DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha and co. do not belong to me. I wish they did. But they don't.
SUMMARY: AU. Sesshoumaru/Kagome. Inspired by Inuyasha, the fanfic Yakuza, and various other stories.
With the death of Kagome's father, the Higurashi family found themselves quite tight with money. Souta, in his teen aged attempt to help, lies to go to Tokyo and gambles. However, he finds himself in trouble with a prominent underground figure in both human and youkai society. Kagome gets Souta out of the mess by promising to work the money back with Sesshoumaru... who is not nearly as nice or reasonable as Kagome considered humans to be. Maybe that's because he's not human.
WARNINGS: The following are warnings that I would like to state. If you worry about anything, just don't read the story.
1. I haven't watched Inuyasha in a long time, and my fanfics are based off of fanfics based off of fanfics. So, the characters probably are slightly OOC, especially to fit with the story line that I want.
2. Note the rating. Please. In order to write the story that I would, there are going to be some parts that are especially gory or explicitly... graphic. If this offends your sensibilities, don't read.
Author's Notes: More reviews! Yay... so I'm thinking that if I waited a couple more days, maybe I'll get even more reviews for the second chappie...
Okay, so the story is a little slow... and I'm trying to get the action up. And inuyasha-n-kagome-rox142, I am putting a bit of Souta and Inuyasha and I'm thinking even Kouga and Naraku... if not this chappie, then certainly next chappie.
Also, I have most of the story plotted out all in my head, but I need to figure out how to work it out on paper (or the screen, in this case).
And if you don't remember, Ginta and Hakkaku are members of Kouga's tribe in the canon universe. They play a similar sort of role in this story.
Hope you keep on enjoying the story.
by Ethidda
Written 10/22/04
Chapter Three
Sesshoumaru felt a melding as her blood dripped into the cup with his in what he had told her was a purely ritualistic ceremony to seal 'underground deals' with no actual effects. Because she was human, she would not feel the bond or realize its significance; but the blood bond was one of the strongest.
Pouring the blood into the potted plant on his desk, he solidified the link. "We are bound now," he announced to her.
Kagome nodded. She thought it was just formalizing a contract, but he knew that he could track her to almost anywhere now, unless another youkai cloaked her in his youki.
Sesshoumaru doubted that a human would know very many youkai.
"So I'll be your personal maid starting today until I pay off the debt," Kagome's conclusion drew back Sesshoumaru's attention. "I'm Kagome Higurashi. And you are?" Kagome held out her hand as she smiled in a friendly manner.
Sesshoumaru considered reminding her that he was Moon. But he wasn't. And for some absurd reason--or instinct--he wanted her to know him as he was, without the fancy games. He almost smiled at the hypocrisy of that statement.
"Sesshoumaru," he offered as he took her hand and gave a light shake. He didn't even draw blood or break bones as he usually did with those impertinent enough to hint at initiating physical contact with him.
However, he did massage her palm lightly, tickling the soft center of her hand with the slight twirl with the pad of his finger, as he let go. A pretty blush lit up her cheeks immediately.
It was refreshing change from eyes glittering with lust.
"She's kidnapped," Inuyasha heard Souta state flatly as he was about to enter the Higurashi house. He had to run up more then a hundred steps to reach the house, which was right next to the shrine that the Higurashi family had always kept.
"No, she's not," Mrs. Higurashi's voice calmly refuted Souta's claim. "She just called me several days ago. She's with Hojo there. Or somebody."
"Hojo's human," Souta pointed as if Hojo should be a robot or a hairless ape who was extremely small. "She's with a youkai."
"Souta," Mrs. Higurashi admonished. "Just because Inuyasha is a youkai doesn't mean that they're everywhere."
Inuyasha chose that moment to open the door and let himself in. "They are everywhere," he corrected quite rudely in his Inuyasha fashion.
"Oh dear." Mrs. Higurashi paused in her cooking. "Does that mean that she's in danger?" Then, more quietly, to herself, she murmured, "I wonder why she would lie about it."
