair, sprawled out along the pillow, and she once more longed to brush it. The youkai prince was an existence that she couldn't comprehend. Even in sleep he held this regal, graceful look upon him that made Kagome quite sure there was no one else in the world that could hold quite as much mystery as he had proved to her. Beyond even Naraku and Kikyou, Kagome was positive that he was a man she would never be able to understand. With that last thought, and a few more seconds, the servant finally found the strength to pull her gaze away and slip from the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
The youkai prince opened his eyes just half-way, staring groggily at the point where his maid had just stood. He rolled over onto his otherwise, only half-attentive to what had been going on. Being a demon trained to be forever ready for trouble, Sesshoumaru had, of course, sensed the movement the moment his stupid servant had sat up in her bed. Nevertheless he was more exhausted than usual, and for the first time in a long time his head seemed empty of heavy burdens that he needed to think over. He felt almost calm, as if everything was in place, and decided that he would not let the mood go to waste. Almost immediately he slipped back into sleep, the image of his maid staring up into the starry sky etched in his mind.
~
Apparently it was too early, even for maids, being that the corridors and halls were altogether deserted, no one in sight. Even the cooks who had to wake earlier than most to prepare breakfast were still asleep. After changing into a clean outfit Kagome wandered around the halls, wondering where to go or what to do. She had no jobs to finish, nor anything to clean or anything to bring back to the room. Well, I might as well get something accomplished…
She twisted and turned down the now familiar halls, heading towards the kitchen. For some reason that Kagome never understood there was a narrow door next to the stove that led out into the forest. At first it had seemed ridiculous to her, being that animals could come in and steal food, but soon enough she began to realize that that might actually be the point. She had never bothered to ask what she was eating, because deep down she knew that she was better off clueless. Even though the sun had just peeked over the horizon the dawn air was still cold, and dew was collecting on the grass, forcing Kagome to pull off her socks as she stepped outside. A little off from the door, closely tucked to the side of the castle, there was a little garden that no one seemed to pay any mind to. It wasn't a garden in the sense that it was grown by a caretaker; in fact, youkai showed very little concern when it came to beautiful wildlife. It appeared to be growing there just by chance, but as far as variety in foliage came it could well have been put there for the goal of beauty. There were hundreds of lovely colored and scented flowers that were paid no mind as far as Kagome saw. So, very carefully, she kneeled down next to a particular patch of white-petaled flora that closely resembled small lilies, and began to pick them gently. After the first one she looked around, and seeing that no one minded and nothing happened, she continued.
With a medium-sized bundle of white flowers embraced in her arms, Kagome quickly shuffled through the kitchen, receiving a few looks from the still-drowsy servants who had just come down for work. She hurried as quickly as possible through the halls, some part of her worried that she would be punished for picking the foliage outside the castle, even though she had previously checked numerous times to see that no one paid the small garden any mind.
When she reached Sesshoumaru's room once again, she very cautiously nudged the door open just slightly, waiting to hear any reaction. She didn't receive one, and taking that as a sign that Sesshoumaru was either still asleep or gone, she boldly moved into the room. The bed was empty, temporarily causing panic to strike through Kagome's heart as she clutched the flowers closer to her. However, much to her relief, she heard water beginning to rush into the bathtub, and realized that Sesshoumaru must have just woken up.
She tiptoed over to the cabinet next to her master's desk, leaning up and searching through it for any sort of larger glass where she could put the flowers. Finding a glass pitcher that, while not as fancy as Kagome had hoped, fit the foliage nicely, Kagome made a show of arranging the white lilies as perfectly as possible. After she was satisfied with the way they looked in the glass, Kagome went about deciding where it would be best to place the beauties. She knew it would be too much of a risk to place it on Sesshoumaru's desk, where he could claim that it disrupted his work, but there were still many surfaces in the room that she could skillfully decorate. On each side of his bed, for example, there were two small tables that had always bothered her in their blandness. They were carved beautifully from wood, but so out of use that if it hadn't been for all the meaningless cleaning she did the surfaces would be completely engulfed in dust. Perfect!
