Chapter 2
Sesshomaru stopped in front of Kagome's apartment door and stared at it, still wondering what the hell he was doing. He lifted his hand to knock, paused, attempted to knock then paused again. And what exactly are you going to say when she opens the door? This newfound pity on the girl was going too far. It wasn't up to him to make things better. After much mental berating, he leaned his head back, sighed and walked away. He descended a few flights of steps until he reached the lobby where a corkboard hung outside of the vestibule of mailboxes. He stopped in front of hers, seeing a yellow note with awful handwriting taped below the lock, and leaned closer to read it though he had to tilt his head and squinch his eyes to do so.
-Need a roommate. I'm nice, clean and very responsible. I don't snore...or I don't think so at least.Must have the same qualities. Call Kagome Higurashi 1-917-555-3255-
He took one last look up the steps, debating whether to go back, then scoffed as he ripped the note off her mailbox and walked out of the building. The last thing he needed in his life was drama.
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Kagome threw herself on the sofa and sobbed into her pillow. She remained soaked and didn't bother to change out of her clothes. She wiped her nose on the pillow and sat upright as she looked around the living room. Inuyasha cheated on me. It felt like a bad dream. With Kikyo! This isn't real. This can't be happening.
Looking over at her phone she noticed the answer machine blinking. She walked over to it, her finger hesitating over the button, praying that it was not Inuyasha but partly hoping that it was him. She gulped back her nerves and braced herself as she pressed the button. There were a few messages from Sango, her voice shaken and pleading for her to call back, she could only assess that it was about Inuyasha. She probably found out from Miroku.
The following message nearly ripped her heart from her chest. It was Inuyasha. She could hear the regret in his voice, the trembling plea for her to forgive him. How could she be so naïve? She was so focused on the future that she never saw the signs that he was straying. But thinking back on her relationship during the last two years, it was now evident. How he constantly took his phone everywhere with him, even to the bathroom, or the way he seemed rushed whenever they got together. Or how he didn't seem interested in being intimate with her, and even the pictures on his social media account were becoming less of them together. There were even moments he would purposely pick fights with her over nonsense. Why didn't she pay attention to the signs? She frowned. Why? BECAUSE SHE TRUSTED HIM! Her cellphone vibrated in her pocket and she pulled it out to see several texts from Inuyasha begging her to call him back. Like hell she would!
As much as she was hurting, she needed to direct her attention to other things. Hopefully this new job would help her achieve the goals she'd set out for herself. But doubt started to settle in. Perhaps she was a little too confident that she'd get the job making her feel presumptuous that she quit her other job without getting confirmation of being hired. She looked around the empty apartment feeling lonely, pondering whether she should go see her friends, but they'd probably just badmouth Inuyasha the entire time and she just didn't want to think about him. Her body became clammy and cold as she dawdled to the bathroom to peel off her wet clothes. After a long hot shower, she decided to unpack the rest of her boxes. She barely got one box opened before she noticed a voicemail on her cellphone. She scanned the missed call log and saw an unknown number with a pending message. She felt the ball forming in her throat as she pressed the button to play it.
'Hi, this message is for Kagome Higurashi regarding your interview for the Executive assistant position at Crescent Corp. I regret to inform you that we decided on another candidate. The CEO felt you lacked the necessary requirements. We will keep your resume on file should another opportunity arise.'
Kagome clasped her palm over her forehead as she dropped her head and sobbed. This couldn't be happening. What was she going to do now? How was she going to afford this apartment? She grabbed a throw pillow from the couch, screamed into it, and hurled it out the window. A cat screeched and hissed as it knocked a garbage can to the side.
"Crap." Kagome groaned. "I just bought that pillow too."
Her knees gave in and she collapsed to the ground in defeat, how can her luck turn out like this? She had no car, no boyfriend, and no job apparently and soon, no apartment. She couldn't ask her mother for money because it would then prove her right, that she wasn't ready to be an adult. She'd compare her to Kikyo and how she was more responsible and well off. She shook her head, wiped the tears running down her face and wandered over to the entertainment center. One of the CD cases of Inuyasha's recent album lied open on one of the shelves. Kagome grabbed it and looked at the back of the case, reading the list of songs.
-Living deception
-Hidden emotion
-Dirty Dirtbag
-She doesn't know
-I can't help it
The red flags couldn't have been more apparent.
"ARE YOU FUCKIN' KIDDING ME!" Kagome chucked the case to the side. It broke in two as it crashed against the wall.
His entire album was inspired by his infidelity. If only she listened to the lyrics, really listened to it, she would have known sooner. Instead of dancing around to it every morning in her pajamas. How could I have been so stupid. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.
She rubbed the rest of her sadness away from her eyes and collected herself quickly before reaching for the doorknob. It didn't occur to her to look through the peephole before opening the door. She pried it wide open, saw a guilt-ridden Inuyasha slumped before her and tried to slam it shut before he blocked it with his hand.
"Kagome, wait, please." He begged.
"You must be out of your mind." She struggled to close the door but he was too strong. "Go away, you asshole!"
"Kagome, please…just listen to me. I-"
Kagome didn't have the strength to close the door on him. She let go of the door and he followed her inside.
"Look...I know you don't want to talk to me…but I needed to talk to you."
"For what? What's there to talk about? I caught you cheating. End of story."
"but…I owe you an explanation." He muttered.
"what is that going to do exactly?"
"I…don't know, Kagome. I'm just so…torn."
"Don't you think you've hurt me enough?" Kagome scoffed and plopped herself down on the couch.
"Kagome…I didn't mean for you to find out like this. We were going to tell you so-"
"We? So now you're a 'WE'?" Kagome bolted up from the couch and stormed toward the window. "How long have you guys been a WE"
Inuyasha didn't respond. He shamefully bowed his head, folding his hands over his lap as he sat down on the couch.
"Kagome…"
"How long, damnit!" she screeched as she grabbed a glass figurine, given to her by her late grandfather, and heaved it at the ground. Glass shattered across the floor and she immediately regretted it.
"Since the end of Junior year..." he murmured, lifting his culpable gaze to meet hers.
Kagome was at a loss of words. She absentmindedly paced around the room as it resonated in her mind. She felt her body tremble with rage.
"For a year and half?" her voice broke. "and you were going to tell me soon?"
Inuyasha buried his head into his hands and bit his lip as his eyes glistened with guilty tears.
"It just happened, Kagome you and I were having our problems...and.."
"What problems?" Kagome whimpered. " Why wasn't I wasn't aware we had problems?"
" We were always apart." Inuyasha yelled. "You weren't there when I needed you...and-"
"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" Kagome marched over to him and whipped her index finger at him. "You have the nerve to make this my fault? I was always putting you before everything! I missed out on prom to go to your show! I suggested to put college aside so I can tour with you! Everything I was doing, was for you! I just don't get how you can do this to me." she choked. "and to your brother especially!"
" half-brother." he corrected, then winced when she gave him a look.
"Oh, does that make it acceptable? Because he's not your full brother? You're a piece of shit."
"Come on, Kagome, it's not like I intended to do this!"
"Inuyasha, can you just answer one thing…" she prepared herself. " Do you...Do you love her?"
Inuyasha parted his lips to speak then shrugged. "I…I don't know, Kagome. I'm, I'm just so damn confused!"
"Confused?" Kagome snorted. "Do you expect me to feel bad for you? Show sympathy? Honestly, Inuyasha, what was your intention on coming here? Because it's clearly not to make things right."
"I'm just torn, Kagome. I love you so much, but…I just don't know what to do. Kikyo…she, well, she…"
"Ugh, just stop. Please, I beg you. Stop talking. I'll make it easy for you." She said, pulling him up from the couch and walking him to the door. "I want nothing to do with you. There, that should make you less confused."
"Babe, stop."
Kagome grimaced. "Don't call me that. I'm serious, you disgust me."
"Don't do this, Kagome, please, we've been together for five years, we can't just end like this!" he cried.
"You should have thought about that before you fucked my sister, Inuyasha." Kagome swallowed the bile coming up her throat from the bitter words seeping into her mouth. The more she thought about it, the more nauseous she got.
"Kagome…"
"I don't ever want to see you again. If you call me, or come here, I will call the cops on you!" she slammed the door in his face before he could say another word.
What a jerk! He came all the way there to seek pity from her infuriating her more than before. She wanted to break everything in her house. She looked at the broken figurine on the floor and shook her head as she stormed toward the bathroom and gripped the sink to collect herself. More tears trickled down her cheek as she looked up at her reflection in the mirror. Kikyo, she thought. No, I don't look like her! I don't. She didn't expect what happened next as the rage hovered over her like a puppeteer, pulling at the invisible strings attached to her arms.
"No!' she shouted and punched her fists into the mirror. Glass shattered onto the floor. She winced feeling shards of glass cut into her hands and wrist; blood dribbled down her arm onto the sink snapping her out of her state of psychosis. The stinging immediately settled in as she turned on the water and threw her hands underneath it. Shit! The cuts continued to burn as she tilted her hand underneath the cold stream. She continued to cringe as she pulled out tiny shards from her skin.
Never had she experienced such irrational outburst, she needed to calm down. She was not going to let some guy cause her a meltdown. After a few minutes of tending to her lacerations with a first aid kit, she cleaned up the glass and caught one last look of her reflection in a broken piece of the mirror. She did resemble Kikyo somehow. Although they were fraternal twins, they still had strong resemblances, mostly in the length of their hair and small upright nose. Kikyo's small eyes were black, like her soul. Hers were a dark gray and much wider and round. She rummaged into a draw, grabbed a pair of scissors, and started chopping away at her hair over the toilet. Long soft tendrils landed on the floor and toilet. She pulled out an old box of hair dye from one of her boxes, probably six years old after an impulsive buy in which she thought she had the guts to create a more daring look. However, she never changed her locks and the box collected dust within her toiletries. Dark red berry. She scoffed, whatever, anything to not look like her. The expired color could turn her hair orange for all she cared at this breaking point of her life.
She grabbed a handheld mirror from the closet and stared at the choppy bob. There was no intention to go this short but what was done was done. Mixing the hair dye, she started to rub the liquid from the bottle onto her hair. Massaging the mix into her scalp, she assessed her shitty situation and tried to come to a solution. At least she had the money that Kikyo owed her, she thought. That would buy her time until she found another job. There was at least that, however, it could have been because of all the negative turnabouts within the last three hours which compelled her to go to the living room to check her jacket pocket.
She lifted the jacket from the couch and rummaged through the pockets, her throat instantly becoming dry not feeling anything inside. No, my luck can't be that bad. No, no, no. But it was that bad. She felt the tearing inside her pocket and turned it inside out to see a large hole. The envelope must have fallen out.
Whatever remaining hope she had held onto dissipated into thin air. She had less than a month to come up with rent. The rest of her savings after paying for the first month and security was squandered on décor and furniture. How was she to pay? She trudged over to the kitchen counter, grabbed the bottle of wine that was intended to celebrate upon moving in and didn't bother with a glass. Popping the cork open, she started to laugh or sob, she couldn't quite tell, and drank straight from the bottle as she drifted over to the couch. She sat down, leaned her wet dyed hair onto the cushion seat and cursed at herself for doing so. After a few seconds, she shrugged it off. Her life turned to complete shit, what did it matter?
After an hour, she washed the dye out of her hair and twisted her lips, mildly content at the turnout. The dark red choppy bob gave her a bit of edge. It was the slightest change but a vast difference; now she looked nothing like Kikyo. Kikyo… She seethed through her sips of wine as she shook her head at the situation. Her twin sister slept with her boyfriend. This is some Jerry Springer shit.
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Sesshomaru contemplated deeply as he tapped his pen absentmindedly against the table. The coffee shop was busy with patrons, but his thoughts silenced out the disturbances. One of the waitresses walked over to him and set his espresso down before him in the slowest manner, hoping to gain acknowledgement of any kind. When he didn't bother acknowledging her, she frowned and walked away. His thoughts strayed on Kagome, wondering where she had been. She hadn't been to the coffee shop in two months, not that he cared but it was noticed. Kagome would stop in twice a day for her caramel macchiatos. It seemed her friends were concerned about her absence as well. His keen hearing picked up on Sango commenting her concerns to Miroku, Koga and Hojo sitting few tables away from him. The last time he saw her was the day of the 'incident.'
"How many times do I have to tell you, I didn't know!" He heard Miroku complain. "I had a feeling."
"and if you knew…would you have told her?" Sango eyed him suspiciously. "And why didn't you mention these feelings?"
"Do you want to make me feel any worse?" Miroku scoffed. "I didn't want to take sides and once I found out from Ari, when she said she caught Inuyasha and Kikyo making out in the car, I told you."
