Author's Notes: So, here we are. There was a bit of confusion with Rin's age (which is my fault). Rin's proper age in the fanfiction is around seven. As I hope you can see, this chapter is a little longer. (Though that means nothing, seeing as it's still pretty short. Seeing as it's only a little over eight pages. I say "seeing" too much.) I hope you enjoy, and it's 5:18 am right now, so I'm really tired and don't know if there's any mistakes … Bleh. And another note: Naraku actually isn't going to be playing that much of a role in this story … though he'll make face in some chapters.

Warning: This chapter contains some strong language, stupid adults, and a very … interesting adult novel. XD

Disclaimer: I don't own. (Gee, betcha didn't see that one coming.)

Strawberries and Sugar

Chapter III: The Wind Charmer's Desire

I sat there, looking at the little girl. Sesshomaru had left about an hour ago to go to some meeting … he didn't really tell me much more.

"So," I started, "You're names Rin, right?"

She nodded, climbing up on the couch I sat on. I helped her up, seeing as she seemed to be having a bit of trouble.

"And what's your name?" she asked in that voice of hers.

"You can just call me Kagura."

"Kagu-chan!" she immediately pronounced.

"Um … alright, then. Kagu-chan …"

She sat there for a moment, studying my face.

"Are you hungry?" I asked her. When she nodded, I stood up and helped her down. "Can you show me the kitchen?" So I was led by little hands down several long halls, until we reached the kitchen.

I threw some stuff together that Kanna liked to eat when she was little, while Rin watched from her perch atop the island counter.

I handed it to her, and she slowly ate it, smiling the whole time.

I could remember a time when I was even younger than her …

I was five, and my mum and dad were getting married.

Although I was already born, my mother had worn a beautiful white dress.

Naraku, looking amazingly handsome, wearing a black suit with his matching long, black hair pulled back in a tail on the crown of his head.

The ceremony was all over and done with, kiss the bride and all, and we were taking pictures. The wedding was in a huge church, with gigantic stained glass widows from floor to ceiling.

To take the pictures, the photographer wanted me mother, my father, and me in front of them. So, my father to my right, mother behind me, I leant up against her with my natural china-doll face.

The next thing I knew, my mother was screaming and I was falling backwards.

I woke up with scraps all over and a throbbing head. My mum was underneath me, looking much worse, but still alive.

Colour rain seemed to shower down, until I realised it was glass and covered my head.

When the beautiful noise of shattering glass stopped, I looked around. There were people, a lot of them, and they were rushing around my mother, checking her … she was alive, for a while ……

I shake my head and realise there's a spoon in front of my mouth, with a little hand clamped around it. Rin was offering me some. I opened my mouth and she gave some of the food.

"Thanks," I said when I swallowed.

"What were you thinkin' about?" Rin asked.

"Oh, just the past." I smiled and ruffled her hair, well, kind of; I didn't want to mess it up.

She looked up at me with sad eyes, and despite my tough, bad-girl act, I cannot stand to see little girls sad. I guess it rubbed off from when I took care of Kanna.

"…. You want to make biscuits?" I asked, uncertain.

"Yeah!" Rin said.

So we began to make some biscuits. And Rin insisted they have chunks of chocolate in them, and something a little more strange…

"Papa Sesshomaru always puts orange flavouring in them when he bakes," Rin explained.

"…. Sesshomaru bakes?" My question was replied by a nod. I suppressed laughter.

"Um … okay, orange flavour …" I dug around the kitchen, and all I could find was some fresh oranges. So I easily peeled them with my claw-like nails, made sure there was no pulp in the juice, and stirred a small amount into the batter.

"Is that enough?" I asked Rin, and she replied, again, with a nod.

Once it was all fine and put on the sheet and popped into the oven, we sat at the island, each with a bottle of ramune in our hands. She had peach, and I strawberry. Not that that really matters, anyway.

"So … what else can you tell me about Sesshomaru?" I looked at the young girl, wondering if she could tell me anything.

"Well," she said, "he has a brother, Uncle Inuyasha, who is really his half brother. Let's see … he's naturally left handed, but taught himself to write with his right hand, but in private he still uses his left. Umm …. He likes anything with strawberry flavouring …. and he has a horde of trashy romance novels hidden on his bookshelves!"

I nearly fell off the stool when I heard that little detail.

"O—okay, I think that's enough …."

