Author's Note: All right, here we go. And don't complain about the length. It's at the usual seven pages.
As always- reviews are appreciated. ^^;
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Some might call it childish, or something you know- an eight year old kid might do. But when your Father is an asshole like Naraku who tends to piss you off every second of your life, you tend to have to get away from him the best you can. And so I did. Often by storming up to my room and doing my best to prop furniture in front of the door while he yelled through it.
It was my safe place. The one place in the entire world I always found myself running to when I was in a bad mood. Whether it was my Dad or a shitty day at work, or whatever- that's where you could find me.
But now, now I wasn't at my home anymore and things had changed. Now when I got mad I had to find someplace new to go to.
It's ironic really, how you can become so accustomed to things without knowing it. And that's what happened to me. Because after that stunt I'd pulled- yah, I was furious and I wanted a damn place to storm off to.
And of all the places I went- his room is where I felt safe.
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Chapter 19: Dial the Number You Desire
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Kagura froze as she entered the bedroom, slowly realizing she'd walked there without really thinking where she was going.
"Have I already become that used to being here? That I…" She paused, thinking over all the times she'd storm up to her room back at her own home.
"That I consider his room…my safe place?"
Shaking her head of the thought, Kagura slowly made her way over to the bed. Making sure to place a pillow along her side, she laid down.
"That had to have been one of the stupidest ideas I have ever come up with…" She muttered, thinking back to the kiss.
"Then again…that look on his face was almost worth it."
Closing her eyes, her mind conjured up a vague memory of her dream and she frowned.
"Shit…why was I dreaming about that? Men are scum and getting involved with them is nothing but trouble," She sighed, "So why is he, of all the damned people in the world, causing me to…to feel like this?"
Opening her eyes again, she looked over at the portrait where it sat on the dresser.
"We both have our scars from the past. Both of us wanting to forget those pasts. But…he's…well, he's him. Sesshoumaru. The Ice Prince. Mr. Unemotional. I mean hell, I've never even seen him smile once…A man like has to be…"
Kagura halted her thoughts, her own mind daring to reckon with her, "Then again… I suppose I don't smile often either."
Letting her hand fall on her lips, she gently ran her finger run across them.
"What was that look for, Sesshoumaru? Did I surprise you? Hell, I surprised myself. That half-assed idea of mine. But…it…it wasn't so bad, was it? And that dream…I was…goddamnit, I was enjoying that, wasn't I?"
Her red eyes narrowed, as if she was disgusted with her own behavior.
"Ah fuck it… I'm acting like a lovesick school girl…and all because of that…that…"
She dropped her hand to her side, balling it into a fist as she sighed.
"Sesshoumaru Taiyoukai," Kagura said quietly, staring up at the ceiling, "What the hell have you done to me, you bastard?"
"I was not the one forcing myself on anyone," The cold voice remarked from the doorway.
Her eyes shot wide, as she turned to face him.
"You- damnit how long were you standing there watching me?"
Sesshoumaru paused in his walk towards her, trying to decipher if she was indeed harboring a light blush about something or not.
Choosing not to answer her, he made his way over and sat down next to her on the bed.
"What are you…" She threatened, stopping when he handed over the portfolio.
"Read," He instructed.
Looking down at the page, her eyes began to skim over the text.
"The Lord glanced up, the moonlight reflected in his long silver hair. The wind finally subsided, and in its wake, the Wind Mistress stood before him.
'I have come to ask you a favor,' She stated cooly, purposely not giving into the ways of honor and calling him 'Lord' like all the others of the land would.
'It's that woman! The one who works for that evil hanyou who tricked you in the past,' A short toad-youkai ranted up to the statuesque man.
'Jaken,' The Lord said firmly, addressing his servant. The short green youkai halted his tirade, and cowered.
'Sorry, my Lord. I have over spoken my boundaries.'
Choosing not to regard his servant any further, the Lord of the Western Lands took a few steps forward until he was right in front of the Wind Mistress.
'What is it you ask of me? Another ploy of your Master's?'
She scoffed at that, and held out her hand, 'I want you to kill him. Set me free from his hands.'
The Lord regarded the pink jewels in her palm, then looked back up to her, 'I am not one who can be bribed.'
'You live of your own accord, I know,' She spat, her red eyes feisty, yet with a hidden loneliness to them.
'Then why make the offer?'
Her eyes drifted to the ground before rising back up to meet his golden ones.
'What else can I do to persuade you to help me?'
'Who said you had to do anything?'
'But Lord…' The servant protested, falling quiet at a stern gaze from the tall inuyoukai.
'Jaken, leave us.'
The toad youkai glared at the Mistress before storming off into the forest, leaving the two alone on the cliff overlooking the ocean.
She looked suspiciously to the man before her, 'You want us- alone?'
'Aren't we already, alone?'
The Wind Mistress looked off towards the ocean.
'Alone and caged. That's all I am.'
'Even those that fly free can find themselves alone,' The Lord stated in return, his hand reaching out and pushing the offered jewels back towards her.
'But…'
'Use them to defeat him yourself.'
'You bastard, why I ought to…' She fell silent as his hand rested on her shoulders.
'I will fight him on my own terms. Know that.'
Her red eyes locked with his gold ones, the two standing there in silence for moments.
'So you are helping me, but just on your own terms, eh?' She challenged him
'It's not of my concern. I shall do what I wish.'
