Summery; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.
Thanks, foreeverjinxed, for the review! (so happy...!) Here's a few more chapters for ya!
Just wanted to say that I'm homeschooled, so I have a very weird schedule. Meaning - I'll still be able to update frequently, just not all the time now. But once I start, I'll be gunning for updating one story every week - at LEAST. At best I'll be doing two or three a day, but...ya never know! So wish me luck.
Please review if you read. Comments, criticism, ideas, and suggestions are welcome.
"Morning, boy," she greeted him, stretching her arms widely. Sesshomaru climbed off the bed, prudently avoiding looking at the view she was unconsciously giving him.
"Women," he thought cynically, the single word summing his frustrations wonderfully.
"I've got to go to town today, Bach," Leslie told him, "I'm meeting Kagome to hang out, and I need to get groceries. If you want to come, you can wait until I'm done showering and dressing, and then we'll go."
To her mild surprise, Sesshomaru stood and trotted into the hallway. Leslie still hadn't grown used to the intelligence he often showed, after only having him for three days.
After she was finished getting ready, Leslie strode down the hallway, pulling her striped turtleneck over her head, revealing low-cut pants.
"If she only knew…" he thought in amusement, gazing at her. Straightening her hair, Leslie grabbed her keys and opened the door.
"Coming, Bach?" she asked, and grinned when he padded out the door. Locking it behind her, she made sure the Jeep's cover was secure before starting the car.
"You mean Sesshomaru is at Leslie's?" Kagome exclaimed, "How in the world did he end up there!"
"I dunno," Koga shrugged, "But he was there yesterday afternoon when I left, and from the way he sounded, I think he's gonna be there for a good long while yet."
"Ridiculous," Inuyasha muttered.
"Well, I'm meeting Leslie today to do some shopping, so I'll ask her about him," Kagome said, standing up. She sighed in exasperation as the two men cast her alarmed glances. "Not about Sesshomaru, you idiots! Just about her dog! Honestly," she shook her head, slamming out the door.
"Wanna bet he has luck with this one?" Inuyasha suggested, and Koga glared at him.
"Not if I've got anything to say about it."
"Yeah, but Leslie loves animal almost like people," he argued, "I think he might pull it off with her."
"Watch him try," Koga challenged, and Inuyasha smirked at his formal rival in love, and now argumentive friend.
"Hey, Leslie!" Kagome called, jogging up to her friend in the plaza.
"Took you long enough," Leslie joked, and followed Kagome's gaze to Sesshomaru. "Oh, this is Bach. I found him a few days ago, and it seems like I'm stuck with him for now."
"Nice dog," Kagome nodded appreciatively, but shot Sesshomaru a warning glance. He ignored her in his usual disdainful manner, and padded next to Leslie as the two women began to walk.
"So, has Koga asked you out yet?" Kagome asked, and Leslie shook her head.
"Koga's nice, but I don't know if he's for me."
"How're you gonna know if you don't try?" Kagome protested, elbowing her friend. "C'mon, just one date! For me, please?"
"Fine, if he asks," Leslie relented, and then sighed in relief as Sango Tyrell and her fiancée Miroku Bouzu greeted them.
"Long time no see, girls," Miroku grinned, and patted Sesshomaru's head. "Big dog."
"Looks familiar…" Sango thought. Her attention was immediately diverted by Miroku's roaming hands. "Miroku!"
"How's Kohaku?" Leslie asked, "Having fun boarding at college?"
"A ball, actually," Sango nodded, as they continued to walk through the stores, "It seems he found himself a girlfriend – Rin."
"I just realized something," Kagome said, looking at Leslie. "Sango and I are both engaged, and you don't even have a boyfriend yet! What's the matter with you?" she demanded, half-jokingly.
"That was uncalled for, even for Kagome," Sesshomaru thought, suddenly defensive when he saw how uncomfortable Leslie looked.
"Defective genes, I suppose," she shrugged, and quickly changed the topic. "So, when's the wedding, guys?"
"After New Years," Sango said proudly, "I didn't want a spring wedding like so many people do."
