White Dogs: Perversity.
Rating: PG-13. R, to be safe for some parts.
Pairing: Sess/Kag… err, well, not quite yet. The two aren't being willing participants. Though, Sesshy seems interested.
Song-fic: Under Pressure by Queen staring David Bowie. Happy me, happy me.
Disclaimer: ::rolls eyes upward.:: Oh, that I were the one who had created Inuyasha that I had given life to Sesshoumaru. But alas, I cannot claim anything at all. For I was not the one to do the creating merely the one to envy the creator. Translation: I own..::checks stock:: two pieces of lint and a monkey. Nothing more. I wonder where the third piece of lint went to?…::we switch scenes to see a piece of lint, obviously the runaway one, having a snog-fest with a dust bunny.:: …!!!::pales:: I didn't want to know that bad!!
Summary: Kagome believes Shippou, and things get just peachy keen from there. Then of course, Shippou starts to get all Cupid-y, obviously having read way too much 'Matchmaker One-on-One' in his life. And what is in Sesshoumaru's pretty head? Let's find out, shall we?
Genre: Everything left of the middle. But count on some comical relief. I can't write a good, complete uninterrupted angst-drama to save my sorry existence.
A.N.: So, let's recap shall we? Denial is most likely not some river in Egypt…and for some odd reason, probably because I just wanted to play up the drama since I'm such a Drama Queen… but that is irrelevant. As I was saying, Kagome's a pretty doubtful thing no? Oh well, we'll deal with that in this chapter…
Anyways…Beware the tears…and sap…and drama…and, well, you get the idea.
And I was watching Mimic which is by the way a cool movie even if there are some scenes that will make even the toughest of stomachs heave. Mine heaved. And I have a very strong constitution. But yeah, good Movie. Just felt like sharing that with you. And I stayed up all night, and I'm feeling very queasy…in a good way. Hyper, hyper, hyper me. Yup. I chose the song Under Pressure since it fit this chapter well, and it can conform to whatever way you want to take it. Pay attention to the lyrics and you'll see what I mean.
All right, matter of Important Business. Eden, yes I mean you. You have a prize to pick up. Since you were the one to guess the closest as to why Sesshou's beastie sword was acting up you get a one-shot from me. Any pairing you wish, any genre, any rating and so on. Anytime you want it. Tell me what you want in a review or something of the like.
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"Nothing that grieves us can be called little: by the eternal laws of proportion a child's loss of a doll and a king's loss of a crown are events of the same size…"
-Mark Twain.
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Perverse: Marked by a disposition to oppose and contradict. Resistance to guidance or discipline. Marked by immorality; deviation from what is good, right or proper.
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Chapter Nine: Reconciliation.
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"Pressure, pushing down an me
Pressing down on you no man asked for
Under pressure
That burns a building down
Splits a family in two
Puts people on the streets
Bah bah bah bah bah bah
Bah bah bah bah bah bah
That's okay!
It's the terror of knowing
What this world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming 'let me out1'
Pray tomorrow takes me higher
Pressure on People
People on streets
Do do do bah bah bah bah
Okay
Chippin' around
Kick my brains round the floor
These are the days
It never rains but it pours
People on streets
People on streets"
Sometimes strange things happen, things so abnormal your first reaction is to spurn it, to not believe it. It's just too strange to truly wrap your mind around. This is like truth in a way. First it is violently opposed, then it is ignored. And finally it is accepted as self-evident. From there it is just a matter of the person. What they will do once they've assimilated the knowledge is up to them. Whether they ignore it entirely or do something about it is their decision alone. No one can sway their minds on the matter.
Having someone you'd thought you'd left in the past- in another time- suddenly thrust upon you again after having something horrible happen to you, like say you're heart broken by someone you trusted unconditionally, or when seeking peace and comfort in the sanctity of a park only to have a breach of another kind of trust happen to you... Well, one is inclined to be uncertain of anything.
