A/N: Part two of three. WEEE! This is really really exciting…just a warning…PLOT TWIST! I mean…:whistles innocently:
Katsuchan: hehehe :grins evill:
I now present Part 2 of 3 of Chapter four!
ENJOY!
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Sesshoumaru blinked stoically as he noticed, after taking a long sip from his shot glass, that it was empty. He stared at the bottom, blinking, slightly surprised.
No matter, he thought, as he tossed it aside, not caring about the sharp racket it made, even though it reached his sensitive ears 20 times stronger than anyone else at the bar. It wasn't like as if it was having any effect on me…
He pushed his way past the foul smelling crowd. Humans EVERYWHERE! And if he couldn't see them, he could smell them, their scent invading his nose. He only loved one human…come to think of it she was probably the only thing he ever loved…
Rin…he thought, and all of the sudden he could see her before him, her big brown eyes, her melodious voice, calling to him, her thin arms open, ready to receive him.
No…he thought as the image vanished into thin air. Now he was left facing the old, slimy brick wall of an alleyway. Hmmm…he thought groggily, and kept on walking, the alleyway leading to another endless street, which connected to another, and then another. He was just a drifter, a wanderer. He always was. He was only fooling himself when he married Rin. Only fooling himself when he let himself dream of children, and maybe even having a more or less civil relationship with his brother, Inu-Yasha, maybe even extend that to his wench.
Yes, images of family outings, children, and reunions careened through his blind mind, and he foolishly chased after it, like a kid chasing after an ice cream truck.
It was all an impossible dream, and Naraku's call one evening had been a nasty reality trip.
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"Rin? RIN! I'm home!" Sesshoumaru exclaimed as he barely made it past the door, due to the alarming amount of suitcases and jackets bunched up in his arms. He took an office job, and was slowly, but surely, making it towards the top. But such improvements in his job required much improvement in his look and accessories, so Rin suggested a shopping trip. She chose all his ties and suits, enough to have them literally covered in plastic shopping bags.
"Oh! A suitcase!" Sesh remembered, and he turned back to Rin as they made their way into the car.
"Rin! I forgot to get a suitcase! I don't want to be hauling around the old messenger bag like some delivery boy.."
Rin smiled as she opened the trunk of the car, and he was about to explain to her again, rolling her eyes, when he saw it. It was a beautiful suitcase…or at least as beautiful as his suitcase could be. The point was that Rin got it when he took the job, because she knew he'd need it at some point.
"I knew you'd be needing it…you're so good at everything…" Rin smiled again as she touched his face. He leaned in and kissed her, leaning his forehead against hers.
"Thanks," he whispered against her lips, and she grinned toothily and rubbed her nose against his.
"You're, welcome, love…"
Ever since then, he'd been using his new clothes faithfully, even if they were heavy. Due to his youkai senses, the fabric was a bit scratchy against his sensitive skin. Rin suggested he take off his trench coat and suit jacket before driving home. He did as she suggested, and of course, it worked.
Before his office job, he worked as a hit man. He didn't have a boss, so he sort of worked for himself. He was a lone wolf, a wanderer, and took jobs to his choosing, making terms and payments to his own accord. More than once Naraku required his services. He was a big business man, and when things got out of hand with other companies threatening to take him over, or, they just happened to fall into the Monopolizes bad graces, he called on Sesshoumaru.
One of his assignments, coincidently, is what led to him meeting Rin. She was at the scene of the killing. He just leaned over his victim to check, as always, that he had done his job, because no matter what he did, he was an impeccable perfectionist, when he felt someones gaze on his back. He sniffed and the perfume of lilies and lilacs filled his nose, with the slight smell of human.
Strangely enough, he disregarded the humanly smell of his viewer, and turned to meet a wide brown gaze.
She must have been a secretary or something, because she had files under her arm, which dropped when he met her gaze. Her small, pink mouth dropped open, to reveal, pearly, white teeth. In fact, she was a smallish woman, skinny, and when he might have scoffed at any other underfed fed bitch that he'd cross paths with, he found, strangely enough, rather attractive.
They stood there, a dead body in between them, staring at each other for a long time. He finally turned and opened a window, making to jump and escape when he heard something he thought sounded like "take me with you."
He craned his neck back, clutching the window frame.
"Excuse me?"
"Take me with you!" Rin said, as she haphazardly ran over the files and her bosses body on her stilettos. Small, fairy feet steps. Light and graceful.
"But…madam…" Madame! He thought an corrected himself, "wench, you don't know me…you should be terrified! I just killed you boss."
The lady looked down, obviously ashamed, her head bobbing confusedly.
"I know…" she said finally meeting his eyes with hers again, sending shocks down her body, " My boss was so good to me…he helped me work to get myself back on my feet when my parents die…I was barely in highschool! He looked upon me like a daughter…"
Her gaze trailed over to the mans desk, where, sure enough, next to pictures of people whom he suspected were his family, was a picture of Rin, smiling, the delight reaching her eyes.
She turned back to him and said "see? I should be furious!" Rin puched towards him, poking him " I should take this chance while you're distracted to push you out the window!"
Sesshoumaru involuntarily shivered at the woman's sudden rage and made to leave, until her small hand, warm and soft, touched his shoulder. Yes, he could feel her touch through his blouse.
"But I'm not…sir, I can't explain this," she shook her head lowly, " I don't even know your name…but I know that I want to be wherever you are…even just as an assistant…a servant. What-no! I take that back...argh!"
Sesshoumaru watched the creature, amused at her confusion, but she seemed likeable enough. This fact meant a lot considering who he was, and his usual social tendencies…or lack thereof.
"Yes…you may come with me…"
And so he swooped Rin into his arms, and she let out a surprise yelp. Whether it was because he took her suddenly or the fact that he was jumping out the window, he didn't know. But the fact of the matter was that they'd been together ever since.
But throughout the years, their relationship had changed. At first, he let her tagalong as a sort of amusement. Then the amusement lead to curiosity. They'd talk for hours about everything and anything. Mostly their childhood, which Sesshoumaru had never talked to anyone about, not even his little brother. About his mothers death, and his annoying little brother, his father. Growing up a demon.
Rin always listened, intrigued, and asked questions. Then that would lead to him asking her questions. She was a normal enough girl, except for one very defining trait which drew Sesshoumaru ever closer too her.
It was her optimism. Her never ending happiness, no matter the death of her parents, her need to work, the death of her boss who was like a parent to her, or being at the mercy of a hit-man demon. She always smiled and laughed.
One day, she actually hugged Sesshoumaru before he went on an assignment.
"Be careful," she whispered, his ears twitching at her soft voice, " Do the right thing…"
She kissed him on the cheek, and gave him a long look before disappearing, not without turning back to flash him an encouraging smile.
"The wench is messing with my head…" he thought derisively, but what was more, he found that he didn't really mind.
He returned the money from his hirer, and refused to kill anyone else. He went back to Rin and told her. She grinned, open mouthed, her teeth showing, as he held her up and spun her around, an uncharacteristic show off affection.
When he returned her to the ground, he hadn't relinquished his grip on her waist. She looked at him curiously, and he brought her face close to his, examining her eyes.
"Do you want this?" the look asked.
"Yes…" hers seemed to answer and she closed the distance herself, fastening her lips on Sesshoumarus.
That's when he started taking up a job, and she did too. Between the two of them they got enough to get a house. They were happy for a long time, just living together. She cried when he presented her a ring.
"Marry me Rin…" Sesshoumaru gruffly stated more than asked, but she knew well enough that he was nervous.
"Yes! Of course!"
And that's when he went out of control. Before, he never would have allowed himself to get so attached to someone, much less a human girl. But he did, and they became bound by marriage. He kept Tenseiga, his usual assassin weapon, in a closet in a back room, and they continued life as if everything was normal. And it was for a long time…until Naraku called.
Sesshoumaru sighed as he picked up the phone, thinking it was Inu-Yasha, probably to curse him out about his invitation to a picnic that very weekend.
"Moshi, Moshi?" He inquired into the phone as he dropped his work stuff in a heap on the floor before. He could pick it up later after a long verbal fight with his dear little brother.
"Hello, Sesshoumaru…" a cool, cultured voice answered. Sesshoumaru stepped back in shock. That voice-it wasn't at all what he was expecting. Sesshoumaru was surprised, and if there was one thing that could be said about the demon, it was that he didn't like surprises. Well…besides Rin…and the whole suitcase thing…and…
Sesshoumaru shook himself out of his thoughts and prompted his voice to recover from its shock.
"Hello, Naraku…I could say that I've been expecting your call, but I haven't, or that I'm happy to talk to you, but I'm not…"
"Ah, gruff as ever. Do you not tire of being so stoic?"
Sesshoumaru answered with a silence that implied that he didn't want to beat around the bush. He just wanted to hear what Naraku had to say, and then leave it at that.
