Before I say anything else, I have a story for every one. Once upon a time- this morning to be exact- an aspiring artist/authoress woke up and decided to add more to her fanfiction. She was very happy because her beautiful Samurai Deeper Kyo Artbook finally arrived in the mail and she was close to getting 100 reviews on her chapter. She sang a little song as she typed happily away. Unfortunately, she was surrounded by dragons and demons of a fearful sort. Before long they began to envy the happy time she spent at her computer and they plotted against her. Without much ado, they dragged her away from her computer and made her slave for the rest of the day. Well after nightfall, they released her and gave her a few moment to herself to at least update. She smiled and typed just a little bit more. The End.
Thank you everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Since I am short on time right now I will save my list of "thank you" s for the next chapter. For those of you who are wondering why this chapter isn't nearly long enough or why it seems rushed, see the above story. Hopefully I'll get to write more since I'm fast approaching the 100th Review mark.
Disclaimers: I don't own (I can't believe I've been forgetting this)
Note: Because this is a fanfiction, I can't completely avoid all clichés so yes, most of you guessed right about who Sesshopumaru's mystery chick is.
Another note: Female Black Widow spiders eat their husbands, hence their name.
Thread Bound
Chapter Six
The Rival
"Come closer, dear," Mrs. Widow said, beckoning to her husband.
"Yes, love?" Mr. Widow replied, a smile upon his face.
"My dear, my dear, how do you feel?" she asked, pulling him ever closer.
"I'm fine; quite fine, my love," he returned as he followed where she led.
"Oh wonderful then, my dear, for I was feeling quite hungry today," Mrs. Widow said with a smile that held more teeth than her dear husband's held.
"Hungry, you say? Then let me make you something, love," he said, still smiling happily.
"Oh no, I have a meal right here—a scrumptious, wonderful meal, dear." She pulled him even closer and tenderly kissed his cheek.
"Really, love? What could it be? I'd love to have a taste."
"Afraid not dear, for this meal is mine and mine alone to enjoy. You just have to stand still." Her smile grew ever wider, 'til she nibbled 'pon his ear.
"Ah, that tickles, love. I really must say I could eat you up with love," said the innocent Mr. Widow.
"The things you say make you sound so scrumptious, my dear," his wife replied. "Now be a dear and pass the salt; I do wish to enjoy the meal."
"Of course, of course, my love, how thoughtless I am. But wait. Where is this meal of yours? Is it the fly in the pantry…; the mosquito in the closet?"
She bit him ever more firmly. "Oh no, my dear, something so much better: a tall something, though not as tall as I am."
So deep in thought was he that he didn't notice that his ear was gone. "Is it a sweet something…; a funny something?"
"Oh yes, his words are sweet and so is he, as I've just discovered, dear. He's so very funny because he's so oblivious; I think I shall quite enjoy him."
He slowly blinked and there went another ear, followed by a leg.
"Is it a wonderful something…; something you would eat again, love?"
"I'm afraid this is a one-time thing, dear, though I must admit that this is indeed the greatest meal," she replied through a mouthful of his leg.
"Will there be any left for me, love, anything at all of this wonderful meal?"
She started on his body, eating bit by bit, and shook her head, smiling ever so sweetly.
He thought long and hard as she ate, and then thought nothing at all, for Mrs. Widow finished her meal and sat back to lick her chops.
"I loved you, dear; you truly were the greatest meal. Alas, I must admit to you that your trust did sour me a pinch. Perhaps you learned in the end not to love me so, for never did you realize, my poor, foolish dear that a Widow must live up her name."
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Sesshoumaru watched Kagura's every move as she crossed the threshold of his house and remembered a time when she had hypnotized him with the sway of her hips and those legs that were still so shapely. She was also generously endowed, and he hated to admit that he had enjoyed even that facet when he was younger. The "foolishness of youth" was an apt description of how he acted when first they'd met.
Kagura was still a very imposing woman, and of that he was sure because his living room, as grand as it was, seemed to shrink with just her very presence. Hazel eyes that nearly resembled the color of blood turned to him, and with a tone that automatically turned any request into a command, she asked, "Won't you get me a seat…?"