Kagome was a trusting creature simply by nature and how she was raised. She was not a normal individual even before she was encased in the arms of a caterpillar-youkai and hauled backwards in time five hundred years. From there on, weird things had seemed to become the norm. She'd fought youkai, beings with the first natural instinct that humans were food and lesser species. She'd faced their evils, knew them for what they were and accepted that as a Miko it was her lot in life to eradicate the threat to her kind and to protect the Shikon no Tama that had been sheltered within her body.
It was there in the past that she fell in love, and it was there in the past that her heart was slayed by the very person it had loved. That was one type of betrayal.
It was only natural that she sought the healing of her own time, among her family where she was known only as Kagome, beloved daughter and devoted sister. Not the reincarnation of a Miko that now walked the earth of the past dead but alive, a perverse abomination to all things holy.
This was her betrayal of her friends, abandoning them though the pain brought a slight touch of insanity to her. She promised to go back.
She trusted humanity, though she knew there were sickos out there. But to have a human being attack her out of a sadistic habit? This was a betrayal of her trust. Though she knew humans were capable of killing, she just never knew that it could happen to her.
She had been stabbed. And she was unable to do anything to stop it; her miko powers did not warn her of the threat and could not protect her from it. Kagome felt useless because of that.
But, to have the kit that you had betrayed suddenly in her time, in the same room with her….
Kagome crumpled, prisms of light catching orbs dropping from her chin to suicidal shatters against her shirt and the tile floor of the kitchen she was in. She couldn't believe him, there was no way. How could he be alive? How could he be here in the same room with her? How could he still love her after she'd abandoned him?
It's not possible, some distant monitor at the back of her mind babbled, I'm dreaming. He's not really Shippou.. can't be. I'm dreaming, that's it. Simple. This is a dream and I am going to wake up. Oh Kami. Time to wake up.
But another part of her the majority wanted for the man sitting so dejectedly before her to be who he claimed to be. She wanted it to be him so badly, it burned in her wounded heart. Felt that it would alleviate most of her guilt and this made her feel even worse, for being so selfish. Her eyes searched his, even as she reached out with her fledgling powers and tried to read who he was. It was an instinctual action on her part.
"Prove it," She said through her teeth, eyelashes fluttering against the blurring of her vision, "Please."
The young man finally truly smiled, a hopeful flash of teeth before he lifted up one hand that she now saw held a single reddish-green leaf. Small and insignificant, he'd been able to hide it from her as it was easily concealed within the curl of his fingers against the palm. At first nothing happened, but in the next instant a deep red tail, bushy and tipped with coal, suddenly melted into existence curling around his waist as though it had been there the entire span of time she'd been staring at him. The black tip twitched once; twice then he put the leaf down on the table and looked up at her, expectantly. Awaiting her judgment.
The sudden appearance of his tail made her gasp, left her staring slack jawed at him. Or more specifically at his tail.
He fiddled with the leaf again, for a moment, looked back up at her, and his jaw began to work out the words he needed to free, " I…I guess you still aren't sure? All right. Let me try something else. Do you remember when we first met? And you were abducted by the Thunder Brothers? Do you remember the last battle between Inuyasha and Hiten? I had to transform into a bow so that you could shoot an arrow…" he paused to take a breath, and the girl on the counter fought to keep calm. But with each word he spoke, she found herself knowing that he was in fact Shippou. No one had the same vibe's as her little kit, even aged as they were, nor would they have been able to know so much about their escapades. She listened on, leaning forward on her perch, slowly sliding off the veneer and toward him.
