I don't own these characters.
9: Magic
Sesshomaru went into work fairly confident he would not have to see Naraku anymore. He had an excellent idea for what they should do and even if the irksome hanyou debated it with him, he would still present it to their clients because he was sure they would approve of his plan. He would never have to suffer through Naraku again. It was going to be a great day and it took all of his self-control to not celebrate already. There was also the fact that he would be free tomorrow to spend some time with Kikyo. It had been far too long without seeing her in the afternoon.
The dog demon felt better than he had in a long time about going to work thanks to his idea. He went to his office and nearly smiled. He dared to wonder if this was how being giddy felt. He always assumed anyone who was visibly giddy or happy was an idiot, but something about the emotion flowing through him helped him understand those people a little more. He waited for the inevitable, namely for Naraku to come in and harass him. He did not have to wait long, barely setting himself up for the day before his door was shoved open.
"Tell me you have something, mutt," the half-demon practically snarled. He typically was never in a good mood, but his mood completely soured when he entered the office. Sesshomaru's very existence upset his universe. It did not help at home Kikyo seemed to slip further and further from his grasp. Once everything was settled, he would do something about Kikyo and then work on doing something about the arrogant dog.
"Look who's talking about being a mutt," Sesshomaru commented with a curl to his upper lip. "I do have something, though."
Naraku's crimson eyes went wide and Sesshomaru did not give him a chance to get over his shock. He pitched his idea to Naraku with the hanyou standing there, mouth slightly agape. He could see that the half-demon was going to object before he even opened his mouth. The nobleman was not looking to have Naraku undermine his brilliance, so as soon as he finished speaking to the hayou, he picked up the phone to make a call.
"What are you doing?" Naraku demanded, glaring at Sesshomaru.
"Calling them," Sesshomaru answered.
"You can't call them. I don't agree with that stupid idea. You can't just put yourself in charge and make decisions for both of us," Naraku declared.
Sesshomaru only graced the half-breed with a glance. He made the call and informed the clients what he thought of doing with their account. He then put them on speakerphone for Naraku to hear their opinion on the subject. The half-demon's face practically fell to the floor as the clients expressed joy with what the dog demon came up with. Sesshomaru hung up when the clients were done. They informed the partners they wanted a visual presentation drawn up for next week when they would come by the office and hammer out the specific details.
"There, it's done. You do your part and I do mine and you might be able to live through the week," Sesshomaru commented.
"Just make sure you do your part, mutt," Naraku huffed. He glared at Sesshomaru with a new sort of hatred, gnashing his teeth like it was a threat. "Don't make us look worse than you have."
Sesshomaru did not respond, even with the obvious to point out what an idiot Naraku was. Of course, he would do his part of his idea. He eyed Naraku until the half-demon wisely exited his office. He went into his desk and pulled out a sketchpad he kept in his office. He had a tablet to draw on the computer, but always preferred working with paper before anything else. He needed get to work right away and get everything out of the way. Then, he would have time to be with Kikyo.
"What has this woman done to me?" Sesshomaru wondered as he realized Kikyo was the only person he wanted to get to. It was not like he wanted to spend time with his little sister, who was really the only person he usually gave his attention to for a prolonged period of time. Now, he just wanted to be with that strange, little human woman.
The platinum-haired male shrugged it off. He wanted what he wanted and there was nothing wrong with that. He did not question his desire, not after acknowledging Kikyo was special. He was perfect and he deserved whatever he wanted, just like he got whatever he wanted. It was that simple to him.
He wanted Kikyo and though he had her in some way, he wanted her to be totally his in every sense of the word. He wanted her away from that damnable half-breed, for her own good as well as for his desire. The thought tore at his brain and he ached for not being able to be there for her. He wanted to protect her, take care of her the way she deserved, and have her always by his side.
He shook his head, trying to rid himself of such thoughts. "It's much too early in our relationship — if this can even be called that — for me to be thinking so permanently." While his head knew this, other parts of him refused to comply. His head was not much help as it refused to let go of the idea of his angel.