"Actually…I've been meaning to ask you a favor…I mean…for your services…"
"I already have a job, Thank you," Sesshoumaru interrupted him without grace.
"Why-What manners! Didn't your mother ever tell you not to interrupt? Oh-yes-I forgot…she died before she could teach you…"
Sesshoumaru growled into the receiver. His mother was a touchy subject that he only discussed with Rin, and she knew it was a touchy subject, so she rarely brought it up. But now that Naraku, who had no right…
"Ah, I see I have finally hooked your attention…"
Sesshoumaru grunted noncommittally and walked with the cordless phone into the kitchen. He was dying of thirst.
" You see, I already know you have a job…so I did some research. And I have to congratulate you, Sesshoumaru, you are more than proefficient in your job. In a year or two, you'd be able to make it to Vice Pres, and then in months you'd be the leader. However…"
Naraku trailed off, and Sesshoumaru knew the man was one for theatrics-dramatic pauses and such. But when more then two minutes passed Sesshoumaru was at his wits end.
"However?" he growled out, before taking a sip of the glass of water he served himself.
"I can pay you more…if, and only if you return to your former job, and work for me…permanently…"
Sesshoumaru screwed his face, confused.
"No thank you, Naraku. I'm doing more than good in the job and life I have right now."
The man on the other side of the line sighed.
"I was afraid you would say that…"
"Finally," thought Sesshoumaru, "the end on this conversation…"
"I have Rin, Sesshoumaru…"
The latter saw red.
"WHAT!"
"Yes, she is here with me right now…would you like to speak to her?"
:ROAR:
"I'll take that as a yes…" said the smooth voiced man. Sesshoumaru listened closely and heard a few murmurs, and finally the whimpers of a woman, which he could only guess were Rins.
"Rin!" he exclaimed, on an edge…if they did anything to her…
"Sessh?"
"Oh, Rin! What have they done to you? Where are you? Are you hurt?"
"Ahhh, it is you," Rins voice exclaimed happily amid tears.
"Rin? RIN! You need to tell me where you are!"
"Sessh…I love you…I've always loved you, since I saw you that day…"
"Rin, I love you too, and-em- ditto, but you need to tell me where you are so that I can get you…"
"Sessh…I'm-I…"
Rins voice was blocked out by a beep and Sesshoumaru noticed that he was on speakerphone. He strained his ears to hear more, and stiffened when he heard the crack of a whip and the soft cry of his wife, his love. Anger diffused in his veins, in his blood, and he felt himself growl until it became a determined and angrily loud roar.
"Ahahaha…I take it you know what we're doing to her, eh?"
" I will kill you, if you do not stop…"
When Naraku spoke again he sounded frustrated and angry.
"No, no! I call the shots here, Sesshoumaru, because you are the one at a disadvantage…I have what you hold most dear, and you have no idea where I have hidden her. The longer your machismo persists, the more whips you are earning her…"
Almost as if on cue a resounding crack filled the air, and a pained scream.
" Alright, alright, alright," Sesshoumaru conceded angrily, frustrated that he had no other choice, "what do I do to be able to free her."
"Ah, and I thought you would never ask…" Sesshoumaru decided he would ring the mans neck with his own hands, " You will work for me, and only me. You will be my assassin. I will pay you handsomely, and you will get a steady salary every month, no matter if you have or have not taken an assignment…"
"Don't do it SESSH! OUCH!" came Rins voice in the backround.
"I'll do it, Naraku. Just let my wife go."
"NO SESH! I'm fine, really-AAAAAAHHHHHH!" a scream tore through her lips, interrupting her protests.
"Do you promise, Sesshoumaru?"
"Yes, yes, yes,just… please…stop hurting her…"
" Yes, just…do you promise on your soul? You shall work for me, and only me?"
"SESH! NOO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!"
Sesshoumaru was torn in between his wife's request and his need to stop her pain. He'd do anything at this point. If only he realized what he was in for…
"Yes, I swear, on my soul, Kami strike me down if I break my promise…"
"NOOO! Oh Sesh…what have you done?" his wifes wimpers filled the silence and his pupils returned to their normal size. He didn't even noticed that they had dilated.
"Hmm…I don't like your wife's radical ideas, Sesshouamru…she's what originally got you give up your profession, is that not so…"
Sesshoumaru gaped, realizing where this was going…
"You promised you wouldn't hurt her…"
"Yes, but you noticed that I didn't swear on anything?"
Sesshoumarus amber eyes widened and he felt his stomach turn while he heard Narakus laughter ring madly in his ears.
"Kukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukuku!"
"Would you like me to get you a sword?" came an additional voice from the other line.
"Yes, Kagura, thank you…"
"NOOOOOOO! NOOO! I WILL KILL YOU!"
"Oh, but Sesshoumaru…you gave me your soul…you are mine now…and I do not want a pathetic little wench to get in the way of that…"
"Here is the sword, master."
"Thank you, Kagura."
"RIIINNN!" he called out, and realized that he still on speaker phone. Oh god, that meant that he'd hear his wife die, and scream for him, while he sat at home like a big pathetic puppy.
" Sessh…sessh…I-I love you—an-a-and…th-thi-this isn't your fault…I love you…do-d-do the right thing…"
And then a scream, the one that would fill his nightmares for the rest of his life, followed by the squelching sound he recognized well from his former job: the unforgiving thrust of a sword into a resisting body.
"NOOOOOOO!" Sesshoumaru howled. He ended up disturbing the entire block, and had to move out. Not that there was anything left for him in that house. It was too painful. It smelled like Rin…
"I'll see you tomorrow, eight sharp, in my office…I presume you remember where it is?" Narakus voice cut in between his pain smoothly, like a knife through butter. T hurt all the same.
Sesshoumaru nodded dumbly, not caring that Naraku couldn't see him. He just wanted to hang up the damned phone.
"Well then, I-"
And the line was cut, Sesshoumaru looked down to see what happened when he noticed that he had the receiver in a death grip. What was left of it was still clenched into his palm. He released it, shaking, and it hit the floor with a loud thud. He shivered, and tried to hold back tears, but failed, and he choked them out, his sobs sounding rusty and detuned, because truth be told, he had never cried before.
"RIIIIIIINNN!" he shouted up into the ceiling, and stormed through the apartment, taking out his anger on it. He ripped all their pictures, everything, until there was nothing left.
Sesshoumaru looked around to survey his work, a habit he had never been able to stop once started, and stormed out, leaving his old, dreamy, fairy tale life behind. Then he realized he forgot Tensiega, and he stormed back, unlocked the closet it was stowed away in, dusted it off, gave one last growl, and this time, stormed away forever.
He would forget the toothy grins, the kind, twinkling, brown eyes that had a habit of brimming with happy tears. He would forget the smell of Lillies and lilacs, the soft, small arms that would encircle him every chance they got. He would forget the smooth lips that could make him smile, laugh, frown, and kiss. He would forget the petite body with long flowing hair, and all the sentiments that came with it…
He spent the night at a Hotel, not getting a wink of sleep. Instead he sat on the bed, back ramrod straight, still hearing Narakus insane laugh and Rins screams.
But he promised his soul to Naraku. And whether he loked it or not, he had to honor their pact.
"Even though I lost, more than gained anything…" Sesshoumarus thoughts trailed off as he spotted the mini bar.
He pushed himself on the bed and was in front of it in a flash. He picked up a tiny bottle and sniffed it experimentally.
"Disgusting…" he grunted to himself. He half expected Rins giggle to spring out and exclaim that it was an acquired taste.
Instead silence.
He opened the bottle and nodded as he took a long gulp.
"This ones for Rin," he thought.
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So he always showed up at Narakus office eight o'clock sharp, and in his free time nourished his drinking habit. He almost never got really drunk, but just the fact that it let him some release…he'd never felt that way before except for when he'd talk to Rin.
Although he was sure the young woman he loved wouldn't have been happy, had she learned that she was replaced with a bottle of liquor, he continued, using his sorrow as an excuse. But soon it became an obsession.
That's when, five years after being hired, Sesshoumaru got THE assignment.
Kill Higurashi Kagome. Wasn't that Inu-Yashas wench? In the file was a full report on her, including where she usually went, who she spent time with. He wasn't surprised when he saw is brothers name on that list.
He, however, didn't want to do this. It resembled what Naraku did to him too much for his taste. But he'd promised his soul.
So he took one last swig from his bottle and set out to contact his brother.
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"Sesshoumaru?" Inu-Yasha said, confused as he opened the door to his house. His brother's stern amber gaze took in his skinny form and the black circles under his eyes.
"Are you alright?"
Sesshoumaru growled.
"I didn't come here for help, half-breed" he grounded out.
Inu-Yashas features immediately snapped back into his defensive mode.
"Alright, then what for, rat shit?"
Ahh, yes. Inu-Yashas old pet name for his older brother.
"I thought that perhaps we can get together this weekend…you know…catch up on life…"
"oh…" Inu-Yasha seemed surprised at his brothers sudden burst of civility, "alright…just not this Saturday…I have an important date with Kagome…"
"Perfect," thought Sesshoumaru.