"…And then when Inuyasha had thought you and I were dead and mistook the column of my father's fox fire that had saved us to be the 'Light of the Afterlife' so to speak and Miyouga had said behold yadda yadda yadda or something like that… Or the time that we had to fight Sesshoumaru? It was just about after that that the pervert Miroku came along, and he had been poisoned when he had tried to use his Kazaana. Like the typical Miroku he played on his weakness and said that he wasn't able to take the anti-venom you'd brought so you'd have to give it to him mouth to mouth so you made me try and give it to him? Or when-"
He was cut off by Kagome's arms wrapping around him with enough strength to break several of a normal man's ribs. The chair he was sitting on rocked back from the force of her momentum as she hit him before righting itself. Without a thought he returned the favor, encasing her in his own, stronger arms gently, but tightly. Holding her close. So very close, as though she were just a dream thought would fade away.
She whimpered her 'sorry's' into his shoulder, more or less curled on his lap, most of her body settled on his legs while one pale leg was left to hang overboard. But he didn't care. He had his mother back.
The fear that she'd reject his truth was obliterated by the warmth of her embrace. Five hundred years were erased from his mind and he was just a kit again, holding onto his mother after an especially terrifying nightmare had invaded his sleep and chased him from his bed. The only thing was- his mother wasn't whispering comforts and little nothings of safety to him, it was he that was comforting her, but he, nonetheless, enjoyed the change of roles. He felt useful for once.
One hand rubbed warm circles into her back while the other smoothed her tousled raven tresses lovingly.
"I'm so sorry I didn't believe you." She shivered against him, her thin arms tightening before she drew back to look at him.
He offered her a confidant smile, "Hey, none of that. I probably would have shouted at myself then kicked myself out of my personal space if I tried to tell me I was …You know what? It's all right. I forgive you."
Those last words dropped to her ears like pearls, made her want to cry even harder, her heart nearly bursting with her relief.
Shippou pulled her back to him, not ready to let go just yet, even if the world depended on it. As far as he was concerned, said world could go jump off a nice, huge cliff. He had what he wanted and that was that. Period. End of Story. Fuck the World. Next Case.
Cloud nine could eat its fluffy little heart out. Speaking of Fluffy, Shippou shot a glance over Kagome's head at the silent taiyoukai suddenly fearing that he was choking to death from all the 'touch feely' emotions flying about helter-skelter. Sesshoumaru was never one to sit through a sob fest, at least not without doing something radical. Like say…beheading the sobbing morons, or something else of that sort. Violent. Bloody. The more the better.
Sesshoumaru had planted himself like an immoveable stature, back to them as he stared out the window at the city that flowed with frantic life below them. Completely at ease, but at the same time his stance betrayed his tense muscles.
Shippou tilted his head to the side a moment, wondering what had possibly caused the youkai lord to turn to Frosty the Snow-dog. But then, Shippou could never really read what lay behind the mask with that one. All he had was his guessing ability, and it came up short when it came to puzzling out Sesshoumaru. Even after five centuries he was no closer to understanding the Taiyoukai, even for all his knowledge on his habits.
Hmmm…well, there was also that meager matter of revealing Hitori as Sesshoumaru. How to go about that one, Shippou hadn't the faintest. Besides, he figured any plan he hatched up would be blown out of the water by the tearful little thing hugging the ever-loving-fool out of him right now, just like his little plan to tell her who he was. No, better to just fly by the seat of his pants and if things went wrong then he could hide from most of the spitfire Kagome would be sure to let fly.
Then again, he never knew with her either. She was a strange little contradiction. For all he knew she'd just smile and take Sesshoumaru's little secret in stride or she would be wary of the beast for a bit then loosen up. That was the wonderful thing about her; Kagome was a trusting sort. She couldn't hate anybody, her heart wasn't made for it. Rather, she loved nearly everyone she came across. Sure there was the Miko-bitch Kikyou and Shippou was certain Kagome did not trust her, nor did she really like her, but he didn't think for one moment Kagome harbored any hate for the dead bag of bones. Now Naraku may have been the only creature alive that Kagome hated, but that hate was more or less out of love for her friends and her compassion for them. Anyone who hurts her friends or loved ones was just asking for a holy whooping into chapter twelve of the Whoop Ass book. He liked that about Kagome. She didn't take shit from anyone lying down.