After careful contemplation of which side to place the vase on Kagome finally managed to decide on the left, closer to the window and therefore adding a little bit more life in the farther side of the room. Very carefully she placed the pitcher gently down onto the wood table, standing back to review her work. Amazing what a little bit of flowers can do the make a room look more full…She grinned happily, proud of her work. The room really did seem much less empty. Although, that could just be me, being that I'm forced to spend every one of my godforsaken days staring at these blank, tedious walls…
"Now what are you doing?" Sesshoumaru stood leaning against the doorframe to the bathroom, eyebrow raised at his ridiculous human maid who seemed to be staring blankly at his bedside table.
As always, Kagome couldn't help but give a little jump, as she usually did when she heard his voice when not expecting it. "Oh…well…I just thought I'd liven Lord Sesshoumaru-sama's room up a little!"
With a look of mild interest on his face Sesshoumaru stepped out from the bathroom, hair wet but fully dressed, and he glanced to the side to see what it was his servant was staring at.
There was a moment of silence as the youkai prince stared indifferently at the flowers, causing Kagome to shift uncomfortably, waiting for him to make some cruel, rude comment about how much of a stupid human she was. Oh well…she sighed, closely examining the look on his face. I tried…
"Human…" He began, realizing for the first time that she didn't flinch at the label. "Where did you get these?"
All Kagome could do was stutter, being that she had already pulled a completely different answer to a completely different question onto her tongue. "W-w-w-what…? Oh…oh! The flowers! I got them…outside the castle…"
Sesshoumaru gave her an amused look. "As that is typically where flowers tend to exist, outside."
Instinctively Kagome could feel her face grow hot, lowering her head in embarrassment. "Yes…of course…I just meant…"
"Human, there are a wide arrange of things I want you to get done today. I as well have no time to dawdle around and listen to your mindless idiocy." His voice was cold and direct, cutting through her shame and shattering any trivial worries she had about the flowers.
"…Things you want me to get done?"
The youkai prince looked down at her, in both the physical and mental sense of the phrase, eyebrows lowering a little as if he were staring down at a young child. "When you speak to me you will use 'Lord Sesshoumaru-sama'."
The warm feelings Kagome had been holding for her stoic master were cracking even further. She tensed up, anger being to course through her. "Of course, Lord Sesshoumaru-sama."
Sesshoumaru inwardly smirked to himself, feeling triumphant. It was that look of horror on his maid's pretty young face that he had been waiting for. "Much better. Now," he strode calmly to the mirror, picking up his brush and twirling it idly around in his fingers. "today you will be scrubbing my floors."
Kagome inspected his face as closely as possible, looking at any hint to what he was thinking, but it was no use. His voice and expression were as indifferent and cold as ever, showing no signs of anything at all. Oh well, if it's only his room…
Sesshoumaru glanced back at her, placing the brush back down onto the desk. "ALL of my floors."
All of his floors…? Kagome repeated that in her mind, wondering why he had put so much emphasis on the word 'all.' What did he mean? All of his floors, as in… "Don't look so dumb, human."
There was something in Sesshoumaru's look that filled Kagome's chest with foreboding. Something told her that this wouldn't be his usual meaningless busywork. This would be on a much, much different scale. "Of course I mean all the floors on this side of the castle. MY side of the castle. All three floors, done before dinner."
~
This truly was more work than Kagome believed she could handle. It was also one of the most ridiculous things she had ever heard; even coming from Sesshoumaru it sounded farfetched. Without ever seeing the castle, without ever wandering the endless halls, it would seem like a simple job. At least 10 hours to complete a little scrubbing, that doesn't sound so hard, does it?
But this was much more than a little scrubbing. Sesshoumaru's 'side of the castle' was quite literally all the corridors that were to the left of the building, rather than to the right. The right side was referred to as 'Inuyasha's side of the castle,' even though their father and Naraku were the only ones with real power over any of it. As was mentioned before, the castle wasn't the largest one in existence, and it was only five floors tall, much smaller than some of the ten-story tall wonders in the other far corners of the world. Nevertheless, it was wider than any building Kagome had ever known, and the halls became thin and dark in so many places that it was easy to get lost in the maze-like structure. That was just counting Sesshoumaru's 'property.' One floor, perhaps she could get it done in the time provided for her, considering she did each 100 ft by 6 ft stretch of corridors in an hour each.
