Author's Note: Been busy with schoolwork and had really bad writer's block. I seem to think that this story is going a little too…slowly. I mean almost every other chapter is like a filler chapter. :yawns: Oh well, here's the next chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, so there.
Chapter Ten:
Kagome Dream SequenceIt was the same place as before; woods, at night. Kagome wandered through the trees, the snow was harsh against her bare feet. Every time she stepped, a thousand new needles would prick at her feet. She shivered as the winter breeze blew through her thin clothes.
"Hello?" she called out.
A clearing appeared between the trees and Kagome could see a little town, beckoning her closer. A particular house stood out to her and she moved towards it. She reached out her hand to knock on the wooden doors but all her hand did was slip through.
"Oh my…am I dead?" Kagome wondered stupidly.
'You are merely experiencing what has already occurred.' A disembodied voice floated to her.
"What? Who are you?" Kagome asked, fear gripping her.
The voice didn't answer. 'Just watch,' it commanded.
"Watch what?" Kagome asked. But she found out soon enough. Instead of standing outside the door, Kagome was now in a bedroom and there were two figures there. Their figures were blurry but they seemed to be familiar to her. Where have I seen this before? She thought to herself. There was no time to contemplate because the next thing she knew, the scene disappeared entirely and she found herself in a black void.
"What? Where am I now? What's going on?" Kagome began to panic.
And suddenly, she was falling, falling into the black void with harsh cruel laughter sounding all around her.
End Kagome Dream Sequence
"Kags,"
Kagome rolled over in her bed, her mind just rousing from the dream realm. She blinked her eyes at the glow of her bedside lamp.
"Eri?" she asked groggily. "You know what time it is?"
"Time for you to go to work," Eri said.
Kagome sat up in bed. "I can't be late again!" she said.
Eri chuckled at her friend's panicky voice. This situation seemed awfully familiar. "Calm down Kags," she said. "You're not late."
Kagome visibly relaxed at the comment. Then a bit crossly, she asked. "Then why do I have to be functional now?"
"Your new bodyguard's here," Eri informed. "I never knew that he would take the job so seriously and be here before the crack of dawn. Although, he's cute so I guess I forgive him."
"What are you blabbering about?" Kagome asked.
"I'm not blabbering! I'm making observations," Eri said defensively.
Kagome managed to prevent her eyes from rolling. "Whatever you say, Eri," she said.
With a loud 'fump', Kagome was once again lying in the comforts of her bed. Eri groaned. "Come on Kags, you can't keep him waiting," Eri said, shaking Kagome.
"I'll get up when I have to leave for work," Kagome said, pulling the covers over her head and turning onto her side.
"You're seriously going to keep him waiting for another 45 minutes?" Eri asked.
"What's wrong with that?" Kagome asked, her voice muffled by her covers.
"Uhh,"
Before Eri could give her an adequate answer, the bodyguard was at her door.
"Yo, let's go!"
Hearing the voice, Kagome sat up quickly in her bed. It can't be… Her mind raced to think and come up with a reasonable explanation of why she was hearing his voice. It didn't make any sense that Inuyasha would be her new bodyguard. How did Sesshoumaru know Inuyasha? What was their relationship? Why Inuyasha? All these questions ran through her head but none of them were answered.
"I-Inuyasha? Why are you here?" Kagome asked dumbly.
"Feh, like I had a choice. I'm you stupid bodyguard!" Inuyasha said.
"But…" Kagome stammered.
"Would you hurry up and get dressed already? You're making me late for work," Inuyasha said impatiently.
Kagome bristled a little at the comment. I wasn't the one who told you to come here. She thought bitterly. "Excuse you," Kagome shot back. "You're in my house!"
"Yeah, yeah," Inuyasha waved her comment off. "Come on, hurry up. Unlike some people, I have a business to run!"
"Well excuse me then for being some sort of extra baggage," Kagome said sarcastically.
Inuyasha snorted. "Feh."
Then an idea popped into Kagome's head. She grinned evilly and looked at Inuyasha. "You know, Inuyasha," she started to say.