He grinned, hugging her tighter to himself before letting her go. She stepped away from him, not exactly willingly but nonetheless allowed him his space.
Shippou put away his leaf and his tail was hidden away by his illusion once more while Kagome wrapped the blanket about her waist like a wrap-around skirt, trying to reclaim her decency. There was a moment of awkward silence as each of them tried to figure out what to do next and how exactly to go about doing it. Shippou had a store-house of things he wanted to tell her about. Kagome still felt the guilty pressure on her chest but it was far more tolerable now. But, Kami, Shippou was here in her time…it was unbelievable, inconceivable to her.
Sesshoumaru had seen everything in the reflection on the glass of the window and was rather relieved the soap opera had come to an end. Hopefully there would not be an encore. If that were to happen, he most likely would fling Shippou right out of afore mentioned window with nary a second thought. Time for tea. Again. He spun elegantly away from the window, easily slipping with quiet steps across the tiled floor to the cabinet to get a cup for Kagome's tea that he had offered to her before the sob fest had begun.
Watching the two askance as they proceeded to fidget and squirm, he stifled the urge to snort. Obviously each had something on his or her mind they wanted to share yet didn't know how precisely to go about doing it. He shot a pointed look at the kitsune, strange eyes driving home the slight matter that was left now. However, Shippou was far from home. The message was left unheard. Either way…
Hitori had to get lost, so that this Sesshoumaru can come out and play, he thought, not just a little sarcastically nearly giving his eyes a roll. Though it really didn't matter to him up or down. He'd have rather enjoyed the game longer and he wished to know how long it would take the girl to realize that he was in fact Sesshoumaru and not some human artist and writer.
She'd known who he was before after she'd been introduced on a rather intimate level with a common kitchen knife. Their eyes had connected and he knew she knew who he was. Even in that one heartbeat of time, she'd seen him. Whether or not she was able to remember was another matter. From the expression on her face and the way she'd slackened near boneless in the bum's hold had denoted that she was already half past fainting. Therefore it was safe to assume that the memory was tucked away in the far reaches of her mind, barely there wiped away by unconscious's black touch
He also knew, via small peeks into her thoughts that she'd in a strange moment of dizziness had seem who he truly was. Just a moment of a flicker, then it had fled. On some level she was well aware of who he was.
She just didn't realize it yet.
So, Sesshoumaru, being the odd sort that he was, made his decision. Neither he nor Shippou would remove the mask of Hitori just yet. Curiosity was a strong trait within him, and at the moment it demanded nothing more then to have Kagome herself figure his identity out. If she was as intelligent as he perceived her to be then he would not be disappointed.
Till then, he would remain as Hitori and he'd continue with his own private agenda. Solve the mystery those smoky gray blue eyes so jealously guarded, and rid himself of his fascination with her in the same fell swoop. Or, and this was just now becoming a novel thought, claim her as his own and keep her around simply for his amusement.
She was an interesting little thing really, a spitfire in his memories yet here in the present a trusting yet lost creature. It seemed that without the driving force of her loyalty and, even more disgusting, love for his halfling partial blooded brother had left her stranded on a small isle amongst the tide of her tears.
Apparently, even some of the strongest could buckle under the weight of their love. It had been his father's downfall, his mother's as well. Therein lay his reason to regard the perverse emotion with great caution and distrust.
His gaze shifted to the woman-child standing swaddled in a bundle of clothe, barefooted on his faux marble floor and settled there upon her in intent appraisal. The way she stood, the flow of her back bone, the curving of the shirt's material over certain parts of her anatomy and the gentle sweep of her creamy-pale neck…somehow even dressed as she was, she seemed most alluring. Innocent and untouched, he knew. Make that greatly alluring. Little wonder why that wolf-twit Kouga had been so smitten with this creature before him. While she may not have been beautiful there was just a certain charm to her, a spark that captivated even he. Perhaps it was an inner glow or some such nonsense that caused her to become something of a goddess.