It was a small thing Kagura asked of Sesshoumaru. Yet, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck rising because both he and Kagura knew exactly what word she had refrained from calling him—a simple word that he had come to hate because she used it so often.
Long, slender fingers glided across strands of midnight colored hair, effectively drawing his eyes after them, before coming to rest on a pale, perfect cheek, which Kagura tapped lightly as a familiar sign that something amused her. Red lips twisted into her version of a smile and she said quietly, "I see your manners have not improved in the time we've been apart, my dear, sweet coward. Have you nothing to say to your lovely wife after so long?"
Sesshoumaru was busy trying to figure out what she found to be so funny; thus, the sudden intrusion of her voice into the intense silence startled him. A tiny blink was the only reaction he had, and still she smiled, having read him so easily. He suppressed an annoyed growl—he knew she was playing one of her mind games with him.
"I would prefer that you not refer to yourself as such. I did divorce you after all, Kagura."
"Pay attention to your words, honey." Kagura made the endearment sound like something obscene. "I want to remind you that I haven't signed any papers yet, so we're still together legally. I was quite surprised, though, to find out that my beautiful, wealthy, famous, cowardly husband had tried to kill himself. I believe that this is the most pathetic thing you've ever done." She threw him a sarcastic laugh and reached forward to stroke his head, as if he were a little dog whose sole existence was for her amusement.
Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he brushed her hand away. "I did not give you permission to touch me, Kagura. Why don't you save your caresses for one of your other lovers?"
"Because it's ever more fun to torture you, love." Kagura ran a long nail down the side of his face—a step away from scratching him. "Besides," she continued, "none of them could ever match you. None were ever the prize that you were…and still are."
"So, in other words, you came because you were scared."
"Scared." Kagura raised a brow.
"Yes, you were afraid that I would die without leaving you anything. After all, the only reason you can live so comfortably is because we share an account and you have me to leech from."
"Love, do me a favor: don't put me in the same category as you." Kagura sauntered closer, lightly nipping his ear. "And don't ever assume that you have an edge on me. Never forget that the reason why you can write those silly books is that I introduced you to some of my…friends. I could easily decide that you no longer interest me, and your career would go down the drain like that." Her point was emphasized with the snap of her fingers.
Sesshoumaru pushed her away, struggling to control his anger. Control, control…that's all he needed when dealing with her. That was easier said than done because she knew exactly what buttons to push to make him lose his control. In fact, she was the first person who'd ever made him lose control and it hurt.
Thin arms encircled his waist and Kagura pressed her tall frame against him, whispering quietly, "Do not force my hand away Sesshoumaru, it's so much easier to play. After all, I taught you everything you know about the game of life…Actually, I hear you're even teaching someone else how to play our game, a certain girl who claimed to be you girlfriend…, the same girl who stopped your foolishness."
"How did you…?"
"I have my ways, honey. Let's leave it at that. I would, however, like to meet this girl who could make you cheat on your wife. I must thank the child for saving my husband from his fear and stupidity."
"That's quite alright," Sesshoumaru replied, forcing his mind not to take hold of the doubt that she was trying to sow within him. "I'm afraid that the girl suffers from minor delusions, and I have severed all ties with her beyond the hospital doors. You are out of luck, if you want to do anything to her."
Kagura narrowed her blood colored eyes at him and tapped his chin with a thin finger. "You're lying for her, sweetie, and I can smell it. But, I'll let that go. I will find the girl soon enough and determine for myself how far into the game she is."
"Believe what you want," Sesshoumaru said with a neutral voice, refraining from asking the question that was foremost in his mind.
"Oh, so you don't care for the girl? Maybe you won't mind me telling you what I plan to do with her, then: If she gets to close, then I'm afraid that I just might have to cut her threads. I can't have other women pursuing my Sesshoumaru."
Sesshoumaru knew very well that she would continue to press him about Rin until he gave something away, so he opted to distract her the only way he knew how, distasteful as it was. He rested his hand upon her shoulders, following them with his lips. "Let's not talk about this anymore." He knew he sounded pathetic, and he didn't care. Her skin was soft against his lips.