But this was not one floor that she had to do. This was three. Three floors, all with approximately equal areas that she would have to scrub, with the exception of the bit of kitchen the cut into the first floor. The worst part was that the floors actually were in good need of cleaning. However, most lords were much too busy with their own problems to have their maids wasting times in the halls that didn't even belong to them. No one seemed to care about the all-around good looks of the building, not unless someone of extreme importance was due to pay a visit. But even then it was necessary for dozens of maids and servants to be put into place, just to finish the complete first level, as Kagome had heard from Sango, who had told her earlier that it was one of the most miserable tasks she had ever had to do. Kagome knew she'd have to do it well, too, if it was Sesshoumaru who was going to be looking over her work. More for her own pride over his actual reaction to what would happen if she didn't complete it in the time given to her.
Why is he doing this…? Kagome stared down the first stretch of hall that she had chosen, eyes narrowed in anger. What does he plan to accomplish by giving me jobs he knows I can't complete? What does he expect me to do? Surely he can't really think I can…Her eyes widened in realization. That's right. He doesn't think I can do it. He's waiting for me to fail. He's giving me these jobs, waiting for me to screw up. Kagome dropped the bucket of water and soap she had just gotten to the ground, rolling up her sleeves and dress quickly. I'll show him…I'll scrub until my fingernails bleed…I won't give him any more reasons to have me beheaded. Hunching over, Kagome pulled the soaking rag from the bucket of water, rubbing it with soap before sloshing it down onto the ground. Just you wait, Sesshoumaru…She rubbed the sopping piece of cloth quickly and strongly onto the ground, moving in large circles to cover as much area as she could in the smallest amount of time. It would tire her muscles out, and she knew it, but for this once she'd just have to bear the fatigue. All she had to do was keep her mind on her youkai lord, and the look he'd have on his face when he realized she had done the impossible.
~
It had been at least five hours, and Kagome was absolutely exhausted. She had just worked harder and more vigorously on those floors than she had ever worked on anything in her life. Her knees were so sore and worn out that they were actually beginning to bruise and bleed. Not badly, mind you, but enough to force her to tie spare rags to her legs so that the drops of blood didn't fall onto her beautifully cleaned floors. She was just nearly done with the third floor, the one on which Sesshoumaru resided, her head pounding and her muscles screaming for a break. She had been and still was working non-stop, no breaks, with all the energy she could muster, and she planned to continue this way until she was dead or until the job was done, whichever happened first. Still, she was finding it harder and harder to ignore the soreness in her muscles, and she wouldn't have been surprised if her arms fell off at the joints.
Her mind set solely and only on Sesshoumaru, Kagome continued on until she felt her head bump against the wall, a sign that her work on this level was finally completed. She breathed out a sigh of relief, standing and looking back at the job she had done. It had turned out even better than she hoped; the same as if she had spent an hour on the hall as of opposed to the half-hour it took. Hah!…Even if that's not it, I wonder what Sesshoumaru will say to it? She was simply ecstatic, having a newfound energy in the knowledge that this wasn't all for naught, and she rushed happily down the stairs to the second level; the new goal. Even though the castle itself was five stories high, the two-story difference was concentrated in the middle of the castle, so that it wasn't thought of as either Inuyasha or Sesshoumaru territory. The fourth level was Inutaisho's personal quarters and offices, while the fifth even smaller story was reserved solely for Naraku.
The young dark-haired maid substituted for the silence by humming cheerily as she continued her work right near the staircase of the second floor. She had gotten quite a few looks from passing servants, who she had greeted with a smile rather than waving, being that she feared that if she paused from her work for even a moment she wouldn't be able to get started again. One of the most bothersome things about getting anything accomplished was the hood that she was required to wear, being that it always fell over her face so that she could barely see what she was doing. Also, it just seemed to add onto the growing weight on her back that was slowly becoming sore due to her hunched position for the past five hours.
…
Kagome's humming rang along the halls, preventing her from hearing or noticing anything else around her. It wasn't until she heard a loud crash, followed by a quickly moving wet feeling at her knees and on her exposed arms that her peaceful and single-minded determination was broken.
Surprised, the raven-haired maid swiftly turned her body, staring down at a figure sprawled out along the ground whimpering. "Rin-chan!" Kagome gasped, dropping the rag and sliding over to Rin, whose eyes were slowly beginning to brim with tears due to some sort of injury she had sustained to her elbow.
"Rin-chan, what happened?!"
The young child sniffled a little, looking up at Kagome, obviously on the verge of sobbing. "I, I was looking f-for Sesshoumaru-s-sama…" her voice was filled with hiccups, showing to Kagome that it was more the shock of the fall than the actual pain that had gotten Rin upset, "And I was r-running up for h-his room…and…I didn't see the water..a-and it was slippery…and I tripped, and I fell on my elbow…a-and it really hurts…"
Kagome frowned sympathetically down at her, carefully standing and holding her hand out. "Come on, I'll bring you to the doctor…" Before Kagome had even got her whole sentence out Rin was back on her feet, shaking her head vigorously. "No! I don't need your help…I'm going to go help Sesshoumaru-sama…" She pouted cutely, stomping past Kagome and putting on as big of a show as possible. "It doesn't matter if it hurts, since I'M Sesshoumaru-sama's maid…not you…"
With that the young child marched away, stumbling every now and then until she turned around the corner, heading for the stairs that lead up to the third floor. Kagome sighed inwardly, wishing she didn't have this sort of relationship with the child. She was an adorable, sweet, intelligent little girl who had more motivation than most children of her age possessed…Unfortunately all she seemed to care about was Sesshoumaru and Jaken, and because of that Kagome knew it would be hard to form any sort of bond with her as long as she was occupying the job the girl had grown up for.
I can't worry about that…She thought suddenly, kneeling back down next to her scrubbing materials. I've wasted far too much time already…Like Rin-chan, I have a goal too! …Even though this is progressively looking more and more impossible…
She sighed, looking down at the water-soaked ground. Now she'd have to rush back downstairs to fill up the bucket again, and that would cost her at least five more minutes. Along with the whole Rin episode, she had lost at least 10 minutes of precious time. Her dress had gotten soaked at the hem as well, and the towels tied around her knees were worn and ready to fall off. What am I going to do now…? Well, no need going to get anymore water right now, when there's plenty of it already in place…
So, as cheerily as possible, Kagome returned to her work, now just having to deal with the water being already out of the bucket as of opposed to being in it. It wasn't that much of a difference, and there were even some aspects of it helpful to her. For example, she didn't need to reach back every few minutes to re-wet her rag. However, on the downside, there was far more water than she needed and the stones were becoming slippery, making it dangerous for people who were hurrying by. It was just as key to make sure the floor was dry after it was cleaned, since it was another point that Sesshoumaru would undoubtedly look into.
Going back to humming, the tired maid momentarily allowed her mind to wander onto things other than Sesshoumaru and Naraku. This was the perfect moment for her to do something she hadn't done in a long time; something to pass the time more quickly as she worked: daydreaming. Almost unconsciously Kagome became lost in her own images and the work she was performing becoming a mechanical job that she no longer had to think about. Suddenly she was back home at her family's small shrine, stepping into the doorway and waiting for her mother and brother to come out and greet her. Souta, looking the same as ever, rushed from the narrow hallway and wrapped his tiny arms around Kagome, laughing and babbling on about what he had done in her time away from home, and how much he missed her. Out of nowhere her mother appeared before her, tears streaming down her face as she embraced Kagome, telling her how worried she had been and how she was afraid she'd never get to see each other again.
The fantasy world continued on like that for a few minutes, Kagome bonding and sitting down for some tea with her family, laughing and crying over what had happened in the time they had spent apart. Unfortunately, an unwanted figure made it's way into Kagome's own personal paradise before she could fully appreciate the wonders of her imagination.
"Human."
Sesshoumaru stared down curiously at his maid, who was wearing a foggy and filmy expression as if some spirit possessed her. He had been standing there for at least a minute before saying anything, annoyed by the girl's oblivion to the world around her. She looked perfectly out of it, staring down at the ground in front of her with an empty and almost sleepy expression. To his further displeasure, his first attempt to shake her out of her mind had failed.
"Human."