He felt that familiar twinge of inspiration and quite nearly cursed. Damned bloody timing it had. Inner light indeed. As long as Shippou was here, there was no way that his studio door was going to be unlocked. The kit was a nosy chit and what with his magical talent, Sesshoumaru was hard pressed to keep anything he wished to remain a secret just that. Gladly, his magic was vastly stronger then the kit's and he had more know how in that area otherwise…Well, there'd be no peace from the boy if he did find about his newest obsession. Thus the door would stay locked.
Content with that, he went about pouring her tea and refilling his own cup while he was at it with movements that were quick and proficient. None of them were wasted.
Shippou suddenly remembered that there was another in the vicinity when the Sesshoumaru statue came to life and began moving. Keeping a poker face on, he watched the taiyoukai out of the corner of his eye. Watched as the taller male allowed himself to look at Kagome a moment before going back to his tea duty. In that small moment, Shippou saw something flash through those odd green-gold eyes. Intrigue and a small dose of something deeper. Something Kagome had often watched Inuyasha with, steady in her gaze.
Though his outer visage showed no signs of it, inside he was rubbing his hands together in glee positively gleeful with this sudden turn of events. So, Sesshoumaru had some 'platonic' emotions for the girl. He either didn't realize it, or knowing him, knew what it was but was trying to find a way to get rid of it. Honestly, Shippou didn't know whether to laugh at him or pity the guy. Emotion's couldn't be stopped, couldn't be bottled up and thrown away. They could be weakened, yes, but then there'd always be stray tendrils of them left over in wait for you to fall into them once more. Obviously, Sesshoumaru hadn't been made privy to the matters of the heart. There was little surprise there. Sesshoumaru's heart was so unused that, even after Rin, the frost hadn't been totally cleared from it.
But maybe, just maybe, Kagome would be the warmth that was needed to thaw out his chest cavity. Perhaps, Sesshoumaru was just the guy needed to cool and soothe the flames of Kagome's own heart.
He glanced between them, awed in spite of himself. They were the other's balance, and they evened out perfectly. Night and day, yin and yang, Fire and Ice, her trust and his wary nature. Talk about the possibilities. And imagine what the offspring would look like.
Shippou nodded to himself, and set his mind to the task he was about to under take. After all, one didn't just go off and start fucking around with Cupid's arrows without a good plan or an attack strategy. Oh, and escape tactics. Mustn't forget that. Wouldn't want to be skinned alive, now would he? Somehow, the mental image of his pelt on Sesshoumaru's floor (not unlike a rug) failed to appeal to him.
It didn't seem to him that Sesshoumaru was going to give Kagome his true identity, so Shippou figured he wouldn't either. Besides, if Kagome fell in love with Hitori then when he was unmasked would she not still love him, questionable past tendencies and all? Shippou had learned to care for the taiyoukai, so why not love from Kagome?
Shippou resisted the urge to sigh; he had his work cut out for him…
While Shippou schemed, Kagome had wiped away the last salty droplets feling the sticky sensation of her drying cheeks, suddenly much lighter then she'd been before. The weight of what could very well have been the world had vanished from her shoulders and giving her lings the freedom to breathe without restrictions and her spine to relax from it's bowed position. Relief washed through her in cool waves.
Her mind rippled over the new made memories of what had just transpired and she couldn't help but shake her head in wonder. It had all happened so swiftly.
How was she to look upon this? In the last seventy-two hours, Kagome had made the hardest decision in her young, tender life. Ripping her heart from her chest then leaving her second family to recoup in her rightful time… all that had left her with a rent in her chest that she thought would never close. Then, she'd been brutally attacked by what could be considered the true filth of human kind, a sadistic predator out for blood. Only to have what was most likely the angel of man kind, a complete stranger had deemed her life worthy to save from Death's hold for she would have surely died then and there, alone in that abandoned section of the park. And finally, her strange savior was a friend of someone she'd though she'd left behind.