"Alright, Sunday it is…" and he immediately stepped away and walked off.
"Wait! Where do we meet, you dumb-ass?"
"I'll come here…" Sesshoumaru called back without turning to face his brother.
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Saturday night, Sesshoumaru contemplated his assignment over a bottle of Tequila. He didn't like the drink too much, but the whiskey seemed to have a pacifying effect on his nerves. Even the burn as it went down his throat calmed him down.
His assignment: Kill Higurashi, make Inu-Yasha look suspicious.
The clock read seven.
Show time, Sesshoumaru thought distinctly as he ran, using his youkai speed, to where his victim was. Higurashi's apartment complex.
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He heard his prey from outside the door, waiting for Inu-Yasha while watching TV. Sesshoumaru tried to look for some loophole ever since he'd gotten the assignment to make the outcome less damaging. All he could come up with was to get his little brother in a car crash a good half hour before the killing, so as to make him look a little suspicious, but not entirely guilty. Naraku never specified the degree of suspicion needed.
Unfortunately for his wench, he couldn't find any loophole that could save her life. The instruction stated clearly to kill her. There was no way getting around it.
When he arrived to her apartment, he realized that he needed to get his brother into some sort of accident.
"Great…how do I do that!" Sesshoumaru thought as he ran up the street that Inu-Yasha always took to get to his lovers apartment. That's when a set of head lights came into his view and before he could stop, the car veered off the road and hit a tree. It didn't look pretty.
Sesshoumaru hissed through his teeth as he stalked guiltily towards the steaming car.
"Just what I need," he thought bitterly, " more blood on my hands…"
When he approached he noticed it was his brother on the wheel. Perfect! If Sesshoumaru was lucky, Inu-Yasha isn't exactly see what came at him on the road. Sesshoumaru was running pretty fast. Then, his brother is off the suspect list…but as for his wench.
He ran back top speed.
"I need to finish the job…"
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And there he was…waiting outside the door for the right moment. She needed a reason to come to the door. Some noise, some-AHA!
Sesshoumaru pounded on the door irreverently and jumped up into the rafters of the apartment. In record time, the wench came out.
The youkai felt his heart contract. She reminded him of Rin, except more clumsy, and bigger. But they had the same big, innocent doe brown eyes.
He sighed to himself. He hated to do this.
She wandered out of the apartment and checked outside.
And she's more stupid too, the demon thought as he crawled, via the ceiling, into the wenches apartment.
She came back in, and proceeded to check everything. He could feel her shiver, taste her fear. He sickeningly recognized that he was getting a much needed power trip out of this. For once since Rins death, he felt in control.
That's when he did it. He jumped down and stabbed Higurashi in the back with Tensiega.
She gasped, and screamed hollowly, collapsing onto the floor. He felt sickened when he felt it go through her heart, and finally, out the other end. He immediately pulled his sword out and watched the life drain out of his victim.
Meanwhile the T.V hummed some annoying tune. She cried some then finally stiffened.
Not resisting his old habit, he turned her over, and her eyes were instantly locked onto his own amber eyes.
Then, the wenches eyes faded and dimmed into nothing. He sniffed, and sheathed his sword. Now he really wished he hadn't done this…
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Sesshoumaru frequently had nightmares about a woman being stabbed by a sword, but her face would alternate from Rins to Higurashis. He figured it was because of his guilt of not being able to save either woman, who had important places in the life of his brother and his own.
That was all he let himself think of the matter. What was done was done. The fact that Inu-Yasha was only slightly suspicious had no effect on Naraku. He was happy as a clam.
Sesshoumaru went out to his favorite bar the next day. He ordered another tequila, trying to push down the guilt.
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A year later and he still stalked the streets, getting drinks, never having a permanent home. He moved. It was all he could do to forget about them. The two women he killed. One with his promise, and one with his own hand.
But something stirred within him. Higurashi.
He dreamt that she came back. But how could she? No. It was a silly dream.
Sesshoumaru looked up into the sky before looking back down, contemplating his bottle of whiskey.
This one's for Rin…He thought as he swallowed the entire bottle in one big greedy gulp.
If Higurashi is back…I will help her…I promise on Rins soul and my own…" and with that he settled down on the deserted hill he had chosen to camp on into a deep and dreamless sleep.
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A/N: pheuf! That was haaarrrrddd and looooong to write…wow…well…MWAH TO THOSE WHO REVIEW!