"Save it, with all the time your wasting, I could have made a business merger," Inuyasha said.
"Hmph, well for your information, Mr. I-have-a-company-to-run-and-to-hell-with-everyone-else," Kagome said, relishing her brilliant idea.
"What'd you call me?" Inuyasha demanded.
Ignoring his outburst, Kagome continued. "I don't think I'm going to work today," she said, punctuating her point by falling back onto her bed again. Eri looked from Kagome to Inuyasha, back to Kagome.
"Uh, I'll get breakfast," she said, making her escape before something happened.
"Thanks Eri," Kagome called out. "Now, as I was saying. I'm not going to work today. Since you have to protect me, you're not going either." Kagome could barely contain her glee at the small victory she held over Inuyasha, who looked like he was about to strangle her. His hands were flexing at his sides.
"Oh no you're not!" Inuyasha said loudly. "You're going to work and that's that."
Kagome gave him one of her innocent looks. "But Inuyasha," she said. "I can't go to work. Those guys are after me."
Inuyasha growled his frustration. "Then you're coming to work with me!" he said, wanting to rip out his hair, due to the agitation he was feeling. Fuck you, Sesshoumaru. He thought.
Kagome finally laughed out loud. "Ha, that was great!" she said, still laughing.
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow and scowled. "What do you mean?" he demanded.
"Ha—ha—not going to work!" Kagome laughed. "I would never miss work, not even if it kills me."
"It might," Inuyasha muttered.
"What did you say?" Kagome said, her laughter subsiding.
"Nothing," Inuyasha said. "Now get dressed."
"Don't order me around!" Kagome said. "Y—"
"I know, I know," Inuyasha said. Then mimicking Kagome in a high-pitched voice, " You're in my house…blah, blah, blah."
"You're mocking me?" Kagome asked in a dangerously hushed tone.
"No shit, Sherlock," Inuyasha said.
"You're mocking me," Kagome said.
"You stupid or something? I said 'No shit, Sh-'" Inuyasha began to repeat his previous statement.
"You're such a BAKA!" Kagome screamed.
Inuyasha winced and covered his ears. He might not have exceptional hearing like Sesshoumaru but it was better than the average human's was. "Lower your voice," he said.
"Lower my voice?" Kagome said, a dangerous gleam in her eyes. "You insult me and tell me to lower my voice! That's it!"
She climbed out of bed, still in her pajamas and stormed over to Inuyasha. Inuyasha just stared at her and without warning, Kagome gave him her best right jab to the stomach. Being what he was, Inuyasha felt no pain but the shock was still there. Hey, those lesson's paid off! Kagome gloated. Inuyasha straightened up, holding his stomach.
"What was that for?" he screeched.
"Being the idiot that you are!" Kagome said, then turned her back to him and walked to her closet. "I'm going to get ready for work now."
"About time," Inuyasha grumbled.
"What'd you say?" Kagome asked, the dangerous gleam in her eyes was back.
Deciding that he didn't want to receive another one of Kagome's punches, Inuyasha wisely decided to back off. "Nothing, just get dressed quickly. I'll wait downstairs," he said.
Kagome nodded.
Inuyasha made his way to the kitchen where Eri was setting the plates down.
"Oh, hi, is Kags ready?" she asked.
"Is she always this grumpy in the morning?" Inuyasha asked, dismissing her question completely.
"Uh, not really. This is the first time I've seen her like this," Eri said.
"Great!" Inuyasha groaned.
"Breakfast?" Eri asked, proffering a plate. On it was a green jelly-like mass next to a yellow gooey substance. Is this edible? He thought to himself.
Inuyasha quickly shook his head. "I uh…ate," he said.
Eri shrugged. "Okay, then," she said.
Kagome came down, dressed in black slacks and a button up blouse. "Ready?" she called to Inuyasha.
"I've been ready," Inuyasha stated.
Eri pounced on Kagome before she could make her getaway. "Kags, breakfast made by your truly," Eri said happily.