"Oh but there's so much more! He acts like a clean freak, but he really loves things all messy, he loves simplicity, and if he could, he'd sleep for twelve hours a day, and he'd—" Rin was interrupted by a low voice from the doorway.

"What are you talking about?"

Rin and I froze.

"No—nothing, Papa," she assured him.

The stoic character cocked a sculpted eyebrow, but didn't ask for an explanation. He then walked over to me, standing right in front, and looked down into my eyes, no sign of expression on his face.

"May I speak to you alone?" Sesshomaru asked after a moment of silence.

I nodded, doubting this would be good.

He led me to a room that somewhat resembled an office, with a fancy computer, comfortable chair, and a wall lined with books, though this "office" was unkempt. I vaguely wandered over to the bookshelf, checking to see if this was "one of those" bookshelves. I smirked to myself when I found one and pulled it off the shelf.

"Kagura." Sesshomaru came up from behind me, taking the book out of my grasp.

"Kagura," he repeated, and I looked at him.

"Yes, Sesshomaru?" I batted my lashes at him, trying to give off the innocent look. Something I royally suck at. Nevertheless, I pouted my bright red bottom lip. "What seems to be the matter?"

"…." He gave me a dead-pan look. "Sit down," Sesshomaru commanded, pointing at his chair.

Grudgingly, I sat.

"Kagura, I—"

"Yes," I said, "I get it, you know my name and you're not afraid to use it. Can you just get on with it!"

Sesshomaru blinked at me, clearly not used to be spoken to in such a manner. Well, that's too bad, 'cause I don't take shit from anybody.

He coughed, and continued. "Why do you seem so interested in me? What is with all the questions."

I steeple my fingers, looking up at him. "How much is this information worth?" I ask with a sly smile. But when he growled, I sighed and got serious. "I don't know … I just wanted to find something out …"

"And what is this 'something?'"

I sat there thinking for a moment, trying to decide whether or not to tell him the truth. In the end, I decided that the truth was probably my best guess.

"Well," I started, "I wanted to find out if … you were demon …" Demons, especially full-blooded ones, were very rare these days.

His eyebrows shot up at once. "And what would make you assume such a thing?"

I stared blankly at him. "Oh, I don't know, maybe the long silver hair, the gold eyes, the talons, the markings …"

"The markings!" His hands shot up at once to his face in a moment of weakness. "You can see them?"

I paused, blinking for a few moments. "Well, yeah … can't everyone?"

The look he gave me was as if I were the stupidest person on earth. "Only demons can see them."

"…. Oi. I did not see that coming." I spent the next ten minutes trying to let that soak in. "So I'm … a demon, too?"

Sesshomaru replied, sounding quite shocked himself, I might add, "It was seem so … yes …"

"So … what does that mean, exactly?"

He looked down his nose at me. "'What does it mean?' It means that you're a demon, you know, powers, claws, the works."

I fiddled with something in my coat pocket.

"… What is that?" he asked, surprisingly curious. (A trait I'd have thought impossible for this man, who closely resembles freezer scrapings.)

"Oh, um, just this." I pulled out my beloved fan. It was white, with red on top, and its edges sharp.

"Let me see it." He held out his hand.

Snapping it shut, I held it away from him. "What for?"

"Just hand it over," Sesshomaru insisted.

"No," I refused him. I could tell he was angry when he went around the desk to my side, and held out his hand once more.

"Yes," he retorted.

When I denied him again, he tackled it out of me, leaving me sprawled out on the floor, while he kept me pinned down by straddling my waist. Another un-Sesshomaru-like thing to do … at least, what I thought was unlike him. I'm starting to wonder.

"Hey!" I screeched at him, as he inspected it, careful not to let it within reach of me.

"Hmm," he muttered to himself as he looked it over. Getting off me, he handed it back. "You're a wind demon, then."

"Okay," I said, "then what does that make you?"

"It doesn't make me anything; I am a dog demon, however."

"So, you're brother …?"

"Hanyou," he explained.

"… I see."

"So what parent do you share?" I asked.

"Our father," he told me, getting annoyed by all the probing.

"His mum is human?"

"Hai," he said, then muttered, "Baka onna."

"I heard that!"

"You would," he said with an insulting tone.

"What's that supposed to mean!"

"Nothing, I was simply stating that since you're a demon, your hearing's better than most," he clarified calmly.