Thinking about Kikyo, Sesshomaru picked up his phone and decided to find out what she was doing. He called her from his cell phone and had to wait a few rings before she answered. He nearly smiled from the sound of her voice and all she did was answer the phone.
"Hello, Sessho," Kikyo said.
His heart thumped at the sound of his name. He was not sure when she decided to shorten it, but he did not mind. He imagined the name tasted good in her mouth. And that thought made him think of her taste and he had to shake his head to focus on speaking to her. "Good day, Kikyo. Where are you right now?"
"I'm at home," she answered.
"That is odd. I figured you would be cruising some museum somewhere while waiting for noon to come along to have lunch with your sister," he commented. After all, that used to be her days for the first couple of weeks he knew her.
"I sometimes enjoy this place when he's gone. It is rather cozy." It would not be a bad home if she had it on her own.
"And here it is I thought you preferred my place."
Kikyo chuckled, low in her throat, and only for a moment. "I do, but I do not have open access to it as I do here. So, to what do I owe the honor of such an early call from you?"
"I was just curious. I was thinking of you." He was always thinking of her. Would it be like that if he was able to see her more often? If he was able to call her whenever he desired? If he could invite her to his home whenever the urge overcame him? I should give her keys. He was not sure she would appreciate or accept keys to his place, though.
"Oh, how delightful. Don't you have work that you should be doing?" she inquired, a slight lilt in her voice. She was teasing him.
"I am doing it now, but I'm talking to you, too. So, talk to me," he ordered in a gentle tone. The sound of her voice, the flow of her ideas would only help him work.
Kikyo laughed a bit again, but she continued talking to him. She was flattered he would call her just to call her. It was sweet. She was not sure if anyone ever thought to call her just to talk and he seemed quite content to hear about her day, as uneventful as it was.
-*-(New day)-*-
Sesshomaru and Naraku worked through their project and put together what they had. They were going to make the presentation to the clients and then they would never have to see each other ever again. Everything went smoothly and it ended with the clients being very satisfied with what they had received. The pair made it clear they would not do another such project again. With a grin, their boss told them he did not make any promises.
Sesshomaru did not say anything, but eventually he would openly state to Totosai he would never work with Naraku again to make sure the bug-eyed old coot never did something like this again. For now, he packed up his things from the presentation while mentally patting himself on the back for solving this issue. If asked, he would not even take full credit for it. No, he would not credit Naraku with much, but he would definitely give praise to Kikyo for being a good muse.
With the presentation out of the way and the clients pleased, Sesshomaru decided to celebrate the fact that he would not have to spend any more time with Naraku. He called Kikyo and informed her that he was taking her out to dinner that night. She did not object, but he was not done there. He would wait until they were face to face to run the other idea by her.
Sesshomaru picked Kikyo up after work from her apartment. He knew Naraku did not go straight home, especially when he was sulking over the fact that the clients he brought in liked Sesshomaru's idea, so it was all right to go to the apartment. His beautiful angel was not prepared for dinner, but that was all right. He was there earlier than he told her. She had her outfit in her arms, but she wore her house clothes, which was a plain white long-sleeve t-shirt and baggy sweat pants.
Sesshomaru's breath hitched in his chest. The clothing stunned him, as he was used to seeing her in a business casual style. She looked rather attractive in such plain clothing. Damn dinner, his inner demon commented. He resisted the urge to tear her out of her outfit, but his inner demon clawed at him just under the surface of his calm facade. You should just take her right then and there. He controlled himself and stuck to his plan.
"Sessho," Kikyo said because of the tense look on his face.
The nobleman cleared his throated to snap himself out of the daze. "Well, why aren't you dressed?" he inquired. It was almost snappish, but not quite there. She did not take offense to his tone.
"I thought it would be a bit early for dinner, but if we're leaving immediately, I can go get dressed now," she replied, patting the clothes in her arms.
"No, you make a point." They had time and that was a good thing. "I should change, anyway. So, we can go to my apartment for a couple of hours and then we can go to dinner. About what time should I get you back here?" he asked.
