Summery; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.
Kagura makes an appearence! This time she's going to be a good character, for a change of pace. I've already got Onigumo/Naraku as the obligatory bad guy, so here's a nice twist! I don't see many stories where Kagura isn't a bitch, unfortunately.
I like making Sesshomaru sarcastic and talking to himself - it's fun to write. And there's a little Inuyasha/Leslie bonding moment in here as well. They're good friends, with Kagome as a mutual tie, so I decided not to make him a jerk, either. Well, a little one, but...not a stupid one.
Please review if you read! Comments, criticism, ideas, and suggestions are welcome.
"I'm Miss Peyton – I'm here about the ad in the paper for a proofreader," Leslie told the woman at the desk, "I called a little bit ago?"
"Oh, yes, I'm glad you came," the black-haired woman smiled warmly, her reddish eyes glowing. "My name is Kagura Fujita. I'm the only woman working here – secretary, assistant manager, and temporary proofreader."
"Sounds like a big order," Leslie commented, looking around, "Is this a small business?"
"In a way," Kagura nodded, "This is a small division of the larger branch. Not many people work here, unfortunately, so the few that do have to multi-task."
"Well, I'll be glad to help if I can," Leslie smiled, in a dark-green skirt and white blouse. Kagura, wearing a black skirt, nodded.
"I most sincerely hope so," she sighed, her yellow scarf making an odd contrast against her blouse, which was a pale pink with dark-red markings on it. "Mr. Tomoe, our head manager, isn't here right now, but I can give you a run-down of the business until he returns."
"I can wait," Leslie objected, "It sounds like you've got plenty to do already."
"No, Kanna can help me," Kagura waved her hand absently.
"I thought you said you were the only woman here," Leslie thought, and Kagura laughed.
"Oh, Kanna is my sister. She's in college, but she comes and helps me out when I need the backup," she explained calmly, "Sorry about that. Now, let me show around."
Leslie nodded, and followed the slightly older woman through the small building. Taking in the friendly atmosphere, she relaxed noticeably.
"I think I'd like to work here," she thought, and then blinked when she saw a familiar face. "Inuyasha?"
"Leslie?" he turned around in confusion, "What're you doin' here?"
"She's here for the ad, Inuyasha," Kagura informed him, "Do you two know each other?"
"Yeah, I'm a friend," Leslie said quickly, and Inuyasha nodded.
"I met her through Kagome," he explained, "We hang out."
"Oh," Kagura nodded, and turned back to Leslie. "Well, that's basically all there is to the office."
"I think I'd like to work here," Leslie announced, echoing her previous thoughts. "I think I can fit in here."
"Well, Mr. Tomoe is a very easy person to work for," Kagura smiled, "And Kami knows I'd like having another woman here with me. He should be coming back in a few more minutes – you can wait in his office, if you'd like."
"No need," their boss shook his head, entering the building. He had dark-red hair and brown eyes, and was on the tall side. "Are you here for the ad?" he asked Leslie, who nodded.
"Yes. This is Miss Leslie Peyton," Kagura spoke up, "She has excellent credentials, and a good grasp of what we do."
"Well, consider yourself hired," he nodded. Looking closer, Leslie noticed touches of gray in his hair, and a slight stoop in his shoulders. "For the time being, at least," he continued, and placed a friendly hand on her shoulder, "Just to make sure you work out, you understand."
"Of course," Leslie nodded happily, "When do I start?"
"Tomorrow morning, at six sharp," Kagura told her, as Mr. Tomoe strode off. "We can discuss your pay when you arrive, if that's all right."
"Sure," she smiled, and the other woman smiled back. "Tell Kagome I said hey, Inuyasha!" Leslie called, as she stepped out the door.
"Sure thing!" he waved, and looked at Kagura. "She'll be fine here. She was fired from her other job because her boss wanted to sleep with her."
"Ah," Kagura nodded wisely.
"Good news, Bach!" she sang, as she danced into the house.
"Oh no…"
"I got the job!" Leslie said, stroking his head. "I start tomorrow! It's the same place Inuyasha works," she added, "It's a small building – there's hardly anyone working there."
"My brother probably scares them all off," Sesshomaru thought wryly, but silently enjoyed her touch on his head and back. Thumping his tail, he stopped as she stood back up.
"Now I have to change – I have white hairs all over me!" she exclaimed, and then turned to him with a naughty grin. "And then I'm going out for a little bit, so behave. When I get back, you're going to get a nice surprise."
"If she knew who I was, she wouldn't insinuate things like that," Sesshomaru laughed to himself, as she changed into jeans and a shirt and ran back out the door.
