Author's Note: Alright, alright. This took nearly two months to send out … I'm sorry. Well, not really … or am I? Anyway, I am finally out of school, so I will be able to post more frequently … if I so wish … MWAHAHA! Erm, excuse me. And now since I have an actually layout of this story now, I won't have any dramatic writer's block … unless it's actually typing out the details of the layout … which would never happen … right? By the way, the first scene is only in third person because it was easier to write that scene, but other than that, it's all in first-person.
Disclaimer: Bugger off, I don't own anything … but your soul!
Strawberries and Sugar
Chapter II: The Plot Thickens … Already?
Kagura checked thedoorknob of her apartment.
"That's weird …" she muttered. "It's open? I was sure I locked it …" She stepped in, followed by the quite Sesshomaru.
The apartment wasn't a bad one, though it wasn't that big. She had a table that divided the kitchen from the living room, and a hallway that led to their bedroom and bathroom.
She quickly checked to see if Kanna was home. "Well … she must be out. Though I asked her to leave a note before she left … and she did even lock the door …" Kagura made an irritated noise in the back of her throat.
Sesshomaru was quite, but that was normal.
Kagura dumped the old water out of the kettle and filled it with fresh before lighting the stove.
"It may take a while," she muttered. She took two steps over to the refrigerator and pulled out a platter of cookies. They clattered on the faux wood table and she scooped one up herself.
Gnawing on it, since the cookies were a little hard, she rapped her long nails against the surface. "So …"
He sat with a straight back in the chair, as supposed to Kagura's relaxed slouch. Sesshomaru cocked his eyebrow at the cookies. He didn't take one.
Kagura sat there for several minutes, eating the cookies and staring Sesshomaru down. She had to forfeit the match when the kettle started to whistle an annoying screech.
She shoved the rest of the cookie into her mouth, quickly rubbing her fingers together to rid them of crumbs. Pushing her chair back on the faded linoleum she walked over to the stove and turned it off.
"Let me guess—black, right?" When he nodded, she snorted and poured two cups of coffee.
She gave Sesshomaru a cup with a grey cartoon cat on it, while hers read WORLD'S BEST MOM.
"'Mom?'" Sesshomaru asked.
Kagura shrugged. "Kanna itgave to me since there weren't any mugs for sisters." She was chewing on one of her nails absently.
"I must go," Sesshomaru said suddenly. Standing up, he silently strode to the door. Turning around, he said, "Thanks for the coffee," and left.
Kagura sighed and stood up, putting the empty cup in the sink. "Kanna's turn to do the dishes …"
She shuffled off down the hall to the bed room to change for bed.
OoooO
Kagura woke the next morning with a brutal yawn and stretch.
"Shit my back hurts …" She popped her neck with a grotesque crack and stood up off the bed.
She could hear something down the hall, but assumed it was Kanna.
"Kanna," Kagura shouted, "can you make me some damn coffee! And don't squelch on the caffeine!"
"My dear daughter, has your tongue always been so sharp?" a cool voice said from the kitchen table.
The plastic hairbrush Kagura hand been combing through her hair clattered to the ground, cracking slightly.
"F-father!" Fear flashed painfully behind those strawberry red eyes of hers. "How did you …"
"Why, your sweet sister let me in … but sadly, she fled soon after. Why could that be?" He stood up to his full height.
"G-get the fuck out of my house. Now."
Naraku made a "tut-tut"ing noise. "My dear, dear Kagura." He slowly stood up, the chair's legs scrapping against the cheap flooring. He long legs moved towards her, his expensive shoes walking silently.
"G-go away!" Don't show weakness, don't show weakness, don't show weakness …
Naraku smirked, closing the space between them … "My, my, my …. my sweet Kagura, how you've grown beautiful …"
She let out a disgusted whimper when his lips, pressed at a bruising force, ran over her neck.
She threw a strong punch at him, but he caught it bare-fisted.
"Get away from me!" She spat on him.
"Now, we can't have that, now can we?" He pushed her up against the wall, his filthy hands running over her body.
She tried pushing him away, but his tongue was fooling with the crook of her neck while his hand managed to get under her night shirt.
A cold touch to her breast sent revolted shivers across her skin.
A hateful tear escaped Kagura's eye and rolled down her cheek. She wasn't strong enough to fight off the hand playing with the waist band of her sleeping boxers, though she tried.
She managed to throw her shoulder against him when he let his guard down.
Furious, he punched in her the jaw. "Don't you dare try that again!"
He bit the flesh on her collarbone, a vile look in his eye. One hand was undoing the belt buckle around his waist.
"You and you sick perversions should get out of my house right now." She tried to grab from one of the kitchen knives only a metre away, but Naraku beat her to it.
Snatching one up, he threatened her with it. "I warned you …"
Kagura made a dash for the door before he yanked her by the arm, nearly ripping her shoulder out of its socket, slashing at her.
Blood splattered her grey floor in sickly red flower buds.
"Leave me alone!" She threw all her weight against him, sending him tumbling through the open door.
She quickly shut it, put the chain on, and bolted it shut.
"I'll be back, Kagura! I will, and when I am, you'll wish you were never alive!"
Kagura said there, panting. "… Like I don't already," she whispered.