She felt dazed, a little light headed. There was something else, she knew, something important. Something that had happened in the park. But why couldn't she remember. Her heart felt she should, but each time her mind reached for the tiny threads that she was sure lead to the truth they wisped out of her reach, curled about her mind teasingly, and were gone. It was frustrating to say the least.
Finally, her lightheadedness got the better of her as she felt gravity press down on her chest, rocking her forward before reflexes shifted her back to standing strait. Warm blue-gray eyes squinted, still a tad clouded with thoughts. She put an arm out to steady herself, hand meeting the counter behind her and gripping its edge. What was she forgetting?
What?
Sesshoumaru's liquid green-gold orbs tracked the slight movement and his head swiveled to inspect the source. Kagome, even with her hand lending extra support to her swaying from could not fight the effects of what he recognized as blood loss. He should have known better then to allow her to stand for so long; her body required rest to regain its life fluid. The tea cups twinkled merrily as he set them down on the counter, his body already moving towards her willowy frame.
Her eyes were distant, a dull sheen cast over them turning them into a misty blue-gray. Coal lashes fluttered like the wings of a broken butterfly, before they shut completely hiding those dazed eyes, her body swaying once again.
His astute observation was: "You should be in bed, Kagome-san."
The girl had little time to react as he'd already swooped down upon her, scooping her slim body into his arms and starting down the dimly lit passage that lead to his room. Her arms had wound themselves about his neck in her startled surprise as she was held aloft. She didn't notice how the action further pressed her soft curves against him, molding the pliant flesh to solid plains of sleek muscle. He did.
"Wait, I can handle it. I'm not weak or anything, I'm okay." She protested, eyes wide with the conviction that she was indeed fine.
He nearly snorted, but settled for a sardonic twist of the lips. "Liar. And whoever said that you were weak? I am merely reinforcing your body's need for rest. Yet you seem so intent on ignoring it."
She glared at him, eyes spitting fire. "And just what is that supposed to mean?"
The muscles in her arms coiled further, he felt it beneath the shirt's woven clothe. Perhaps she entertained the thought of throttling him.
He said, "It means that I am taking you back to bed, and you will stay there. End of discussion. I shall bring you some tea and a bit of breakfast later." The doorway was a golden halo of light ahead of him, even as the death rays in her eyes dug into his flesh.
Once again, Kagome found the proverbial rug hauled out from under her conversational feet at the sudden change of subject and wondered how he was able to unbalance her so quickly and easily. It was almost unnerving. He was almost unnerving. Yet, there was something about him that made her put faith in him. She didn't think it had much to do with him saving her life. Anyone can save a person's life. No, it was something else. A feeling or some other instinct that had her figuratively reaching out to him, letting her trust in him, not fully but enough that she wasn't screaming her lungs out in his arms. Perhaps this was what had her so uneasy.
Neither noticed the impish grin on a certain Kitsune's face. Or even the little happy squirm he performed, apparently trying to do a jig while still seated and not gain any attention to his odd antics. He watched the spectacle as it was carried on down the hall before both figures were devoured by the light their little spat still tickling his ears. My job may not be as hard I had originally thought after all.
"It's the terror of knowingWhat this world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming 'let me out!'
Pray tomorrow takes me higher higher higher
Pressure on people
People on streets
Turned away from it all
Like a blind man
Sat on a fence but it don't work
Keep coming up with love
But it's so slashed and torn
Why why why?
Love love love love
Insanity laughs under pressure we're cracking
Can't we give ourselves one more chance?
Why can't we give love that one more chance?
Why can't we give love give love give love?
Give love give love give love give love give love?
Cause love's such an old fashioned word
And love dares you to care
For people on the edge of the night
And love dares you to change our way
Of caring about ourselves
This is our last dance
This is our last dance
This is ourselves under pressure
Under pressure pressure."
Under Pressure – Queen and David Bowie.
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