"Like hell you were!"

"Umm, pardon me," came a small voice, "but Miss Kagura, there's smoke coming from the kitchen …"

"Smoke …?" Sesshomaru looked at the little girl.

"SHIT!" Before anything could come out of Sesshomaru's open mouth, I dashed out of the room and down the hall, where smoke was coming from the open kitchen.

I opened the oven as fast as I could, grabbing the smouldering hot biscuit tray and put it on the counter. I tried fanning the smoke, but I had to open the windows to give it somewhere to go.

When the kitchen was mostly aired out, I looked down at my burning hands, red raw from layers of skin being burned off.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," I continued to mutter over and over as I tried holding them under cool water, though that somehow only seemed to sting more.

Tears (oh how I hate them so) dripped from my eyes, mourning the lost flesh.

"Gods, this bloody fucking hurts," I complained to myself.

When I pulled my hands out from the constant stream of water, my poor hands looked bad, but I know it couldn't be more than a second degree burn, since I only touched the tray for a split second. Still, it was a very stupid thing to do.

Sesshomaru was right, I am I stupid woman. My vision went blurry, the pain going to my head.

Hands with markings on their wrists gently grasped mine and held them under the water, which had been slowed down to a less forceful pressure.

"Are you really that dense or just crazy?" Sesshomaru muttered near my ear. I could feel his warm breath tickling my skin. Damn him.

"Shut up," I muttered heatedly.

"I'd say crazy, since you're speaking to your boss with such a tone."

At that, I clamped my mouth shut, gritting my teeth at the pain.

OoooO

It had been a few weeks since the incident at Sesshomaru's house, and my hands were nearly back to normal. (Probably healing a little faster due to my recently discovered youkai bood.)

Though the extra money I received from working for Sesshomaru directly was nice, it wasn't enough.

I couldn't afford to keep Kanna for much longer. Her school costs, the food, clothes … it was all getting too much.

So a little over a week ago Kanna moved in with a friend. Her mother was nice, and thought it was amazing I'd raised Kanna for so long. Even though we talked about this arrangement like it was on temporary, all of us knew it was pretty much permanent.

I felt horrible, leaving my sister, whom I had loved for so long, in the care of someone else, but there was no other way.

Sesshomaru's daughter, Rin, grew on me terribly. It was not long after I'd started taking watching over her that she started calling me "Oka-chan." I wasn't sure how Sesshomaru felt about it, but I thought it was quite cute and didn't stop her.

OoooO

"Oka-chan! Look what I found!" Rin held up a beetle, which she had picked up a little ways away.

"Uh, that's lovely, Rin …" I glanced at Sesshomaru, who sat on the bench next to me, reading a book with its jacket taken off (no doubt another smutty romance novel).

He looked at the bug in Rin's hand for a second, before returning back to his book.

"Sessh-o?"

He shot a glare my way.

"Wha'cha readin'?" I leant over, resting on his shoulder so I could read what he was reading.

"Her heat beat faster and faster," I read aloud, "as Yuki sucked on her supple breast, while his hand wandered lower and lower.

'Oh Yuki, my love!' she screamed, 'Take me now!'

'Are you sure, Kiko, darling? Is this what you want?'

'Yes! Yes! It's all I want!' And with that he plun—"

Sesshomaru had snapped the book shut, looking down at me, still resting on his strong shoulder. "Is that really necessary?" he asked, indignant.

I shrugged, reading the title. "'The Dance of the Wildflowers,'" it said in English. "If that isn't kinky," I muttered. I smirked up at him. "Y'know," I continued, "you really are one of a kind."

"I could say the same to you …," he replied, with a hint of something in his voice, though it was not an insult. He looked at me, taking all of me in, with wide, tawny-coloured eyes.

I could loose myself in those eyes. And sometimes, I did. And when that happened, I never wanted to find my way out.

Ta da.

How'd you like it? Please review!

Ramune – A fizzy, Japanese drink

Hanyou – Half demon

Hai – Yes

Baka Onna – Stupid woman

Oka-chan/Oka-san – Mother (the speaker's mother)

Youkai – Demon

Did I use any other words that might be unfamiliar:Can't remember:

I hoped you enjoyed this. :Bows: I stayed up late to finish this up for you. :Passes out biscuits: Don't worry, Kagura-san didn't bake them. :Laugh: