Author's Notes: First of all, my apologies to not updating last week. I started a new fanfic, and it just took up more of my time to write than I had first expected ^^;
Anyways- to those that whine about chapter length all the time, this chapter ran a page over so enjoy while you can. I'm sorry, but unless I feel like there's more to be said, my chapters are always seven pages, never less and rarely more. Then again, given how many fanfics I work on, seven pages on each story, every or every other week is a lot. So please, don't complain to me about length anymore. It's not something I will change.
Also- please check out "Eien no Tobira- an InuYasha Fanfiction Archive" which is currently holding a fanfiction contest. www. geocities. com/ iyfanfiction (remove spaces) ^^
All right, here we go- enjoy, read and review ^^
-----------------------------------------------
If there is one easy way (and when I say "easy" there is no damn pun intended) to make someone lose all respect for you- it's when they find out one of your prior jobs was that of a phone-sex operator. I mean honestly- unless you're applying for the job of a female "escort" or a stripper- it's not exactly something you'd want on your résumé.
It also doesn't help if the two people you're trying to convince otherwise about yourself first laid eyes on you not only when you were wearing nothing but a towel- but when you were also coming downstairs from a man's bedroom.
Sad to say- but about the only thing that was going to get me out this was the fact that said man had hormones the size of lint… if even that.
But as I was slowly being to realize- the friends and family of one Sesshoumaru Taiyoukai were nowhere near normal. And perhaps, that's exactly what the two of us needed to make it through our hectic lives.
-----------------------------------------------------
Chapter 15: This is the Operator Speaking
------------------------------------------------------
It was a steady rhythm. Gentle, soothing, and somewhat comforting. At first Kagura thought it might have been her own heartbeat thrumming in her ears, but as her exhaustion pulled back its veil over her, she knew then it wasn't.
Keeping her eyes closed and her breathing level, she savored it. The quiet room with not a single sound in it except for the two beating hearts seemed like heaven compared to the dark nights and the harsh sounds of her own home.
The crashing furniture, breaking glass, shattering dreams… it was a living nightmare. But this solitude was a breath of fresh air that Kagura had to admit to herself- she was enjoying.
She could feel the light pressure of his hand resting on her back- strong enough to keep her from falling, but gentle enough to not cause any panic or harm. Before him, she'd never known what it was like to have protective arms cradling her body or foreign hands tending to one of her many wounds. Although, given he was who he was- being grateful towards him seemed a bit silly, and a light smile tugged at her lips as she thought that over.
Her mind was full of many questions- but at the moment she was content just to stay like that and let him hold her. For once, she truly felt safe.
"If you're awake then we'd best attend to eating," His level voice broke through the silence.
Kagura frowned, "Bastard… he knew I was awake."
Sitting upright, she opened her mouth to snap back when she noticed the strange and thoughtful expression on his face.
"What's that look for?" The question spilled from her lips. The last thing she wanted from him was outright pity.
"There are many things we need to explain to them."
"What?"
"Father's message. They overheard it."
Thinking back over what was said in the message; Kagura pieced together the reasoning behind his odd countenance.
"The… kiss…" She muttered it softly, as her eyes drifted towards the corner of the room.
Suddenly feeling very bare before him with just the sheet around her, the black-haired woman stood shakily and began to look around for the clothing they'd purchased earlier.
"The closet," He remarked, easily understanding her actions.
She shot a quick glance at him, then walked towards the sliding mirrored doors that opened to the closet.
The room remained quiet, aside from the rattling of the door in its tracks as it slid to reveal the clothing inside.
All they'd gotten was neatly hung up, the more elaborate ones still inside their garment bags. As she reached for a shirt and skirt, Kagura's eyes fell on the small box sitting on the floor of the closet.
"It might be of use to you," Sesshoumaru's voice cut into her thoughts.
Pausing, she slowly knelt- her fingers pulling the box open.
"This is…"
"Mother's." He said simply.
"From…Izayoi?"
She noticed him shift his gaze elsewhere, "My Mother's."
Fingers moving more rapidly now with curiosity against the rough cardboard, Kagura noticed the dust that graced the top of it and brushed it away.
With the box open, her eyes took in the contents of it. Filled with clothing, and a few stray accessories, Kagura began to look through them. Almost reverently digging her way towards the bottom of the items, her eyes fell on a long oriental skirt and a matching top- the intricate pattern of cranes and symbols identical to the dress she'd been wearing when she'd met Sesshoumaru.
Delicately pulling it out of the box, she looked to him- uncertain what to say, but feeling strange remaining silent.
"I see…" She muttered, voice holding a light air of disappointment in it, "So I reminded you of her… that's all…"
Hanging her head, Kagura barely registered the noise of Sesshoumaru standing and walking towards her.
"Mother was nothing like you."