"The same time as always," she answered.
Sesshomaru nodded and Kikyo went to change. Once she was done, they went off to his apartment for a while. Kikyo sighed softly as they crossed the threshold. Sesshomaru liked the sound, liked how her shoulders relaxed. He wanted her to be at ease in his place. He wanted the apartment to feel like her space as much as it was his.
"Ready to give me my sketchbook back?" Kikyo asked.
Sesshomaru scoffed. "I'm going to take a shower. Sit." He motioned to the couch.
"You will return my book to me."
He waved that off. The book was in his possession and he would give it back when he was good and ready. "Maybe if you find it." He left on that note.
Kikyo rolled her eyes. She was tempted to search for the book, but knowing Sesshomaru, it was in his bedroom. She was not quite comfortable with the idea of rifling through his bedroom with him in the shower, even if he taunted her over her sketchbook. She made herself busy looking through his bookshelf and grabbed an art collection book to pass the time.
As she was reading the history of one of the portraits, Sesshomaru returned and joined her on the sofa. He did not say anything, gathering her in his arms until she was snug against his chest. She moved the book, so he had clear sight of the page.
"This is a favorite." He pointed down at the page.
"It looks grandiose, like so much demon art," she said.
"It's an experience in person. The paints individually bring to mind a vibrant spring, but put together…" He shook his head. In person, the painting was a jumble of things, like much of demon art and he found it difficult to describe for her to get the full idea without actually being in front of it.
"I haven't seen it."
"One day I will take you."
She did not doubt him. They flipped through the book, occasionally talking about pieces, but also enjoying the silence. By the time they had to leave, they were reluctant to pull away from each other, but they managed. They sat down in a rather exclusive restaurant, which might have been a surprise for Kikyo weeks ago. She had come to expect such things from the dog demon. It was not that Sesshomaru was showing off his wealth. He was just used to the finer things that life had to offer.
"This is more than I'm used to, even with you," Kikyo commented. The restaurant was swankier than usual and she felt a little underdressed, as there were eyes on her.
"It's a celebration," Sesshomaru replied as he pulled out her chair for her.
She regarded him with a tilt of her head as she sat down. "Is it? For what?"
"I closed my account today. I don't have to work with that bastard of a partner I had. I feel like a weight has been lifted off of me and I want to enjoy my newly acquired freedom," he explained, sitting across from her.
"I'm glad for you," she said.
"Yes, so I was thinking of taking a vacation."
"Oh," she muttered and glanced away. She was not sure what to say. He would be gone for who knew how long and she did not really like that thought. She did not want to be without him for an undetermined amount of time.
"I want you join me," he added.
She blinked. "Join you?" she echoed. It was like she did not understand what he meant.
"Yes, join me. I believe you deserve some time away from home. We could fly far away." He reached across the table. He took her small hand in his and massaged her hand with his thumb. "We could travel the world and see all of the art that you wish. We could see so much and also make love in every city on Earth." Something inside of him fluttered at the thought.
Kikyo smiled softly. "That latter part suits you best, hmm?" she taunted him.
"Indeed, but you know very well how I feel about seeing art with you, hearing your thoughts. I will take you anywhere you wish to go. We will do anything you wish to do. So, what do you say?" he inquired. He doubted she would turn him down. He really did not care where they went or what they did. He had already seen a great deal of the world and had done most of the things he wanted to do. All that was left was to do everything again, but with Kikyo there. He had the one strong desire of making love to her on every city on Earth, so he figured they needed to get started.
"I would love to go with you, but it would be a bit difficult to explain my disappearance for a long amount of time," she replied. She did have a husband to worry about. He would make inquiries if she vanished without his involvement.
"I can see your point. Your sisters wouldn't cover for you?" he asked.
"Well, I doubt they would approve of me going with you all over the world to make love in every city on Earth," she remarked. Again, she had a husband.
"I can see your point yet again."
"They don't know about us, anyway," Kikyo admitted.
"No?" Well, his family did not know about her, but it was more because he was not in contact with his family in the same manner as she was with hers. "That's all right. I can see why you wouldn't say anything about us. Consider the offer, angel. I won't make any plans until I hear from you."
Kikyo nodded and she thought on it throughout dinner. It was a very tempting offer. She would love to do just about anything with Sesshomaru where she could be outside with him and hold onto him as if he was her husband. It would be a great thing, but how could she get away with such a thing?
She could not up and leave for a week or more. First of all, her sisters would worry about her, even if she called them everyday. They might even suspect something and go after Naraku. She did not want to cause that kind of trouble.
Even without causing the trouble, how could she come up with an excuse to leave the city for a week or longer than that? She thought on it and thought on it hard. She really wanted an excuse to be able to leave with Sesshomaru. She wanted to be with him uninterrupted, pretend, wish, or even more. The funny thing was that Naraku would offer her the chance for that.
One day, Kikyo found Naraku in the apartment bedroom, packing a bag. She craned a curious, elegant ebony eyebrow. She had to ask.
"What are you doing?" the pale woman inquired.
"I have to go on a business trip," he answered.
"A business trip?" she echoed. This was the first she heard of it. It must not be part of a scheme to take down his partner then. What was he up to?
"Yes," he said in a clipped tone. He had a plan working in his mind now that he was established at his firm and he wanted to get to it. He would earn his deserved fortune and gain all the power that he wanted starting with his trip to set things up.
"For how long?" she asked.
"I don't know. A week or two," he answered.
Kikyo practically squealed on the inside. She could not believe what the thought of being with Sesshomaru was doing to her. She made sure to remain composed while Naraku continued to pack. She did not know where he was going and she did not care. She did not care what he had planned, even though she knew she should. When he kept a scheme close to the vest, it was not something to be taken lightly, but he could do plot to his heart's content as far as she was concerned right now. She was going to go with Sesshomaru wherever she wanted to and be with him without having to worry about anything for a week or more. The very idea made her want to giggle and she had to bit her lip to stop.
-8-8-8-8-
Sesshomaru smiled as Kikyo informed him of her free week, or more of they were lucky. She did not know where she wanted to spend that free week, but she did not really care. He was still very much in favor of a vacation.
"We can go wherever you want," he stated as they sat for lunch. He reached over the table, taking her hand. Neither of them cared about being in public. It was not likely her sisters would be there and Naraku could not afford this place.
"I actually would not mind staying in the city, as long as I can be with you," she replied. She tried to fight down a smile, needing to contain herself.
His well-tuned ears could hear her ebullience as she tried to keep her usual tone. Her eyes looked like they were lined with pixie dust. The sight and sound did strange things to his chest, which he did not mind.
"Then, we shall be together until the very last moment," he replied.
Sesshomaru decided on where to take Kikyo. He also decided to call someone to trail Naraku. He wanted to know how long the damned half-demon would be gone precisely. As long as he knew how long the fool hanyou was going to be gone, he knew how long he could keep Kikyo out of the city and enjoy having her to himself. He did not care what so-called business that repulsive half-breed was handling, but his hired shadow might report on it.
The day after Naraku left, Sesshomaru and Kikyo were on a plane headed overseas. It was time to start his desire and her dream. For the trip with his limited knowledge for the moment, he made plans for them to stay in two cities, but if they had more time, he had plans for other cities.
When they landed, Kikyo was asleep. Sesshomaru did not bother with waking her and collected her in his arms. He carried her off of the plane along with their bags. She woke up briefly, in a daze, but he told her to go back to sleep and she did not fight him on that. He had a car waiting for them outside the airport and the driver was aware of the hotel to go to. Sesshomaru held Kikyo throughout the ride with her cuddled into his chest. When they arrived at their destination, he carried her into the lobby of their hotel. He continued to hold her in his arms while checking in.
"That is sweet of you, sir," the desk clerk commented when she saw Sesshomaru holding Kikyo.
Sesshomaru did not respond. He did not want to sit there and talk to a hotel employee about anything. The clerk did not take the hint.
"You don't get many husbands who would rather carry their wives than wake them. She's lucky to have you," the clerk said.
Sesshomaru's face twitched when the clerk referred to Kikyo as his wife; he nearly smiled. A warm feeling spread through his body and settled in any empty spaces. He decided not to be so rude to the clerk now and let her talk. He even thanked her as she gave him the keycard to his room. He made sure to keep good hold on Kikyo as he went up to their suite while the hotel staff brought up their bags. When he was in the room, he eased Kikyo down on the bed and stared at her.
"My wife," Sesshomaru whispered as he gently caressed her cheek. His fingers traveled to her neck. "My mate," he stated.
She was his. He would get her away from that bastard hanyou if it was the last thing that he did. He had to wait, he knew, but it made his teeth itch a little. He wanted her to be his and his alone, right now, forever and always, and he would have her come Hell or high water.
Sesshomaru stopped thinking about it and settled down next to Kikyo. He held her close and fell sleep. When they rose, they were going to be busy.
-8-8-8-8-
Kikyo had both of her arms wrapped around Sesshomaru's limb as they strolled through the halls of a world famous art museum. She seemed so happy, he noted, even though one could not tell from the look on her face. It was the way she held his arm, in a firm, secure grip, but she occasionally ran her fingers across his bicep or tapped against his elbow.
Sesshomaru half-focused on the art around them and half-focused on the males around the place. He noticed more men than he liked eyeing Kikyo. Well, one was too many in his opinion. He supposed he should expect as much. After all, he had a beautiful woman on his arm. But, he was possessive of that woman. She was his and that was that. His attention was drawn to Kikyo when he heard her sigh deeply.
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
"No, I just… I can't believe I'm here with you. Thank you so much," she answered.
"Don't thank me over it. Enjoy the moment," he said. He would. He would enjoy and cherish the entire trip.
"I would enjoy the moment much more if you were willing to give me more than a few words of conversation." She gave him a little smirk.
He chuckled slightly. "You have my full attention."
"I'm sure I do. I'm with you and this is a dream come true."
He almost smiled, understanding what she meant. He did not have to eye any other males. She was there with him. She was happy with him. "Then I will try to offer more conversation and I want you to keep enjoying this."
Kikyo enjoyed the museum. She really could not believe she was overseas, in a famous museum, viewing paintings that she had only seen photos of with the demon that she was had strong feelings for. She would not say she was falling in love, as that was too deep in her opinion, but there was something growing between them.
Sesshomaru would agree with her. Love was not an emotion he would admit to or even consider. He understood and accepted he felt something powerful and deep for her. He accepted that he wanted to be with her, claim her as his own, but he would not for a second ever say he loved her.
In his opinion, love was an emotion for sentimental fools who allowed someone else to control them. He would never allow an emotion or a person control his actions. He was the great Sesshomaru, after all. He was never going to be in love with a person. Well, that was what he told himself.
"What shall we do after this?" he inquired after several hours wandering the vast museum.
"I don't know. This is rather overwhelming," she confessed.
Sesshomaru smiled a bit. He was enjoying his vacation so far just from watching how awed Kikyo was. They continued to cruise the museum until they came to an exit and then they had lunch. Kikyo enjoyed the native flavors and delighted in the meal. To top the evening off before returning to their hotel room, they caught a play. For Kikyo, it was like a dream.
"Sessho, I doubt I could ever thank you enough for this one day, so I don't know what I'm going to do about the rest of the week," Kikyo commented as they stepped off the hotel elevator.
"I'm sure we'll come up with something," he replied with an almost lecherous smirk and he placed his hands on her hips as she opened the door to their suite.
"I'm starting to think you only want me for one thing," she teased him as they entered the room. When she had first woken up and saw where they were staying, it had shocked her. Their suite looked like something out of a movie.
"I do," he informed her.
"And what is that one thing?" she asked him, turning around to face him and hooking her arms around his neck. He kept his hands on her hips and occasionally let them wander further behind her.
"You," he answered in a whisper and he leaned down to steal a small kiss.