"You're trying to distract me, honey."
"Yes, I am," Sesshoumaru replied honestly, and knew that she wanted to hear that small bit of honesty.
As much as Kagura hated to admit it, he was her only weakness because they were so very much alike deep down, and he urged her silently to submit this once to her weak point.
There were so many things that Kagura'd forced from Sesshoumaru in the past, and just this once did he want to keep something for himself; he wanted to know that Rin's smile, her honesty, and her unexpected light were unknown an untarnished by this woman in his arms. Was it selfish to want something or someone for oneself alone?
Kagura pressed a kiss to his lips and murmured, "I'll let you distract me then, and maybe I'll even consider signing those divorce papers that are collecting dust."
Maybe, just maybe he could kill two birds with one stone: protect Rin, and free himself form this woman.
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"So, what happened after you left, Rin? Did my idiot brother hurt you at all?"
Rin winced at how loud Inu-yasha's voice was before she steadily replied, "Calm down, Inu-yasha. Except for the fact that he's a hopeless flirt, I'm fine, really. I kinda' like him, in fact."
Inu-yasha's snort from the other end of the phone was very audible, "'Like him' my butt! That idiot doesn't care for anyone but himself. My suggestion for you is to just stay away, or else he'll break your foolish heart. And another thing—what was that bull crap you two spouted off earlier about being a couple?! 'Gome tells me that you didn't even know each other before he tried to kill himself, and there isn't a single person who likes him once they get to know him. Are you on drugs or something?"
Rin mustered up her patience and slowly counted to three before saying calmly, "Firstly, I'm not on drugs, and I'll be tempted to send you on a trip to the dentist next time you say anything of the sort. Secondly, no, we aren't a couple, but he can be very, um, persuasive when he wants to be."
"He didn't touch you in the wrong way did he? He can be such a perv sometimes."
I know, Rin voiced in her head. "No, he didn't do anything to me." Well, not anything that I can really tell you about.
Inu-yasha heaved a heavy sigh, and Rin heard a baby cry in the background followed by Kagome's sharp voice, telling him to get his tail over there and help with Taro.
"I have to go now, Rin, but please stay away from him, okay?"
"I can't do that. Kagome turned over her job of cleaning his
house to me."
"What?! That baka onna! Kagome!"
Inu-yasha's yelling was cut off with a click, and Rin winced, pitying poor Kagome. Actually, she pitied Inu-yasha more because his wife wasn't one to take crap from anyone, especially her rude husband. She giggled. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that those two were made for each other.
I wonder if I'll ever find someone, she wondered briefly, and a picture of Sesshoumaru's smirking face rose up to meet her. There's no way in heck that I like that self-centered, sarcastic, arrogant, fascinating, clever, handsome man. She grumbled quietly about her brain being her worst enemy, having him smack dab in the center all the time. Okay, so maybe I like him a little bit, but we barely know each other. Besides, he says I'm ugly, so he'll definitely want someone glamorous and witty, not an earthling like me. She briefly pictured Sesshoumaru in one of those old space animes, wearing makeup and a shiny cape while saying "Take me to your leader" or "I'll send you to the next dimension." She busted with such harsh laughter at the thought that tears came down.
Maybe I am addicted to a certain drug with long, silver hair, eyes like gold, and a tongue that could flay the skin off a horse's back. If that's the case, then I don't want to be free.
Filled with inspiration, Rin grabbed up a pencil and paper and she pictured the way he had looked earlier today as she left, that almost wistful look that she was sure she'd only imagined. With meticulous care, she crafted the clean lines of his face and those intense eyes. It was nearly dark outside by the time she finished, and she lay back on the bed to look at the finished project, holding the sketch above her head.
It was on okay picture, she supposed, but what surprised her was the fact that she had his features so thoroughly analyzed in such a short amount of time. As if she'd know him from a long time ago. She closed her eyes, feeling the pull of sleep, and drifted off to pictures of what he would have looked like as a lord in Feudal Japan.
I would have liked to be his princess, was her last thought, and her lips crept upward into a smile.
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Please review, I really need it right now. *smile*