She heard the voice coming from behind her, as if someone stood over her sitting figure even as she continued to drink her imaginary tea. Turning casually, without any emotion other than annoyance at being bothered from reminiscing with her family, she moved her eyes up to the intruder. That's when everything around her popped like a bubble, and before she knew it she was back on her knees, rag in hand, back as sore as ever and muscles throbbing. Even worse, the one surveying her was her own master, the last person who she'd want to see her this way. Not that I should be surprised…
Sesshoumaru appeared unnerved by the indifferent look she concentrated on him for those few brief moments, but was in reality almost upset by it. He didn't like it; he didn't like the way she showed such little reaction to his presence. The most amusing fact about the girl was always her ability to overreact to everything that happened to her; be it through fear or happiness or anger. That's why he had planned all of this; because some part of him was always calmed by the way he could prod at her emotions so easily.
"Is there something wrong, Sesshoumaru-sama?" The words had left Kagome's mouth before she remembered to coat them over with fake sweetness, something she knew always got to the youkai prince. Instead, the question had just come out plain and sounding generally concerned.
He raised an eyebrow down at her, as he always tended to do when she reacted in a way that he hadn't been wagering on. The empty expression was gone and replaced by one of confusion as she blinked up at him expectantly, the hood drooping over her eye and making her look incredibly childish. He had to resist the urge to grin.
"What are you doing down here? Did I not tell you to do the WHOLE of my areas, on all floors?"
Sesshoumaru smirked triumphantly as a look of anger shot across the girl's face, and she swiftly looked back to the ground, scrubbing vigorously as if venting out her anger rather than cleaning. "Of course, Lord Sesshoumaru-sama. And I did. The third floor is completed, and as Lord Sesshoumaru-sama told me to do such, this humble servant has moved on to the next level. Is there something wrong with that?"
Any feelings of triumph he had just felt left him just as quickly as they had come. Finished that whole floor…? But that's…He examined her face closely before moving down to her hands and knees. It wasn't impossible; she did indeed look as if she had just done a whole floor's worth of heavy scrubbing. The rags on her knees were often on the knees of the others when the cleaning had come to such a point that their skin had actually opened and bled. Her fingers as well were white and pruny, so wet and soapy that it looked to be peeling in some places.
Sesshoumaru kept his expression as controlled as he could, restraining from opening his mouth so as not to give her the pleasure to know he was surprised. He watched silently as Kagome suddenly stretched back from her hunched position, stood up, and violently grabbed the now empty bucket into her arms. As if ignoring that he was actually there she continued on with her routine, pulling off the towels from around her knees and tossing them onto the floor nonchalantly. She turned to him, ready to march down to get more water, only stopping to recognize that he was still standing there when she was just barely a foot in front of the man. "Is there something else Lord Sesshoumaru-sama needs?"
There was a long pause, their eyes meeting and competing for control. Neither would back down, even though Kagome had the obvious disadvantage. Sesshoumaru was at least a foot taller than she, and they both knew that for a maid to meet the gaze of her master head on was punishable by many sorts of death. Along with that, there was just something about Sesshoumaru's piercing glare that made Kagome feel weak and insignificant, and she was quite sure she didn't have the same effect back on him. "Well…then…"
She stuttered some, momentarily letting her confidence falter, eyes flitting to the side. "I guess I'll get back to work." She pulled the hood close down over her face as she strode past him, waiting for him to stop her or attack her or yell out to her or anything like that. However, he remained silent and immobile, allowing for her to slip away without incident.
~
Kagome was surprised to see that Sesshoumaru was still waiting in the hall upon her return, looking at her blandly. Worried, she swallowed hard, clutching the now full bucket to her chest, causing some water to splash up against her collar. What…what is with him?
Seeing the look of pleasure that crossed the youkai lord's face as she faltered slightly in her step, Kagome straightened up and vowed not to let his presence bother her anymore. She had work to do; she couldn't forget her strict time limit. So, with her head held up high, Kagome waltzed forward without even looking down, confident in her own ability to show Sesshoumaru up.
However, in her efforts to appear collected, Kagome had forgotten one very important thing. The floor in front of her was still soapy from when she had been scrubbing, making it extremely slippery. As soon as her foot rested down on one of the wet stones she realized her mistake, but it was too late. Before she could stop herself her weight rested down on that very leg, causing it to glide out from under her as her body leaned forward, and out of instinct she threw the bucket of water out of her arms as to be able to cushion herself as she hit the ground. There was a loud crash and Kagome heard water splashing everywhere, her face burning in embarrassment the moment she realized what had just happened.