OoooO (Please excuse me while I fret about if this was too dramatic or not.)
Nearly an hour later, I had to leave for work.
Quietly, I prayed to every god that crossed my mind Naraku wasn't out there.
A bandage under my eye where Naraku cut me and a swollen lip, I walked down the stairs to hurry and catch the bullet train.
OoooO
"Oh, my! Kagura-san! What happened!" Mutsumi gasped.
"Oh, nothing."
"Well, I can't really let you work the register looking like that… why don't you go … take inventory?" she said worriedly.
I sighed and nodded. "I understand," I said.
I went back into storage, ready for a boring day of work.
OoooO
A few months later, and I had finally healed to only haveing a little scar under my eye.
It's been forever since I saw that Sesshomaru fellow. I guess he totally forgot about me. That's a little upsetting … he seemed like an interesting guy … and I never got to ask him about the claws … or that hair …
I nearly fell asleep at the cash register several times. Kanna and I had stayed up late working on a school project … alright, so we didn't work. We laid in bed talking until three am and then she realised she had it due today, so we just threw it together. But what's the difference?
A coughing roused me from my sleep-educed state, and my head snapped up.
"Oh … it's … you …," I said, with an air of intelligence only mastered by "Erm …"
"You've got drool," Sesshomaru said, ever stoic.
I quickly wiped it away, slightly embarrassed.
He handed me a book, and I rang it up. "That's …. ¥1294.08, please."
Sesshomaru handed me his card again, and I handed it back to him along with his book and receipt in a bag.
He gave a polite thanks and wandered over to our café …. Though I don't think "wander" really suits the way Sesshomaru moves.
……
When my break came, which was only a few minutes later, I went over to the table Sesshomaru was sitting at with my own cup of tea and sat down.
"Nice to see you again," I told him.
He just met my eyes with his golden ones. I need to ask about them, as well …
"So, Sesshomaru-san … where do you get hair like that … and eyes …"
"Family," was his short reply.
"You must get asked that a lot," I said.
"I do." Another short answer.
"You're not a talker, are you?"
"I'm not." Damn, got me again.
I tried to think of a question that would make him say more than three words.
"How old are you?"
"… Twenty-four." Crap.
I sat there, chewing on a nail for a while.
"That's going to ruin your nails," he suddenly said.
My eyes gaze at him. "Did you … did you just say a compete sentence?"
He cocked an eyebrow. "I thought I did … did you hear differently?"
I shook my head. "… Are you really a lawyer?" The question has suddenly come to mind.
"Actually … no."
"Then where …" I was interrupted by Mutsumi gasping.
"Boss!"
"Wait … boss?" I asked, confused. "But Mutsumi, I thought you owed this place?"
Mutsumi laughed. "Why, Kagura-san. I'm just the manager. This is a universal bookstore … I don't own it … he does." She pointed to Sesshomaru.
"You mean … he owns this?"
"Well, yes," Mutsumi said before going back to work.
I glared at him. "Then what was the point of buying the books? Don't you own all the books? Can't you just walk up to Mutsumi and say 'Hello, underdog of my huge corporation, give me one of my books. And be snappy about it!'" I said, making my voice deep.
His eyebrows shot up.
"I mean … I don't mean …"
He took a drink of his coffee.
"You know," I said, trying to change the subject, "coffee will stain your teeth."
"So will tea," he replied smoothly. I looked at the cup in my hands.
"Yeah, well, I brush my teeth every morning and night."
"Are you implying that I do not?"
"… No."
"That's believable."
I restrained from going off at him. "I don't give a flying fuck what you find believable."
I swear I saw a slight smirk on his face.
OoooO
That night, Kanna and I sat on our old couch watching the television. My mind wandered back to earlier that day …
"You're something," he had said.
"Huh?" He set down a business card, with another number hand written on it.
"Call me sometime …"
To say I was shocked was an understatement, but before I could ask him what he was talking about, he had left.
I touched the card, still in my pocket.
He better have meant I could call him, 'cause if he didn't, I'll go over there and kill 'im …
OoooO
But it turns out, he called me, instead. It didn't sound like he was going to throw me down and have passionate sex with me … but he did call me over. That's a start.
I rang the doorbell to his larger-than-necessary house, and was greeted by a … well, person greeter? I can't call her a maid, 'cause she wasn't cleaning, nor a butler, because she wasn't some old man, but whatever she was, she welcomed me in and led me to a nice room with comfortable chairs and couches.
After only a few minutes, a little girl of about seven came running in.
I hate to admit it, but she was adorable. She had brown hair, with a little side-pony-tail-thing, as well as big brown eyes.
"Hi! Are you my new nanny," she said, with a very loud voice.
"Erm …" There's that incredible reply …
"Depends, Rin, if she agrees," said a voice from the doorway. Of course, it was Sesshomaru.
"Excuse me…"
"I'll pay you double what you're paid now to watch over her whenever needed."
I didn't have to think about it, I mean, come on, DOUBLE! "Okay."
I just hoped I wasn't signing my life away … and, even if it was, at least it was to get to spend even a little time with the guy … to get in his head.
OoooO
Author's Notes II: There was something strange going on with fanfiction, so I wasn't able to use question marks towards the ends, so … if it's a little weird without them, I'm sorry.