Raising her torn gaze up to his piercing golden eyes, she shoved the outfit into his arms and looked away.
"It makes sense now- why you're being so kind to me… The dress I was wearing then- it looked like that."
The room fell silent- once again returning to the sounds of nothing but the two heartbeats. Sesshoumaru's frown increased, as he looked from the clothing in his arms to the woman before him.
"She would have been pleased," He said after a moment.
Kagura remained defiantly silent, leaving him no other option but to continue.
"A stubborn woman like you working your way into my life."
Reaching out and forcefully placing the clothing back into her arms, he turned to leave.
"You are free to do what you want, Kagura."
She seethed, flinging the clothes on the ground, "If I'm free to do what I want- then I demand a straight answer. Why are you letting me stay here? Tell me the truth- once and for all!"
Sesshoumaru frowned slightly and diverted his eyes, his eyebrows furrowing in thought.
"You make things…" He narrowed his eyes as he sought out the right word, "-interesting."
"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?!" She fumed, grabbing him by the wrist and commanding his attention.
Completely intent on land blasting him further, she froze as his hand slid down and loosely grasped hers.
"The matter of remaining here is your choice."
With that said, he let go and turned to walk away.
Her hand suddenly felt cold without his there, and her mind raced.
"My…choice? I'm free to make my own choice?"
Finding her voice, Kagura called after him "….Sesshoumaru?"
He paused, waiting for what she had to say.
"Then I'll…" Taking a deep breath, she rushed out the rest, "I'll stay."
A light smirk graced his features as he picked up the air of stubbornness in her voice- almost as if she was daring him to disagree.
"You might consider getting dressed then. I'd rather have my sheet on my bed."
She frowned, but it quickly turned upward into a smirk of her own, "Fine. I will."
As Sesshoumaru continued to exit the room, he noticed her bending to pick up the clothing she'd flung to the ground.
"Stubborn woman indeed."
----------------------------------------------------
The kitchen was quiet as the white-haired man entered, his eyes studying the two others silently.
"I see you haven't eaten everything yet…"
The two men looked up at the sound of the voice.
Jakotsu shrugged, "You said yourself that you're low on food."
"Where's the girl at?" Bankotsu asked, sitting down a piece of pizza.
"She'll be down," Sesshoumaru replied cooly, taking a seat and reaching into the bags of Chinese.
"Okay- so joking aside- I couldn't help but notice your Dad's message…"
Jakotsu smirked, as the expected set of golden eyes glared at him.
Meticulously, he broke apart the chopsticks, "And?"
"If she's nothing but someone you're helping out- what was the kiss for?"
Coming from most people, this would seem like an honest question- but Sesshoumaru knew better, and he could see the impish gleam in the other man's eyes.
He exhaled quietly, knowing he shouldn't have expected any less from these two. They were some of the first employee's hired when he was first given the position at the publishing company- two kids just out of school and looking for trouble. And then they ended up with Sesshoumaru for a boss and set about making him their friend, whether he liked it or not.
"Come on Sesshoumaru, we aren't letting you just silent-treatment yourself out of this one…" Jakotsu's voice intervened.
The glare from the other man intensified, and the inquirer had to withhold a laugh at how he knew he was making Sesshoumaru squirm.
"Don't you give me that look," He said, shaking a slice of pizza in his direction, "Unless you've been hiding other exploits- that was your first kiss with a woman, right?"
"With a woman," Sesshoumaru replied, noncommittally. But his expression of irritation and the way his eyes narrowed spoke volumes.
"Hey now- I was a bit drunk when that one happened!"
"Not that that would have stopped you…" Bankotsu interrupted.
"Whose side are you on?" The taller man pouted, crossing his arms.
Content that Jakotsu was distracted, Sesshoumaru began to eat the food before him…pausing when he felt the black-haired man's hand on his arm.
"Okay- spill it. There had to be some reason you were compelled to kiss her. Perhaps a strange…tingly feeling?"
"He was hiding me from my Father," The curt female voice interrupted, causing the two visitors to look up, "Right, Sesshoumaru?"
The white-haired man turned then, the chopsticks falling from his loose grasp as he realized the outfit she was wearing.
Sure enough, the pattern was the same as the dress she'd worn that first day at the café, and she held herself up with dignity despite the scars she hid beneath the fabric.
And inwardly, Sesshoumaru respected her for that.
"That is correct."
"From your Father…was he the one that…" Bankotsu's gaze shifted uneasily towards the injured side.
"Yeah, the bastard did. Now I'm gonna eat, and then I'll answer all the irritating questions you two want to ask if I feel like it."
Her glare, which was only a slight bit less intimidating than Sesshoumaru's, quieted them both in regards to the matter of the kiss- at least for the moment.