She looked up, expecting her master to be looking down at her with that same intimidating look he always had when she did something stupid, only to be very unpleasantly surprised. He was, as she had guessed, looking down at her, but he didn't appear very intimidating. The bucket lay to the side of him, his face and bangs soaking wet, droplets falling to the ground every second. Had this situation not been so dangerous, Kagome would have laughed at how much he resembled a very wet dog. His shoulders and the front of his robes were soaked as well, not surprisingly, and he had an almost confused look on his face. At least, as confused as Sesshoumaru ever got.
Kagome winced, kneeling there on the ground otherwise motionless, unable to pull her eyes away from her sopping master. Very slowly his expression changed from confused, to surprised, to downright pissed. "Sesshoumaru-sama, I…"
The youkai lord bared his fangs, eyes narrowing just slightly. "You stupid…ridiculous…clumsy little…"
"Sesshoumaru! What's going on?!"
Both Sesshoumaru's and Kagome's head swung to the side, eyes focusing on the distraction that the unfortunate maid was very thankful for. "Inuyasha…" Kagome muttered, letting out a breath that she didn't even know she was holding. I don't know how he always manages to be around when I need him most, but…thank GOD for that…
The hanyou opened his mouth to speak again, but was stopped when his gaze finally rested on Sesshoumaru. Kagome watched horrified as Inuyasha began laughing without restraint at his elder brother, absolutely losing all control. It's…it's not that funny…!
Sesshoumaru's lips curled back in disapproval of his younger brother, although looking considerably less threatening with his stringy bangs and with water still dripping down his chin. Kagome frowned at her master's silence, fear and worry beginning to build in her chest. "Inuyasha…stop…"
The order had come out as a low hiss, and on command the hanyou stopped his snickering. He looked over to Kagome, who was returning his gaze with ten times the intensity. Sesshoumaru as well had lowered his head to look down at Kagome, the upset look leaving his face in a second, leaving only the emotionless mask that he had become accustomed to.
The silence dragged onwards (as it tended to do whenever Kagome was around either Inuyasha or his older brother, she noted) without interruption, Kagome's hard stare never wavering. Finally Inuyasha swung his head to the side, glaring at the wall. "Feh! I don't know what you're so worried about…Just because Sesshoumaru looks like a wet ro-…"
"Inuyasha."
He flinched, looking back at her. If possible her look had hardened even more, eyes burning with intensity.
"Feh!" With that the hanyou turned on his heel and stomped away, shoulders sagging as he sulked off. Kagome kept her eyes on him until he turned around the corner, at which point the connection was broken. She let out a heavy sigh, staring down at the ground. That man…the most random appearances…He just shows up on a whim, disappoints me, and then leaves just as quickly…Doesn't he have things to DO during the day…?
Sesshoumaru, on the other hand, had yet to look away from Kagome. That look…just now…He scoffed, finally managing to move away from the girl, turning his back to her hunched figure. The maid recognized the movement and blinked, suddenly back into her senses. "Oh…!" She whirled around to face her master, mouth opening to speak.
"Get back to work."
She winced away from him, lips curving down into a hurt frown. "Sesshoumaru-sama…I'm sorry…I didn't mean to, really, I…"
But, before she could even finish, the youkai had made his way down the hall and around the corner, leaving her there to sit in a puddle of water with another empty bucket.
~
Sesshoumaru sat at his desk, deep in thought, face pressed down into his hands. He hadn't even bothered to dry himself, his mind too deep in turmoil to concentrate on anything. Whatever he had been doing before; wherever he had been going, it seemed meaningless to him now. He had no desire to do anything but sit there and wonder why he was so restless all of a sudden.
That girl was ending up to be more of a bother to him than a help. When he was around her he felt perfectly at rest; especially when she was upset or trying her best to act calm and collected when it was obvious that she was furious. In fact, he felt more comfortable around her than around nearly anyone else, something he tried to pin singularly on the sense of intelligence and she made him feel. Either way, there was no getting around the major fact: he had a hard time concentrating when she wasn't around. During the first portion of the day his mind continuously wandered back to how her progress must be going, and he found it exceedingly difficult to concentrate on his lessons. Three times he had drifted off during class, until the old man who was his teacher finally let him out early in fear that the youkai lord was becoming sick. After that Sesshoumaru spent his time in his room, trying to concentrate on something else, until Rin came bursting in with her elbow scratched up and legs dripping with water.