"So I get to freeze my ass off in a tux in the middle of the snow," Miroku grumbled, much to the three girls' delight.
"Stop whining," Kagome said, playfully slapping him on the arm, "You'll live, right, Leslie?"
The other girl nodded happily, but Sesshomaru could sense that Kagome's words had left his new "owner" downcast.
Nudging underneath her hand, he mentally sighed as he reluctantly wagged his tail – extremely slowly.
"He's wagging his tail again!" Leslie said in surprise, her excitement obvious. "He hasn't wagged since I brought him home – and even that was a twitch!"
"Why am I doing this?" he groaned, "She's just a woman, after all. I don't care in the slightest how she feels." Contradicting his mind, however, was his feeling of satisfaction at lifting her spirits.
Kagome shot her almost brother-in-law an odd look, trying to fathom his actions. After living with him for years, she was a bit skeptical about his motivation.
"Well, I think we better get going," Leslie announced, after petting him for a few more moments. "I have to feed him, and I want to get some work done before tomorrow."
"Always at the grindstone, eh, Leslie?" Miroku joked, and she waved as she and Sesshomaru jogged to her Jeep.
"So, did you have a nice time?" she asked, as they drove down the road. Sesshomaru looked at her calmly. "I'm going to take that as a yes," she grinned, and ignored the dirty look he gave her.
"Oh, there's Hiten," Leslie noticed, waving at her neighbor. He waved back, grinning. "I've known him for about three years," she informed Sesshomaru, as they pulled into her driveway, "He's a nice guy."
"Obviously, she can't tell that he's a demon," Sesshomaru said to himself, following her in the house. "She can see my crescent, but can't tell humans from demons? What is it about this girl?"
His thoughts keeping him occupied, Sesshomaru finished eating and lay down on the floor, as Leslie sat next to him with paperwork in front of her.
"I hate working as a secretary," she shuddered, "For one thing, my boss is a complete pervert. He only stopped hitting on Kagome when Inuyasha came in and threatened to rip his balls off if he didn't leave her alone." Sighing, she absently placed her hand on his neck. "Wish I had a guy to help me out. But, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride, right?" she laughed dimly, and bent her head back over the files.
"I don't think I like this boss of yours," Sesshomaru thought, "Perhaps I'll have a word with Koga. The last thing I need is for her to get into trouble."
"You know, Bach, it's only the third night, but you're starting to grow on me," Leslie told him, as she snuggled down under the blankets. Under her usual nightshirt, she wore a matching pair of flannel pants for extra warmth.
"You certainly have enough body heat to keep me warm," she laughed, and shifted closer to him. Sesshomaru's senses tensed up, and he had to force himself to keep his eyes closed, knowing her face was only inches from him.
"It's been a week now," Kagome mentioned to Leslie, as the two girls took their lunch break. "How's Sess – I mean, Bach doing?"
"He's fine," Leslie nodded, not noticing her friend's slip, "Nice and obedient. He's a good dog."
"Obedient? Are we talking about the same person?" Kagome wondered. She had lived several years in the feudal era after they had defeated Naraku, and had become a full-fledged priestess. Her love for Inuyasha allowed her to hardly age at all, even after several more years in the real world.
Sango and Miroku weren't her old friends from the Warring States, but descendents of them. Koga, Sesshomaru, and Shippo had somehow breached the well's barrier, permitting them to settle in the modern world.
"Kagome? Are you okay?" Leslie asked, waving her hand in front of her friend's face, "Earth to Kagome…"
"What? Oh, sorry – blanked on ya there," Kagome laughed nervously, coming out of her reviere. She looked up suddenly as their boss, Onigumo, strode up to them. "Bastard alert," she whispered to her friend.
"Thanks," Leslie murmured back, and stood up. Onigumo quickly stopped her by placing a hand on her arm.
"Where are you going, Leslie?" he asked smoothly. She wrinkled her nose calmly.
"Back to work, boss," she said, just as calmly, "I've got work to do."
"You can always finish any work you need to after-hours," he suggested, winking at her. Pulling loose, Leslie strode quickly away, and Kagome frowned at her boss.