Souta stared at the ground near his feet and remained silent.
Fortunately for him, Mrs. Higurashi didn't expect an answer.
"Hey, Inu-no-nii-chan, do you know if Moon's really dangerous to Sis?"
"Keh, why would I know him?" Inuyasha sniffed the air several times as his feet followed the guidance of his olfactory sense to the soup that was stewing on the counter top.
"Well, aside from that even I have heard of him, he kinda looked like you," Souta answered speculatively. "He has silver hair and gold eyes and long nails like yours. He was taller than you, though, a lot taller. And not nearly as friendly as you."
Inuyasha thought for a moment, and then let out a stream of extremely colorful expletives that Mrs. Higurashi didn't admonish because she couldn't understand them at the speed Inuyasha doled them out. He shouted, "Sesshoumaru? You left your sister with Sesshoumaru?"
Faced with Inuyasha's agitated response, Souta cringed. All Souta said was, "So you do know him."
"Of course I know him. He's a fucking bastard."
"Oh."
"Please speak politely, Inuyasha," Mrs. Higurashi admonished gently.
"Is she going to get hurt?" Souta asked, guilt creeping into his voice.
Inuyasha snorted. "Not physically, probably, because there's so much he can do just breaking her spirit. But then, he's Sesshoumaru, and who knows."
Souta's eyes widened. "Then we have to save her."
Mrs. Higurashi sighed. "I really hope that you're just exaggerating. But please at least eat lunch before you leave for Tokyo. Besides, I have to order the tickets."
"Hey, why do I have to go?" Inuyasha asked belligerently.
When Mrs. Higurashi turned around and gave him a look, though, he quickly relented. He held up his hands in front of him. "Okay, okay, I'll go, alright? But she's really not my problem and I really, really don't like him and you guys better remember that I did this as a favor."
A smile returned to Mrs. Higurashi's visage. She brought the food to the table as she announced, "Lunch, boys."
Sesshoumaru was looking at some papers at his desk as Kagome tip-toed her way into his office with a tray of hot tea. She tried to be as quiet as she could, not wanting to disturb whatever work he was immersed in.
"Come help me choose one," he requested evenly, suddenly, and without looking up.
Kagome squeaked in surprise but managed to hold onto the tray of tea. She gave up subtlety as she marched up to his desk.
Several different profiles lay on his desk with photos attached to each. Resumes, Kagome thought, so he really needed to hire people and he wasn't just making her do a job because he knew she would have a hard time paying him back. Kagome didn't like charity.
He motioned for her to come nearer. He asked her, "Who do you think is the prettiest?"
"Me?" Kagome looked closely at each of the six pictures. What had appeared to be perfect skin and big, bright eyes now seemed like cheap makeup under close scrutiny. "I'm not sure I would call any of them pretty," she replied slowly. "What position are they applying for?"
Sesshoumaru nodded. Compared to Kagome, none of them had the expressive eyes or the proud carriage of her body. Even with their tiny waists and enlarged chests, any man with eyes--and many more without--would choose Kagome.
"Stripper," he answered her.
"B-but..." Kagome sputtered. "It's..."
"...not illegal as long as he or she is over eighteen and consents to it," Sesshoumaru finished for her, smirking at her outraged expression. "They are the ones who applied." He leaned back and settled more comfortably in his chair.
"You put an ad on... a newspaper? For this kind of job? They have ads like this for the public? What if a little kid reads it?"
Sesshoumaru shrugged. "Magazines. And ones little kids wouldn't read."
"Oh."
"So who should I pick?"
"You're asking me?"
Sesshoumaru nodded once. He was curious as to who Kagome would pick to consign, as she thought of it, into such a horrible situation. But she didn't know that the tips at this night club would be a lot high than whichever one the dancer was working at right now. A couple of them, he knew, were in between jobs, and making a living doing... other things.
"I don't think you should have... dancers," Kagome said.