The Mistress laughed lightly then, 'I suppose then, I shall do what I wish and reward you for your effort even though you refuse it.'
The Lord blinked, figuring she spoke of the jewels in her hand, but instead the black-haired youkai reached up and took his face in her hands. Gently, as if it was the wind itself, she kissed him.
Before the Lord could even register the action, she was gone in a flourish of wind and feathers as she soared off into the night.
'But can she stand a chance against her Master with only the power of those jewels?' He hung his head, a hand drifting up to his lips, 'Then again, it's none of my business.'
And with that, he walked off into the forest."
Kagura just gaped, taking in the exchange between the two characters and knowing all to well where Sesshoumaru had gotten the idea from.
"If it's anything like that piece of trash you were reading earlier. Please alert me so I can destroy it," His usual deadpan voice stated.
Looking up at him, she smirked to herself, "So you did like the fact I kissed you."
"That has nothing to…"
"Yes it does," Kagura persisted, pointing to the manuscript, "Here at the end. You had him move his hands to his lips as if he was reflecting over the kiss. He liked it, don't deny it."
His eyes narrowed, "You were the one claiming that the action was overdone."
"And you were the one saying you didn't want to make it into a romance novel," She retorted.
They once again found themselves staring at each other, both trying to get the other to give under their hardened gaze.
Suddenly Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed and he reached out a hand towards her. Gently, he took her chin in his hand, his thumb lightly brushing over her cheek.
Kagura's breath caught in her throat, and she mentally berated herself for it, "He's just teasing me. Don't let him get to you."
"It's healing," He remarked softly.
She blinked, thrown by what he could be speaking of.
"What are you…"
"The cut on your face," Sesshoumaru finished, his finger lightly resting over it.
"Sesshoumaru…"
Before either could say anymore, Kagura winced. The angle she'd moved to having pulled at her still-tender side.
"Shit…" She muttered.
Sesshoumaru's frowned, his other arm gently wrapping behind her back as he supported her. Slowly, he laid her back down on the bed, his other hand never leaving her cheek and his eyes remaining locked with hers.
"Something is not right here…"Kagura thought to herself on noting him acting like this, "Fuck- am I dreaming again?"
As her head pressed into the pillows, he gently withdrew his hands, yet remained beside her. Sitting next to her, his eyebrows furrowed as if he was thinking over something.
"What the hell are you looking at?" She snapped, not quiet sure what to take of things.
"There was something then. A tension in the air- yet not hostile," He thought to himself, his expression becoming slightly perplexed as the answer evaded him.
Kagura's eyes softened as she noticed the strange look on Sesshoumaru's face.
"What's he thinking about anyways? Did it remind him of something with his Mother?"
"I am to assume that it is still causing pain?" He spoke finally, his mind still mulling things over.
"Of course it is!" She shot back, "I had a fucking champagne bottle shattered into my side yesterday. Of course it hurts!"
Sesshoumaru's eyes closed, his memories begging him to let then be remembered. To let him recall those events he'd shoved so deep into his mind.
"Mother. That's all she could say then too. 'It hurts.' Just weakly as she held my hand," He clenched his fist subconsciously at the thought of it, "And Rin. With that frightened voice. 'It hurts Mister. Make it stop.' And I carried her. All the way to the hospital."
He opened his eyes, looking over the clock and knowing that it was still too soon for Kagura to take anymore medication.
"How severe?" Sesshoumaru questioned.
Kagura paused, and leveled him with a glare, "It just- hurts."
"That tells me nothing of the severity of it."
"Oh for crying out loud, if it hurts- it hurts. Shit!" She sat up abruptly, fully intent on land blasting him in the face for the inane questions.
But the quick movement didn't set right with the pains her side was already experiencing and she found herself doubling forward.
"Fuck. I hate him. That bastard," Her voice hitched then, as if she was withholding a cry, "Why the hell did he have to do this to me?! I don't fucking deserve this…"
"No. You don't," Sesshoumaru's voice spoke up and she gently lifted her head up to look at him.
"Sesshoumaru?"
He looked down at her, sitting in front of him and clutching her side as if that would take away the pains that shot through her body.
And he felt it. That same twinge of pain deep within his heart that he'd felt before. When his Mother was dying. When Rin was injured. He wanted to make the pain stop, and he hated himself for that subconscious weakness he harbored.
"A woman like you is not deserving of such treatment," Sesshoumaru's said, his voice low, and his eyes downcast.
"Like me…what does he mean by…" Kagura's thoughts paused then as she caught his gaze.
"Father said it. Protect those you care for," His thoughts echoed in his head.
And slowly he reached out and pulled Kagura's towards him, resting her head against his chest and gently moving her to where her side wouldn't be bothered further.
"Stay here until the pain stops," His voice instructed.
Kagura felt his arms tighten slightly around her, "Sesshoumaru…"
"I don't care for anyone," He reassured himself, but his actions and deep within his mind, he knew that was but a lie.
"Just rest. Kagura."
And finally feeling somewhat at ease from her pain, she nodded lightly and replied, "Okay, Sesshoumaru. I will."
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Preview for Chapter 20:
When Sesshoumaru's Father stops by, he finds the two in what appears to be a compromising situation. But knowing it's them makes him brush the thought away- then again… there is the issue of the new romantic edge Sesshoumaru's novel is taking and his Father can't help but look into the matter.