Hello again minnasan, this is Ms. Vegita-dias here with yet another chapter (and it actually didn't take me too long either). I know you guys were probably confused by my previous chapter, especially with the whole Father Time and Mother Earth, but don't worry all will be explained, I'm just adding some mystery and tying the past in with the present. Sorry if I confused anyone. For those of you who are pissed at Sesshy for "distracting" Kagura, don't worry 'cause it won't happen again. If you were upset at reading it then think about how I fell when I typed it (ah, how I do everything for angst mwahahahahaahaha *cough* ahem). I didn't get as many reviews for the last chapter as I thought I would, but that's ok cause I still love you guys for the support, I'm more worried that I'm scaring people off with my weird writing. Also, if there are some grammatical errors, its because my Beta hasn't finished fixing this chapter yet and I'm a selfish person who is so impatient that I just had to get this particular chapter out quickly (and no, I'm not saying that my Beta is bad, she's very good in fact.)
I was asked (in a way) why Sesshoumaru is so perverted. Well to explain that, I put hints of his childhood in. He was a very introverted child, as you may have guessed, and he wasn't-and still isn't- too fond of people touching him. I guess you could say that he was somewhat afraid of being hurt as a child, so he tends to have a more sensual humor when it comes to making contact because in his mind that's the best way to avoid pain. Am I making sense? His experiences with his "beloved" wife have also played a part in shaping his personality and-with the exception of Rin touching him in his sleep- he will always be the first one to initiate physical contact if it is so desired on his part. However, it doesn't mean he always likes it.
The short way of explaining why he's such a hentai is to say that he likes shocking Rin because she's fun to "play" with. For the sake of romance, let's just say that she's the true friend he never had.
Now for the thanks: aishiteru-inu (you always give me so much support and I thank you for putting up with me. Glad you liked
Sesshy's flirting, I had fun writng it), LuneTigre, Haruya (you give me wonderful support, and don't worry about me getting irritated
with you, it's quite alright to threaten me in a positive way sometimes), Countissa, IceSugarHigh (that's the first time I ever got a
poem as a review, and I'm so slow that I'm not the best at interpreting poetry, but I will tell you that I was able to draw a definite line
between the poem, and the love triangle between Kagura, Seshoumaru, and Rin . Indeed, what is love?), CometsChaos, Mistuki-
kun (Thanks for not being offended and also thank you for correcting my mistake. I haven't been in Japanese Class for two years
and it shows because I don't really have anyone to practice with me), Rayearthaan, Third-Reincarnation (Glad you like the way
my characters think, it is a bit twisted isn't it, but it's so much more fun that way. Don't hate me cause I'm evil *winks*),
antisocialmint (better late than never, I'm glad to hear from you), Tsume Yamagata, Sayori-chan, lady scorpio (welcome to the
fold my child, hehehe, just kidding. I'm glad you decided to read and hope you don't get too freaked out. It makes me so happy
when you guys say you love how I write), friendlyreader, Rin-chan (I will be sure to check out your story. I agree, Lala Land is so
much fun, that's the magical place where I come up with this fic so I'm not complaining. It's perfect for us artists turned writers and
considering drawing some fanart to go with this story), Wakadori Ramen (You go by another name now, but thank you for fixing
I am seriously the grammatical errors of this lowly authoress and for putting up with any irriation I may have caused), Peanut
Gallery – Alaska's Own (Author: "Who wants to see Kagura get beat?!" Chorus: "I do, I do!!" Author: "Then just read a little
ways down this chapter for a partial beat down, hehehe.")
Disclaimer: This young girl, she went home then, she found she didn't own. With a knick-knack patty-whack give Sess a bone this
young girl went rolling home. In other words, I don't own Inuyasha *sob*
Thread Bound
Chapter Eight
The First Meeting"Hmph," said the Pompous Peacock and he escorted the dove into his home.
"What's wrong, sir?" ask the Demure Dove.