"Me?" she asked as if she was skeptical.
"Yes, you," he repeated his words and his actions.
"Interesting," she said. She wanted to believe him.
"I'll bet," he muttered. He was not looking to hold a conversation at the moment.
Sesshomaru claimed Kikyo's mouth with his own in a passionate kiss. She met him with her own zeal. She silently admitted she never wanted a male like she wanted him. Yes, she was still modest to certain extent, but she always tried to meet his desire with her own, meet his fire with her own. There was nothing wrong with that, she told herself. They were adults, after all.
The dog demon hardly thought at all when it came to road they were traveling. He only had one thing on his mind and focused everything on that. He began unbuttoning Kikyo's shirt as he slowly moved them both toward the bed. Although, he could care less than nothing if they made it to the bed or not.
She hissed as his hands came in contact with her skin. He caressed her ribs for a moment or so and then pushed her shirt from her shoulders. He then moved his hands from her ribs to her more fleshy parts. She was like a work of art, he thought.
"So perfect," he whispered against her lips as he removed her bra.
He meant that. She was perfect. Everything about her was perfect from her body to her mind. That was why she was his, because she was perfect and he would tell her every single day if she let him.
"Kikyo," he said.
"Hmm?" she made a noise while leaning in for another kiss, but she was denied.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"Hmm?" she repeated the noise because she was confused on what he was asking and she really just wanted another hot kiss.
"What do you want?" he inquired once more.
"What do you mean?" she countered while trying once again for her kiss, but he was not complying at the moment.
"What do you want? We both know what I want, so what do you want?" he said.
Kikyo understood what he wanted. He desired for her to admit to wanting him, even if it was very obvious from the way that she was behaving. She supposed she could do that. He did it quite often.
"You," she answered the obvious. She wanted him, to be with him, and to spend time with him in any way they could. She wanted to connect with him on every level possible.
"Then you shall have me," he stated.
Sesshomaru leaned down to give Kikyo the burning, but loving kiss she needed. She could feel such emotion in his kiss that her knees went weak. The fact that he was caressing her breasts might have helped in that happening. He gently massaged her skin, being very careful of his claws to make sure he did not accidentally cut her. She did not even think about his talons whenever he touched her because he was so tender when he did it.
"You're so beautiful," he said, kissing her cheek and down her neck. She whimpered as he stepped away and the sound hit him below the belt.
Sesshomaru worked himself out of his shirt while going in for another kiss, keeping her attention. Once he was free of his shirt, he pulled her closer to him to feel her skin against his skin. He groaned deep in his throat as their bodies melted together and she moved against him a little. She wrapped her arms around him again and rubbed his back. She was a lot less shy now than when they had first begun their little affair, he noted.
Sesshomaru's hands wandered down to her pants and unfastened those with practiced ease. He did not let her step out of the pants, but picked her up once the buttons were undone. He carried her to the bed and put her down on the soft, satin sheets. He then removed her pants with such swiftness that one might have thought he ripped the trousers off, but no, the cloth remained intact.
"There are no words," he muttered, drinking in her form.
He was certain he would never get sick of the sight before him, Kikyo completely bare to him, for him. He sometimes saw the image at work when he closed his eyes to blink. There were other odd things, like he could feel her on his fingertips even when she was not around. He could taste her on the tip of his tongue when he was alone and had not seen her all day. It was bizarre, but he did not care. She could invade his mind all she wanted. Hell, he welcomed it. He obviously did not count that as her having some sort of power over him.
Kikyo could understand his predicament. At all hours of the day, she could feel him touching her, kissing her, caressing her. It was an odd thing and even though she enjoyed it, she tried to ignore it. She did not see why her body seemed to feel him when he was not around and she did not think that it was necessary.
Sesshomaru joined Kikyo down on the bed and they proceeded to do the one thing that he wanted to do while on vacation. They went through the night and well into morning. It felt so right when they were together; they could not explain it, but it just felt so completely and totally right when they were together. It was like they were made for each other.
-8-8-8-8-
Next time: the couple is found out. But, by whom?