"Uh, t-thanks Eri," she said, her eyes watering at what Eri deemed 'breakfast.' "Sorry, but I have to go now. Uh, we're late, right Inuyasha?"
"Well, if someone hadn't…" Kagome jabbed him hard in the side. "Right, late! Let's go!" he said.
Kagome gave Eri a smile. "I'll be home at seven," she said, before shutting the door.
Eri stared after her friend. "You always say that," she sighed.
Outside, Kagome practically dragged Inuyasha to his car. "Whew, that was close," Kagome said.
"She always cook that bad?" Inuyasha asked.
Kagome shrugged. "I haven't had the bad luck of tasting it yet," she said. "And I don't intend to find out."
Inuyasha gave a half-smile and went to open the door of his car. "We'll pick up your stuff and take it to my office. That way, I can keep an eye on you."
Kagome nodded. "I need to ask you something," she said, as they got into the car.
"I'm gonna hafta answer it anyways so ask away," Inuyasha said.
Brushing off his comment, Kagome proceeded with hers. "Sesshoumaru," she said. "how do you know him?"
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Long story," he answered.
"You didn't answer my question," Kagome pointed out.
"You really wanna know?" Inuyasha asked.
"Duh, I wouldn't be asking if I didn't," Kagome said.
"We're brothers," Inuyasha said. "Not by fucking choice. And half brothers at that"
"Ah, I see" was all Kagome said. That explains the similarities between them. She thought. Oh great, just my luck. Brothers! I'm crushing on the brother who doesn't show emotion and the idiotic one is my bodyguard. Great Kags!
"Any other questions?" Inuyasha asked.
Kagome shook her head.
"Good," Inuyasha said.
He pulled out of her driveway and drove towards Kagome's office. Kagome was surprisingly silent during much of the trip. Inuyasha couldn't stand the silence. Damn it. What the hell is wrong with her? She almost tries to blow my eardrums out just half an hour ago and now she's got nothing to say. He decided to break the silence.
"Why the sudden interest?" he asked.
Kagome just stared at him. He's actually trying to be civil? Ha! Kagome thought. She shrugged. "Something Sesshoumaru said," she replied.
"You gonna tell me or what?" Inuyasha asked.
"When he rescued me, he said that his servant hated humans."
"Ah, trusty ole Jaken," Inuyasha said.
Kagome nodded. "I asked him why Jaken liked him and he said he wasn't what he appeared to be," Kagome said.
Inuyasha stiffened a little. "And?" Inuyasha asked rather stiffly.
"I was just wondering what he meant by it," Kagome shrugged.
"That still doesn't answer why the sudden interest in what our relationship was," Inuyasha pointed out.
"I wondered why he would call you to be my bodyguard," Kagome answered truthfully.
"Feh," Inuyasha scoffed. "The bastard forced me to do it."
" 'Force you to do it?'" Kagome echoed.
"Yeah, spewing this crap about how I have to protect you," Inuyasha said. Then donning the voice of his brother he said. " Protect her, Inuyasha. If she is injured in any way, you'll wish you had never been conceived.' Fucking bastard!"
"Why is it so important that I'm safe?" Kagome asked.
Inuyasha stiffened again. Oh shit. Better not say anything remotely related to that. He thought. "Err…probably 'cause he likes you. And that's saying something 'cause that guy's never like anyone his entire life except for…" Inuyasha stopped.
"Except for who?" Kagome asked.
Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. Nice going Inu…Inuyasha thought frantically. What to say? What to say?
"Except for who?" Kagome asked again.
"Uh, himself," Inuyasha said. Nice save! He congratulated himself.
Kagome stared at him for a moment, the shrugged and went back to thinking about the dream she had that morning. She had a feeling that today was going to be a day she wouldn't enjoy. And her hunches were usually right.
Author's Note: Whew, hopefully this chapter was okay. Somehow it ended up having a lot more humor than I planned. :shrug: Oh well, gotta keep it entertaining right?
Read and Review! Arigatou!