"Not that it's any of you business mind you, but it would seem that the Cackling Crow had put in an appearance?"
"Who is that sir," asked the innocent dove.
"My fiancé, not that it's important, she must be quite angry at me for letting you in where none were allowed before."
"I shall go and talk to her then, perhaps she will not mind me so much."
"Not that I really want to tell you, but she is more likely to rip your lovely feathers out, my little dove."
"Your little dove? My lovely feathers? I have not heard such talk from you before sir. Why now do you say such things, my lord?"
He gave an irritated "hmph" and did not answer, opting instead to spread a large wing over her, hiding the dove from view.
"What is this that you do now sir? I will not be able to meet your love this way, for she will not find me, not at all, not at all."
"Hush now foolish dove, not that you need to know everything, but I am hiding you from her wrath. And also none of your business, is the fact that I shall never love her."
"Why, may I ask sir?"
"Hmph, not that it's important but I've taken a liking to you. So just a little longer…"
"Just a little longer?"
Yes, just a little longer-don't let this get to your head-I want to keep you a secret."
"You want me to stay by your side?
"Perhaps…not that it's important," he said quickly.
"Understood sir," replied the dove with a smile upon her face
* * * * * * * * * *
Sesshoumaru experienced a moment of shock followed by panic when he saw Kagura standing next to Rin in the middle of his living room. Briefly he wondered if either of them knew what the others relationship to him was and, if so, was World War III about to erupt in his house? Quickly, he exorcized any and all emotion from his face, something that wasn't very hard since his emotions tended to waver between indifference and anger. Then again, that made it all the more illogical when he considered the things he "felt" whenever a certain young woman was around.
They were in the process of sizing each other up when he spoke, setting the rising tension on a bearable level before things got out of hand. Two pairs of eyes turned to look at him, one the soft color chocolate while the others were an almost piercing red-hazel shade. Unbidden, his author's mind made an analogy of an angel standing next to a demon, one looking up with hope as her companion waited for him to descend into her waiting mouth. How, he wondered, could two people of the same gender be so vastly different in both their personalities and heart condition?
His wife's eyes narrowed, and she moved to intercept him the moment his feet hit the polished wooden floor.
Suprisingly, it was he who spoke first, "again I ask you, Kagura, why are here? Do you want a repeat of last night? Or are you so indecisive that you turned around and decided with the infinitesimal speck of love in that shriveled, twisted heart of your, to set me free?"
She gave him an ugly look before glancing over at Rin who was watching the two of them in shock. Calmly she said, "this is not a conversation for commoners to hear, coward. Send her away, I tire of her pitiful presence."
Rin frowned and opened her mouth to say something, but the "don't argue with her" look that Sesshoumaru shot her was enough to earn a nod from the younger woman before she gathered up her supplies and said quietly, obviously struggling to be patient with his arrogant wife, "I will be in the dining room if either or you need me. Let me know when I can come in and finish Mr. Toyotomi."
"I'll do that, Ms. Hattori," he replied, wishing that he could speed up her movement with his eyes alone before the truth about Kagura and him came out.
The door to the next room closed behind her and he turned to face his partner. "Must you drive everyone around me away?"
"Do you want our "family affairs" to be known by persons who have no business in them? Besides, she's just a girl and so obviously not your type judging by her clothes, that horrid hair, and disgustingly uneducated tongue."
He refrained from saying that he would prefer Rin's hair over hers any day. Though even he had to admit that her wardrobe was somewhat lacking. I could probably fix that given the right amount of time he mused quietly. There were many things he planned on changing for her and making sure she was paid for her services in his household. He didn't mind Rin's sometimes saucy tongue because he also knew that the sweetest things could come from such an innocent mouth, though he had yet to really hear any because his mercurial nature tended to get the best of him sometimes. Who am I kidding, I just like to see her pissed he stifled the evil grin that automatically came when he thought of baiting Rin.