Sesshoumaru barely held back a smile at her prim tone. "But I have to," he said.
"No, you don't," Kagome shot him a glance.
Sesshoumaru looked up at her face, frowning and all. Her eyes spoke of pity and disapproval, and he wasn't quite sure which was directed at who. And a trace of sadness, too, as if the world had become darker since her new knowledge.
He sighed. It was better than she learnt the fact of the world as a mere fact than if she had experienced it herself.
He had once been naive and idealistic, too, about the land and the world. But he had gotten over than centuries ago.
And it was not like him to reminiscent about the past.
All he needed to do was to succeed in the present.
Abruptly, he cut off his reminiscence. He placed his hands on his desk and stood up, his chair rolling towards the window down to the night club behind him. "We are going out," he announced.
Fortunately, Kagome had already placed the tea on his desk. "What?" Her voice pitched high in reflex of startledness. "Why?"
He pointedly scrutinized her, from her down to her toe. Kagome fidgeted from the silence and the intensity of the scrutiny. "You need more suitable attire."
"Oh." Kagome had to concede that within the walls overfilled with blaring music and garish people, her casual sweatshirt and sweat pants probably looked out-of-place. Besides, from the paintings and sculptures in the room, Kagome could tell that Sesshoumaru was a very refined person--youkai, whatever--in his tastes. He probably frowned in distaste every time he laid eyes on her clothes.
Just then, another thought occurred to her: What if he expected her to dress like the women who worked in the club? There was no way she was going to wear such vulgar clothing.
She must have frowned in her hesitation, because his cold voice assured her, "You will have the choice of what to wear, as long as I approve of it."
That sentence sounded a little muddled to Kagome, but the first part sounded good. She nodded in acquiescence.
Kagura watched as Ginta and Hakkaku watched Sesshoumaru watch the human walking beside him who didn't watch, but couldn't help notice, the thrones of women ogling Sesshoumaru.
In the dim lighting that Kagome had first met Sesshoumaru, she had been so spitting mad at Souta that she had failed to pay close attention to Sesshoumaru. But even then, she had had the strong impression of power and danger and a certain ruthlessness to his set.
Now, though, under the full glorious rays of the sun, Kagome trailed slightly behind Sesshoumaru, and she couldn't help but notice how the clothing hugged his body, revealing tantalizing hints of the compact muscle beneath it. The fabric was a mix of a pale white and macabre designs of flashy red and gloomy black, only emphasizing his lurid nature.
But it was just that feral bad boy aura to him that drew all the women towards him. Even Kagome, who had always steered away from people like him, felt a morbid fascination. The women who paused in their walking when they caught sight of Sesshoumaru, and then turned their heads, once, twice, and then thrice only to find that they are not yet satisfied--they disturbed Kagome even more.
Kagome had never truly understood the lure of danger until now, and she almost... almost regretted agreeing to stay work for him.
Although, she couldn't have simply left her kid brother in that kind of an atmosphere, and besides, he had not yet done anything to truly warrant her dislike. Other than his sanctioning of the club, that was. But he really could've forced her to become an exotic dancer, and he didn't.
Still, a larger part of that could have been attributed to her lack of appeal.
She glanced up at Sesshoumaru as he stopped in front of a store. An expensive brand name store for women's clothing.
Carefully and a bit trepidaciously, she peered inside the store without actually setting foot in the store. When Sesshoumaru led her forward into the store, she remained outside, and asked in a little voice, "Here?"
Sesshoumaru gave a barely discernible nod. Kagome took it as permission for her to enter the store.
He had been almost amused to note her apprehension. It was just a store, and not even one of the most exclusive ones. But it had been obvious from her reaction that she probably shopped at the least expensive stores. No wonder her clothes reeked of bad taste.
Ok, maybe not horrendous taste, Sesshoumaru conceded, but only because nothing less than heavy blankets could cover up the curvaceous figure of hers or the shine of her spirit that shone so freely from her every action and expression.