Eyeing Kagome, Onigumo considered going after her as well, but Inuyasha's threat was still too real in his head. Turning on his heel, he also left the break room.
"Bach? Where'd ya go?" Leslie called, opening the door. Accustomed to her dog greeting her when she came home, she looked around nervously. Striding down the hallway, she gasped when she saw the shadow of a long-haired man, and burst into her bedroom.
Sesshomaru sat on the floor lazily, eyeing her.
"Oh, it's just you, Bach," she sighed in relief, petting him, "Scared me for a sec – I thought someone was in the house."
"What does she mean?" he wondered, and followed her back out to the main room.
"Hungry?" she asked, and then looked up as a knock came on her front door. "That can't be Koga or anyone else," she murmured, striding to the door, "They always use the back door."
She gasped in shock when she opened the door to discover Onigumo on her step, smiling at her charmingly.
"Hello, Leslie," he greeted her, stepping into the house. "I hope you don't mind me dropping by, but I was in the neighborhood."
"Hm…" Sesshomaru eyed him, the man eerily reminding him of Naraku's human form. What a lie that is."
"Oh…um, well…how nice," Leslie stammered, regaining her composure, "But are you sure this is appropriate? You are my boss, after all."
"It's not like we're going to do anything inappropriate. Not yet, anyway," he chuckled softly, causing Sesshomaru to raise his hackles.
Casting a glance at the huge dog, as if for reassurance, Leslie sighed.
"I suppose…well, I was just going to make dinner. Would you like to stay?"
"Too polite for her own good," Sesshomaru growled softly, and hovered so close to Leslie that she continued to trip over him.
"I…didn't know you had a dog," Onigumo mentioned, raising his lip slightly in a sneer at Sesshomaru.
"Oh, yes, I found him last week," Leslie told him, heating up the macaroni. "I hope you don't mind it's leftovers. That's what I basically live on."
"No problem," he shook his head, still concentrating on Sesshomaru. "He seems very protective of you."
"He's not usually like – oh – this!" Leslie sat down, interrupting herself as she almost fell over Sesshomaru, who curled up at her feet protectively. For reasons he couldn't fathom, he was loathe to leave her alone with the strange man.
"That was very good," Onigumo complimented her, once they were done, "Did you make it yourself?"
"Me? No, I can't cook to save my life," Leslie shook her head, "Frozen foods and grilling is the best I can do, unfortunately."
"I like grilling," he said, and she cast a suspicious glance at him as she stood up.
"It's getting late," Leslie hinted, "And I need to catch up on some work for tomorrow."
"You have plenty of time to do that," Onigumo continued, standing closer to her. Suddenly, he pulled her to him and pressed his lips against hers.
Hearing Leslie whimper in protest, Sesshomaru sprang into action. Within seconds, he had pinned the offensive man to the ground, while Leslie regained her composure.
"I'd appreciate it if you left now," she said firmly, after catching her breath, "Or else I can't take responsibility for what Bach might do."
"Good night," Onigumo managed to say, before she locked the door in his face. As Leslie turned to Sesshomaru, he was surprised to see tears on her face.
"Oh, Bach," she whispered, and flung her arms around him. He remained stiff at first, but relaxed as she leaned into him, kneeling on the ground.
"Is she…crying?" he wondered, and smelled the salty scent on his coat. Sighing, he shifted so that his front paw was closer to her, as if hugging her.
Wiping her eyes, Leslie leaned back and smiled shakily at him.
"I wish you were a human, Bach," she said, and then shook her head. "But I'm being silly. I guess I'm just shaken. I'm glad you were there, though, or else…" she shuddered at the thought, and pet him again. "Next time you can bite him," she whispered, before standing up.
"Gladly," he agreed, not in the least doubting that there would be a next time.
Just for comment - Hiten IS NOT going to play a large role. I think that was the only role he has in here. I added him in here to show that Leslie has unusual powers, somewhat. Onigumo IS NOT going to be the reincarnation of Naraku, and Miroku and Sango don't know about the curse.