For now though, he would hear his wife out. Learn what else she wanted from him and why she insisted on torturing him. Actually, he just considered her to be a sadist because why else would she suffer with him, if you could call it that.
"Now then, honey, let's get down to business."
* * * * * * * * * *
Rin fought against the feeling of being rejected, as she carefully dusted around a massive vase that had to be at least a hundred years old. Though he had opted for a more western style house, inside he had a ton of antiques. Nothing seemed to be less than a hundred years old with the exception of furniture. At least that's something that we both have in common she thought, trying to look on the bright side of things. She had always been unusually fascinated with tales of feudal Japan and legends of the monsters that were said to roam the earth back then. Sometimes she even had very vivid dreams of being there, dressed in a beautiful kimono. They were always very strange though, because it seemed as if something or someone was missing from those dreams. In fact, she hadn't had one ever since she met Sesshoumaru even though, before, it had gotten to the point where she was having them every night.
"Leave it to me have a crush on a guy who has a girlfriend as beautiful as that," she muttered crossly, putting extra strength behind the movement of her dust cloth over the surface of the mantle above his fireplace. I've only known him for what…all of four or five days and here I am, acting jealous over a pretty, stylish, sophisticated woman who obviously knows him very well and spent the night with him without feeling a bit ashamed about it. She was telling herself to be calm but her scrubbing got all the more violent the more she thought of that woman, with her sneering and patronizing. How dare she talk at me, and look at me as if I'm nothing more than a simpleton, just the dirt beneath her feet and trash to be thrown away. And how dare he not defend me when he's the one who had me come over here and he's the idiot who tried to kill himself. He never would have met me if he weren't so stupid. She increased the pressure on the rag until her hand slipped and flew into a vase that she hadn't noticed before.
In slow motion, she watched as the priceless decoration toppled from its position and fell for a seemingly endless amount of time before shattering quite audibly on the floor, making her jump with the intrusion of such a loud sound into the silence of this house.
Rin stared at the ruined vase, hands covering her mouth to keep herself from screaming in frustration and in seconds the door flew open with an audible bang. Gradually, she turned to face accusing red eyes, flared nostrils, and tightly compressed lips, for a second she thought that Akuma himself couldn't be scarier. In other words, Sesshoumaru's girlfriend was not pleased. The object of her rants appeared behind the peeved woman and looked upon the scene with impassive gold eyes, staring at the broken antique and following the invisible line of blame to meet her eyes.
"I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," she didn't get a chance to finish because the business woman marched over to her spot at the mantle, hauled back a hand tipped with acrylic claws, and brought it down hard on the side of her face with enough force to scratch the pale skin, drawing a thin line of blood.
She felt it, and her apologetic demeanor was subsumed by her anger. What right did this stranger have to hit her?! The thin hand finished it's course and her rival smiled coldly at her, daring her to say anything. She saw it as a challenge from the woman who dared to look down on her. For the second time within seconds, the sound of flesh hitting flesh filled the air and this time Kagura stumbled back, looking shocked.
Rin shook the hand that she had used to punch Kagura before setting her hands on her hips and saying in a firm voice, "you fight like a girl."
A quiet chuckle caught their ears and they turned as one to see Sesshoumaru leaning against the doorway, eyes clearly amused as his shoulders shook in quiet laughter.
The dazed expression on Kagura's face suggested that what they were seeing miraculous, then again, it could have just been that she wasn't used to getting punched out by the people she liked to walk on.
"I think that you just might have received your cue to leave," he said quietly.
"Don't you dare laugh at me, coward," she hissed, elbowing Rin out of the way. "And you," she turned on her, "don't think that I will allow you to get away with this."
"Any why shouldn't I? You hit me first, so there's absolutely no reason why I shouldn't hit back," she said with the simple logic that only children seemed to possess nowadays.
"Sesshoumaru, you will make this child pay for ruining that priceless vase. What's yours is mine, remember?"