"Oh…please, no…" he groaned, sniffing the air as Leslie strode into the house after almost an hour. Padding out into the main room, he flopped dejectedly onto his belly, unmindful of his pride, when he saw a cat carrier.
"I've always wanted a cat, and talking to Koga prodded me into adopting one," Leslie informed him, "I hope you guys get along. Bach, this is Mozart, and vice-versa."
Sesshomaru eyed the striped kitten as it pranced out into the room, and played with a piece of string Leslie provided.
"She's sorely testing my patience," he sighed, "And I must remember to thank that damn wolf for this next time I see him."
"What's the matter, Bach?" Leslie laughed, and knelt next to the dejected white heap, "Jealous?"
"Hardly," he retorted, lying through his canines, "And what is it with you and composers? Did you name your stuffed animals after composers as well, or is this a new obsession?"
"Relax," she soothed, "You've got no reason to be jealous, believe me, okay?"
"We'll see…" he mused, closing his eyes, "If it comes to it, it's small enough for me to eat, fur and all."
"I'll see you guys tomorrow!" Leslie called the next morning, ready to go out the door. Looking sternly at Sesshomaru, she paused. "And don't eat him, got it? I'll be royally pissed, trust me. So don't even think it."
"Too late for thinking," Sesshomaru said, grinning to himself as she left the house. "But I haven't eaten him – yet."
"Good morning," Kagura greeted her, "At least you're prompt. Did you get here okay?"
"If I hadn't, I wouldn't be here," Leslie laughed, and looked around, "Isn't anyone else here?"
"Not yet," Kagura shook her head, "I like to get here early to get an early start. We'll see how you do, and you can fix your own schedule once we have."
"That sounds good," Leslie nodded, "So, what do you want me to do first?"
"Well, you applied for the proofreading job, so you can start on that," Kagura thought, "I have several pamphlets and documents that need to be checked, so you can do those first." As Leslie followed her to a room, Kagura turned around. "There's a desk and everything in here already, so you can use this as an office, if you'd like."
Leslie nodded, and surveyed the room. It was fairly small, but a desk and chair sat in it, both in good condition. Several file cabinets surrounded the walls, and the phone and lights were in working condition.
"Here's what I need by the end of the week," Kagura said, digging through a file cabinet. Placing several thick files on the desk, she shrugged apologetically. "I never said it was going to be easy. But it gets easier as you go."
"I've found that to be the case in a lot of things," Leslie nodded, and sat down as Kagura left the room.
"How ya doin'?" Inuyasha asked, popping into her room during lunch. "Like it?"
"My eyes are killing me," she groaned, rubbing her face, "I'm going to get magnifying reading glasses. It'll make it much easier."
"Yeah," he nodded sympathetically, "I tried it for a day, but I don't have the damn patience. Want to eat lunch outside?"
"Sure," she nodded eagerly, and followed him into a small courtyard, located in the back of the building. "I'm surprised this is even here," Leslie thought, looking around. The space was enclosed and small, but there was plenty of trees and plants surrounding them, with several benches and tables, "Considering this is such a small company branch."
"It used to be bigger," he shrugged, "Once we got downsized, we lost a lot of employees. Now that we're picking up again, we're trying to get 'em back."
"How long have you been working here?" she asked, and he paused in thought.
"About four years," he said finally, "I started when I was still in college as a part-time job, and then went full-time after I graduated."
"How's the wedding planning going?" Leslie asked after a few minutes of silent chewing.
"For who?" he asked in surprise.
"Both, I guess."
"Well, Sango's going hyper on us, and Miroku's at the point of eloping," Inuyasha laughed, "Kagome and I are still a while away from it, but she's starting to get things in order. I'm basically useless – she and her mother have both informed me of that fact."
"Sounds like a regular wedding schedule," Leslie laughed, "Poor Inuyasha."
"What about Koga?" he asked suddenly, catching her off guard.
"Okay, I guess," she shrugged, "I mean, he's nice, but I don't think he's right for me."
"I heard you got a new pet," he continued, pausing, "A dog."
"Yeah, Bach," she nodded, "He's a sweetheart. He's huge, and white. And I just picked up a kitten – Mozart. He's a ginger-color, with black and gray stripes all over."
"Sounds like the beginning of a zoo," he commented, and she giggled.
"Yeah, well, they seem to get along fine so far," Leslie told him, "It's so funny. When I'm getting dressed, or in the shower or something, Bach always goes off into another room or goes to sleep. It's like he's embarrassed of seeing me undressed."
"Hm," Inuyasha grinned with her, his mind racing. Glancing at his watch, he stood up. "Well, time to hit work again. I work on the computers, by the way," he told her, as they strode back into the building.