She sat down next to Sesshoumaru, and without a word he handed over one of the remaining containers of Chinese.
Watching him from the corners of her eyes, Kagura tried to decipher the look that had crossed his face when he'd first noticed her wearing his Mother's outfit.
"What was that? Surprise? Shock? Or was it something…else?"
Feeling the sensation of someone looking at him, Sesshoumaru looked up and caught Kagura's gaze with his own.
For a few fleeting moments, they remained like that- silently trying to read each other through their eyes alone.
"If you'd like us to clear the table off so you don't have to go upstairs to the bedroom, I'd be more than willing," Jakotsu said with a laugh.
Sesshoumaru turned, returning the glare from before.
Bankotsu sighed, and cleared his throat in attempt to keep their boss from firing them, "So Kagura- right?"
Hesitantly she nodded.
He smiled then, hoping his small talk would distract the others, "So- what was your previous job?"
But with that question, the room was dropped into complete silence as Kagura's expression soured.
"I'd rather not talk about it…" She muttered, focusing her attention on eating her food.
Blinking innocently, the braided man attempted to lighten the suddenly tense mood, "It can't be that bad. It's not like you were a phone-sex operator or something kinky like that, right?"
If the room could get any quieter- it just did. Bankotsu completely unaware that he'd hit the nail square on the head.
Catching the strange expressions that just befell Kagura and Sesshoumaru's faces, Jakotsu's smile broke into a wide grin.
Finding herself completely irritated, Kagura was just about to speak up when Sesshoumaru beat her to it.
"Her Father didn't leave her with much of a choice."
"But how did you…" Bankotsu began, still a bit thrown that his joking guess was right.
"Inuyasha thought my speed dial was a fun thing to be tampered with."
Jakotsu just shook his head, putting the whole scenario together- "Okay, let me get this straight. Your sexy little brother played with your speed dial, you accidently called a phone-sex line and got her for an operator. Somehow along the line you ended up deciding to actually met her in person and help her away from her oppressive Father, and in one such case of helping her- you kissed her. Is that about everything?"
Figuring the vagueness of it was the best, Sesshoumaru nodded. Kagura just bit her tongue from going off on them.
"And here I thought you hated those romance novels Kaguya is always trying to pawn off on you. Hate to burst your bubble Sesshoumaru, but add a little more emotion, a little more romance and your little story here would make a best seller."
"My life is not some story to be sold off!" Kagura finally snapped, standing upright.
"Writers have to write from experience- and you're the only romantic experience Sesshoumaru's had," Jakotsu said, casually finishing off a breadstick.
Part of her mind demanded that she right this man's opinions of her, but the other part was running what he'd said through her mind and what she'd overheard earlier.
"Wait a second- that was Sesshoumaru's first kiss with a woman? Then I wasn't the only one who…" She cut herself off; embittered that her Father's overbearing nature had ruined what could have been at least a semi-normal life for her younger years.
"The son of the richest man in town and his struggles to help a poor girl down on her luck escape her life as a phone-sex operator… I still say Sesshoumaru- best seller."
"I didn't know you and Kaguya were that intimate," He retorted, pleased by the disgusted look on Jakotsu's face at the implication.
"No! Ick! I can't stand that woman- she drives me insane," Jakotsu pouted, earning a barely sympathetic sigh from Bankotsu.
Plopping back down into the chair, Kagura sighed herself, "You writers are all nuts- all of you!"
"Nah- all of us but Sesshoumaru. So be thankful you snagged the sane one," He replied, "You're a lucky woman, and if I wasn't already involved, you would be my love rival- so just let it be known, we are only on friendly terms due to the fact Bankotsu's partially sane and all mine."
With that he extended a hand, and she took it, giving it a shake.
Smiling back on realizing the unique young man was trying to make some amends for things he might have said, Kagura shrugged, "He seems a lot saner than you, that's for sure."
"Jakotsu…"
"Hmm?" He turned to his companion, "What is it, Bankotsu?"
At that, the braided man could no longer contain his smile, "I hate to inform you- but, you just broke your little trend."
He blinked, "…Huh?"
"I think you just made friends with Sesshoumaru's new secretary."
Face sinking a bit at realizing that he had indeed broken his trend of hating all the previous women, Jakotsu crossed his arms again, "Well damn…Between me tolerating her and Sesshoumaru kissing a woman- the world must be ending!"
"A sign of the apocalypse indeed," Sesshoumaru muttered dryly.
At that, the two men broke into laughter, and Kagura just smirked. Things were finally beginning to look up- even if they were a bit, unique.
--------------------------------------------------
Preview for Chapter 16:
It seems a bit of an understanding has finally been forged between Sesshoumaru's two employees and the woman that will soon be working as his secretary- but the issue of the kiss and any possible implications in it is still something that needs to be resolved.