As soon as Sesshoumaru had discovered that his own maid had been the source of the problem, he swiftly asked Rin to go and make him something to eat. It was a solid diversion to get her out of his way, since the child was absolutely horrid at cooking and would insist on trying herself until she had gotten everything just right. That wasn't to say Sesshoumaru ever disliked the child's presence; in fact, he himself had been the one to nurture the child in the castle. When Jaken and her were in his room, bumbling around and often ruining things, Sesshoumaru found he thought more clearly. For a long time they had been the only company he needed; he had never even thought about getting any other servants.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!"
Very slowly and very casually, Sesshoumaru glanced up at the doorway. Not surprisingly, there was his maid, beads of sweat running down her forehead as she panted heavily. The youkai lord raised an eyebrow at her, apparently bored. It was hard to believe that the mature looking woman he had thought he saw in her just moments ago had reverted back into this clumsy child. Yes…that look…Momentarily, the expression his maid had had on her face as she glared at Inuyasha flashed back into Sesshoumaru's mind. He couldn't put his finger on it, but that look seemed very, very familiar to him.
Kagome raised a hand to her chest, heaving. She had just run back and forth, from one side of the castle to the other, as fast as her legs would take her. Gripped tightly in her free hand was a letter, and her knee was bleeding once more due to the scrubbing and the fall she had sustained earlier.
"What is it?" Sesshoumaru looked her up and down once, a bit disgruntled to realize she had hurt herself.
The maid let out a deep breath, raising her head just slightly to look at Sesshoumaru at his level. "…I'm sorry."
Sesshoumaru said nothing, as Kagome had expected.
"Or…this humble servant is sorry…" She bowed just slightly, suddenly feeling very flustered. "What…happened before, I mean…It was an accident. I didn't mean to, I just slipped, and before I could even realize it, I…"
Again, Sesshoumaru remained silent, just staring at his servant with an utterly unreadable expression, as always.
"And…I…" She trailed off, growing more and more embarrassed under his heavy stare, quickly glancing back up to his face. "Lord Sesshoumaru-sama hasn't…dried off yet?"
Surprised, she blinked in succession a few times before suddenly rushing into the bathroom, coming out with a dry towel. "Here, let me…"
She reached out towards him, somewhat shocked but taking confidence in the fact that he didn't brush her hand off right away. Sesshoumaru as well was surprised in his lack of response, keeping his gaze loosely attached on the human's face, for some reason feeling completely safe even though he had been taught to react otherwise when someone tried to come too close.
Just as the towel touched down onto his slightly damp cheek, Kagome found herself unable to move. It's those damn eyes…! She cursed silently to herself, having to will her hand from shaking. Even though she was mentally screaming at herself to look away, to do something, ANYTHING, her body felt locked in place, and she just couldn't bring herself to look away. Similarly, Sesshoumaru had yet to move or say something sarcastic; he just sat there, with the same expressionless look that border-lined thoughtful. Kagome had no idea what his reasons were, and was unpleasantly surprised by how much she found she actually cared.
Suddenly Kagome felt something warm against the back of her hand, and she flinched noticeably when she realized that somehow, without her knowing, her hand had pressed lightly against the skin of his cheek. This seemed to snap them both out of their thoughts, Kagome taking a step back as she hesitantly began wiping the water from her master's forehead, while Sesshoumaru just looked away as if something more interesting was going on at the opposite side of the room. Once Kagome had finished, totally in silence, she backed even further off from her master, turning to the bathroom to return the towel. The youkai made no movement at all, continuously staring off, deep in thought.
Sesshoumaru closed his eyes the minute he sensed his maid disappear into the bathroom, running a hand back through his hair. That stupid human…There's no way I can let her out of my sight now…He let out a deep breath of air that could almost be considered a sigh, sitting up and glancing towards the doorway. She really was turning out to be a pain, and a small voice inside of him was continuously warning him to get rid of her now before she caused him any more trouble. After all, there was nothing wrong with feeling comfortable by just having some company, was there? That's the only reason. I can't look too deeply into this.