"Interesting," Leslie grinned, as they returned to their separate jobs.
"I'm bored," Sesshomaru thought, lazing about the house. To his irritation, he realized that he missed Leslie.
"Damn feline," he growled in annoyance, as the kitten climbed over him. Heaving a sigh, he rolled onto his side. Happening to glance in the mirror, he shot up when he saw his reflection – one he hadn't seen in centuries.
"What is going on?" he demanded, seeing his human form in the mirror. Glancing down, his form seemed to flash back for an instant, before reverting to his dog form again.
"If I'm going to transform, it's best if Leslie doesn't come home and find a strange man naked in her house," Sesshomaru decided. Pushing the lock open with his teeth, he slid out the door and padded down the street.
"Hey, guys!" Leslie sighed, entering her house later that day. Looking around expectantly, she cuddled Mozart for a moment before she paused.
"Bach? Where'd you go?" she called, walking through the house. Realizing it was empty, she blinked when she realized that the door had been unlocked.
"That's weird," Kagome thought, as Inuyasha relayed what Leslie had told him after he got home. "Sesshomaru's not acting like usual, then. I wonder – huh?"
"What?" he turned around as Kagome stared out the window. Inuyasha jumped up when he saw Sesshomaru striding toward the house, flickering back and forth between his two forms. "What the hell?" he demanded, flinging the door open and dragging his older brother into the house.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't speak to me like that," Sesshomaru said. Kagome crouched next to him, looking perplexed.
"What the heck are you doing here?" she asked.
"As you can see, it appears that I'm changing between my two forms suddenly," he informed them. "I doubt that Leslie could comprehend that her dog is really a demon lord just yet."
"You know what this means, right?" Kagome asked excitedly, as Inuyasha draped a sheet over his brother. "This means that…"
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't jinx me just yet," Sesshomaru growled. "I'm only here because I shall need clothes and somewhere to stay while I'm in this form."
"You don't think you're going to stay in human form for long, then?" Inuyasha wondered, and Sesshomaru shook his head.
"I doubt it," he said, "The curse isn't fully broken until she loves me in both forms, remember?"
"But how can she if you're going to hide here while you're in a human form?" Kagome asked practically, "Inuyasha can always mention to her that he has an older brother, and then you can 'run' into her, you know? Or –" She was cut off when the phone began ringing.
"I don't know what you're up to, Sesshomaru," Inuyasha began, as his fiancée picked up the phone.
"Hello? Leslie, is everything all right?" she asked in concern, and both demons' ears perked up. Rather, Inuyasha's did. Sesshomaru was now completely transformed back, and was changing into some of Inuyasha's clothes.
"He did?" Kagome asked, shooting a look at Inuyasha, mouthing for him to get Sesshomaru clothes that would fit him. "I'm sure he's okay, Leslie," she soothed, "Listen, Inuyasha's older half-brother is visiting for a while. Want him to come over and help you look for him?"
Wincing at the panic in her friend's voice, Kagome continued. "Okay, Leslie, relax. Sesshomaru'll be over in a few minutes, and he'll help you. We'll search around here for him, and I'll Koga to keep an eye out. I'll talk to you later."
Hanging up, Kagome's fists her balled into her waist as she turned around to confront the lord, but stopped at seeing him. After seeing him in only dog for so long, it was a shock to see the gorgeous demon in human form.
"You can stop drooling now, Kagome," Inuyasha said grumpily. He had found clothes that Kagome had insisted they buy Sesshomaru for when he changed back, and his older brother was now standing calmly in front of him.
"I won't require a ride," Sesshomaru said coolly, dressed in boots, black jeans, and a dark-blue jewel-tone shirt, with the first top buttons unbuttoned.
"You're gonna fly there, aren't you?" Kagome asked. When he nodded, she shrugged. "Well, make sure you're not seen, of course. And Leslie's really upset!" she scolded him, once again becoming annoyed, "She's afraid her friend was run over, or stolen, or ran away willingly, you know!'
"Her friend?" Inuyasha repeated in disbelief. "She said that?" Kagome glanced at Sesshomaru in satisfaction, as he lingered for an answer.
"She didn't have to say it," she said triumphantly, picking the phone up to call Koga, "She's sick worrying. Leslie loves animals, but she's never been able to have a pet in her life. You're special to her, Sesshomaru, whether you like it or not."
He apparently ignored her, but slammed the door behind him as he left.
"Whoa," Inuyasha stared at his fiancée, as she dialed, "You really pissed him off."
Sesshomaru is now in human form again! I couldn't wait any longer! Oh boy...