She bristled at the order in this woman's voice, but kept silent as her employer nodded. She somehow got the distinct impression that he could care less about the whole situation.
His girlfriend apparently thought the same thing because she past him stormed back through the doorway followed by the slamming of the front door.
The tense atmosphere vanished with Kagura's departure, taking her courage with it and she sank down to her knees slowly, cradling the side of her face with one hand, before pulling it away to stare at the blood in amazement.
Sensing a presence behind her, she turned to look up at concerned golden eyes, which grew larger in her field of vision as he kneeled down next to her, pulling her hand away from her face.
"Foolish child, 'you fight like a girl?' What kind of thing is that to say when you are the same gender as her. Is there something about you that I don't know about, hmmm?" he repeated her words, doing his trademark eyebrow quirk that she was coming to associate with amusement on his part.
"Jerk," she swatted his shoulder, "I was just telling her that she's a weakling. Besides, only girls get into slapping fights."
"And what are you, then," he said with a tiny smile.
I love his smile she thought before smiling back widely and saying in a lofty tone, "well, I'm special."
"Special is right."
"What?"
"You are very special in the head," he said before tapping her lightly on the temple.
She flushed in embarrassment and anger as she got his meaning, before turning away with a tiny "hmph."
"Then again, that was the first time I've seen anyone stand up to Kagura when she gets physical. I wish I had a camera because it isn't everyday you see someone like her with that idiotic expression on her face."
His words reminded her of what she wanted to ask earlier. "That woman, who is she? She…she said…that you and her…had…um…" she blushed deeply.
"Slept together?"
Rin nodded.
"Hmm, that did happen. But as for her, let's just say that she is the person I hate most."
"You…you don't have to cover for her. I mean…I understand because she's so pretty and all but…but…"
"There are no buts Rin, in the world of adults people do things to protect what they value. That's how it was with Kagura last night. I can honestly say that I hate her from the bottom of my gaping soul. How's that? Feel better now that you don't have any contest for my attention?"
If possible, her blush got even deeper and she shook her head vigorously. "No it's not like that…um what exactly were you protecting?"
"That cut looks nasty, we might have to do surgery on it," the change in subject was so quick that she nearly missed the joking tone in his voice as he traced a soft finger over her cut.
"Let's get you cleaned up, little Miss Hattori. Maybe we can play doctor and nurse. I'll even take your temperature among other things," his voice took on that purring tone again and she got the feeling that he had just said something perverted.
"But what about the glass, I have to clean it up."
He reached out a hand to touch a piece of broken glass and something on his wrist caught her attention. Before she knew it, she had reached out to grasp his hand, turning the pale appendage over to look at the fine blue veins on his wrist. It was hard to see at first because his skin was so pale.
"I hate broken glass," he quietly.
She looked at him then at the scar-no wider than half a centimeter- that traveled over the spot where his artery would be. A long slash-perpendicular to one of his vital lifelines- marring the perfection that was so integral to him. "I've tried to kill myself before", those had been his words and now she was seeing the scars of that first attempt, both physical and mental.
"Rin," there was a warning in his voice and she paid it no mind as she traced a light finger over the scar.
"Are you lonely," she asked the question that had been weighing heavily on her mind.
Sesshoumru didn't answer and she caught and held his gaze as she bent down and placed a gentle kiss on the scar, willing him to feel how much she wanted to put him back together, something that he'd never been in his entire life. Blushing at her sudden boldness, she pulled away, afraid that he would think her wanton even though she hadn't the slightest experience as far as relationships were concerned.
Instead his eyes darkened in color, so many emotions flitting through at once that they were unreadable. His breathing slowed and he bent down close to her face. Her eyes drifting in a mixture of trust and fear as she waited for him, feeling the softness of his breath over her face.
* * * * * * * * * *
Am I evil for stopping it here? Wanna know what happens next? Wait for the next chapter my friends. Mwahahahaahahahahahaha Oh, and please review if you hate me right now or like my story. Hehehe