"Sess-…Lord Sesshoumaru-sama?"
The youkai prince raised his gaze to the girl, an expectant look on his face.
"This letter…Kagura told me to get this and give it to you." She held it out to him, her gaze slightly to the side, never meeting him eye-to-eye.
Sesshoumaru casually snatched the letter from her out-stretched hand, looking it over. Other than the simply written 'Sesshoumaru' on the front, there was no sign of whom it was from. He carefully tore the very top of the envelope open, pulling out the slip of paper delicately and unfolding it. Kagome watched on curiously as the youkai lord's gaze traveled across the sheet of paper, his eyes narrowing in annoyance about half-way through, although Kagome wasn't quite sure why. The thick silence was broken the minute he stood, his chair stuttering against the rug as it was pushed back, Sesshoumaru standing in one swift moment. Without a word he tossed the letter down onto his desk, gracefully striding to the door and stopping at the entrance. He turned back to his maid, looking her over for a few moments before brushing his hair back, lips slightly curved down in apparent annoyance. "Stay here."
Kagome nodded just barely, somewhat shocked as her lord and master disappeared down the hallway, leaving her standing there by the desk. Suddenly it occurred to her that he had left his letter in the room. Without a second thought she quickly snatched it up, reading over it quickly.
Dear Sesshoumaru-sama,
It has been over a week since our last transaction, and I am writing only to inform you that our side of the deal should be completed within the month. I will contact you as soon as I have acquired the item I have promised you, and in return, I would hope that you take care of my property as well. We will exchange them when we meet again; I will speak to your father about some kind of get-together and I'm sure it could be easily arranged.
Sincerely,
Kouga
(P.S. Please give my regards to the girl, and tell her I will be seeing her again soon.)
Kagome read it over once, and then twice, and then three times. Kouga…Gently placing the letter back down onto the desk, a thousand thoughts ran through her mind. Questions about the 'deal', about her being Kouga's 'property', about what it was that Sesshoumaru was searching for…
She glanced worriedly over to the door, frowning just slightly. There was only one thing on her mind right now, and that one thing held the answer to all of her questions. She realized then that she couldn't be worried about Naraku or Kikyou or Inuyasha…No. Not when she had someone much more important to focus on.
Sesshoumaru…~
Author's Note: Oh people, I'm horrible, I know. This didn't get up nearly as soon as I wanted it to, since I've been redoing my room and everything's been all discombobulated. And I said that I'd get up a new chapter soon, and goddammit, I will. Don't you worry about it, it'll be up as quick as possible. I'll be going to Mori no Ike for a month, starting the 21, so it'll be important for me to write all I can in the time I have…Thank you so much for being patient, I PROMISE you, this will never happen again. I feel so guilty..I'm so sorry!
If anyone would like me to e-mail them with updates (not trying to sound snobby by pretending my fic is that good, it's just that one girl asked) then just e-mail me at sunshine@chan.co.jp. I'll be happy to tell anyone when the new chapters are up, or update them about any long periods of time I'll have to go without writing. And everyone, thank you SO MUCH for your reviews. Thank you Ashley for your kind and inspiring e-mails. I think I just broke 120 reviews..Aaah..I NEVER imagined that it would get this far…^_^ It makes me so, so, so happy. I won't let you people down!
Oh yeah..And I REALIZE you want more fluff, I do. But it's only been a bit more than a week, I'm trying my best! Don't worry, more stuff will happen soon, involving Naraku and Kouga and Sesshoumaru and everyone. But, again, don't worry; I'll focus mainly on Sesshoumaru-Kagome, no matter where the subject is dragged to. A lot of people asked me about the Shikon no Tama and such..well..I might get it in there. It's not on my top list of priorities though. Kagome is supposed to be a simple maid who somehow gets someone as regal and important as Sesshoumaru through her 'personality', not through uber-duber miko powers. After I finish THIS fic I'm going to start a new Sess-Kag story where I fit that in, I promise. I'm sorry if I'm disappoint anyone, but…for now I just want Kagome to be human. I'll have her play major rolls and everything as far as Life Debt goes, but the whole mystical miko thing just seems a bit too farfetched in this…don't you think? Wow, my author's note is becoming longer than my story.
Well, bonbons, everyone! I love you, and thanks for your support.