Blankets. Kagome. Sesshoumaru felt himself stiffen at the sudden image of Kagome lying in nothing but tousled blankets, glimpses her flawlessly white skin--and with his experience with women, he knew just by looking--showing where the blanket failed to cover her.
His jaw tightened imperceptibly and forced himself to remain his impassive expression.
Sesshoumaru would not want; He demanded and he got and others would be him, but Sesshoumaru had no weaknesses to exploit, and that included hopes, dreams, and wants.
A lady walked toward them, in a sleek black suit and classy shoes. Her perusal of Sesshoumaru was filled with female appreciation and not a very subtle hint.
Kagome felt embarrassed for the woman.
Sesshoumaru, though, appeared not to notice.
The woman smiled coquettishly to him as she offered, "How may I help you?"
"I'd like you to find a suitable outfit for her." He waved in the general area behind him where Kagome stood.
The woman looked over Kagome, as if just noticing her, and then dismissed her almost immediately, as if she was not worth even a single piece of clothing in the store. Then, the woman turned, her heels clicking on the floor. Kagome assumed that the woman meant to lead her to a section of the store where the clothes might fit her more--although she seriously doubted any of the clothes in the store was to her syle--and followed awkwardly.
Despite the months that they have spent trailing him--at a careful distance because they knew his sensitivity to his surroundings--they have yet to see him walk about with a woman other than Kagome.
Out of his office. Plenty of women walked with him into his hotel or the bathroom of a dimly lit restaurant or the back room of his own nightclub. But they never walked out with him, and never from his personal areas such as his office.
But she didn't look like a prize at all.
In fact, she didn't look much like the women that Sesshoumaru ordinarily had contact with at all: she had no financial backing, no social status, and definitely no sex appeal.
Which was probably why, they realized as they spied on Sesshoumaru walking out of the story with Kagome trailing behind him.
After few fittings that consisted of various shades of black and skirts and shirts too short or too low or too tight, Kagome was handed a new wardrobe. She had worried about the additional debt that she now owed to Sesshoumaru, but since he had asked--demanded, really--without a single inflection in his voice, that her old clothing be trashed, she had little choice but to wear her new clothing.
Kagome walked three steps and then skipped one in order to keep up with Sesshoumaru's long strides in her high heels. She remembered why she almost never wore her own pair of high heels.
And as she walked, she resisted the urge to fiddle with her clothing. Stupid black clothing. Couldn't they have given her more colorful ones? She supposed not, since the store sold hardly more than two pieces of non-black clothing.
Suddenly, she felt a hand cover her mouth and a hand on each of her arms, hauling her away from Sesshoumaru and whisking her away.
Behind her, where Kagome couldn't see, Ginta and Hakkaku nodded to each other.
Now, too, as they saw Kagome in her new dress, displaying her nicely curved waist and shapely legs, they understood--or thought they understood, at least--why Moon kept her around.
They snickered to themselves. Who said that the enjoyments of lords were too good for the common man? They could already imagine the fulfilling night in front of them.
If he didn't avoid looking at her, all he would have noticed would be her curved body, begging to be touched and her long legs that he could just see curling around his waist. And despite Kagome's obvious discomforture with the color as well as the clothing itself, the black brought out the ebony in her silky hair, slightly toussled from the wind during their walk.
The silky mane which he barely succeeded in refraining from gathering in his hands and running his fingers through.
Because he didn't want just her body, he wanted her complete surrender. He wanted to triumph over her annoying naivety and innocence. He wanted her to know and consent to what they were doing as he was destroying her purity.
No, he was a refined man, who made everything into a fine art. Including sadism.
I'm thinking of putting a hot and heavy scene between Sesshoumaru and Kagura in the next chapter. But I don't think I'm going to have to use a lot of euphemisms if I do it on , so I might post a slightly different version elsewhere. Don't know where yet.
And yes, it is Kagome/Sesshoumaru.
Reviews, reviews, reviews... please?