"Take sides? Inuyasha was the wrong one here!" she gritted. "Kagome doesn't even go out anymore, every time I go to her house, she won't get off the damn couch! The place is a mess, she looks like she has not been eating and she never locks her door, I am worried, you know that neighborhood is so sketchy!"
"She's heartbroken." Koga added, biting into his sandwich. "You need to leave her alone."
"I get that." Sango sighed. "But she looks miserable. She chopped off her hair and I'm telling you, I don't think she's working. I stopped by the other day and saw an eviction notice on her door."
"I thought she had that job at, what was it, Crescent Corp?"
Crescent Corp? Sesshomaru frowned. Kagome applied to his company? He pulled his laptop toward him and looked into his emails, his intern Hiten had sent him a few suggestions for his executive assistant position. He remembered Hiten talking about one woman but once he mentioned she had no experience, Sesshomaru had denied her application. He hadn't bothered looking at the name on the resume. After a typing away and going through the list of suggestions, he saw Kagome's name on the list, and that he denied her the position.
Damn it, he thought. So it was his fault that she was jobless after moving to a new apartment? No, it was not his problem, he dismissed. Why would she move into a new apartment when she didn't have a job in line?
"She's also drinking a lot." He heard Sango say. He looked up and noticed she was staring his way. He cleared his throat and went back to his laptop.
"Her boyfriend of five years cheated on her with her twin sister." Koga pointed out. "Let's be happy she didn't jump off a roof."
"Koga!" Miroku, Sango and Hojo reprimanded.
"What? Come on, it's the truth!" he replied defensively and looked toward the entrance of the coffee shop. "Oh shit, you won't believe who's coming in right now."
"What? Oh...she has some nerve..." Sango growled.
Sesshomaru followed their gaze and saw Kikyo enter the coffee shop and walk toward him, perkily, as if nothing ever happened. She sat across from him, flashed a grin and removed her sunglasses.
"Thought you'd be sulking over me but here you are, acting like you don't give a shit."
"because I don't." Sesshomaru replied. "What are you doing here?"
"Give Kagome a message: Bring back what's mine. She'll know what I'm talking about."
"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Sesshomaru scoffed. "or ask her friends over there, why are you asking me?"
"Figured you'd be with her, you know, with the opportunity arising and all." Kikyo snarled. Sesshomaru closed his laptop, got up and left the coffee shop. Kikyo followed right after him. "Why haven't you called me?"
Sesshomaru didn't respond as he walked toward his car and got in.
"I'm talking to you, damn it!" she shouted, blocking him from closing the car door on her.
"What's your point?" he hissed.
"You don't even care, do you?"
" I do not."
"Don't you want to know why?" she cried.
"No." he said. "I have satisfied myself with my own assumptions."
"I made a mistake!" Kikyo wailed. "Let's work this out."
"I do not care to work things out." He looked at the car door. "Please let the door go."
"You think I didn't see it? The way you acted when she was around? You made me feel unloved!"
Sesshomaru expelled a heavy sigh and tilted his head back against the car seat. He gripped onto the steering wheel and glared at her.
"Recite your excuses to someone who cares." He uttered impatiently.
"Don't you love me at all?" she sniffed. "Did you ever?"
Sesshomaru gripped the wheel tighter and clenched his teeth. He inhaled deeply then cast an impatient look at her.
"Your silence is telling me you don't." she lowered her head.
"Splendid, now that you have your answer." Sesshomaru gestured to the door. "I ask one last time."
"You are such a cold jerk! I hate you! I don't regret anything I did!"
"There it is. The truth." He chuckled dryly. "I almost thought you didn't possess the quality."
"Come on, Sesshomaru, we've been together for a long time. I messed up, give me a chance to make it up to you?"
"And Inuyasha?" he asked, not that he even considered it but curiosity took a hold of him.
"He was…just a fling. It wasn't serious. I don't love him."
"Well, that is unfortunate for you, I guess. I have moved on." He started the car and flickered his gaze at her and the door.
"You're dating someone else already?"
"We're not all like you, Kikyo. You're beginning to try my patience; I have things to attend to."
"Fine!" she growled as she released the car door. She barely slammed the door before Sesshomaru peeled out, hitting her face with smoke from the exhaust. She coughed and looked into the coffee shop to see a curious Sango, Miroku, Koga and Hojo peering at her and laughing. This was not going accordingly to plan. Inuyasha had not called her since that day they were caught and now she didn't have Sesshomaru. She needed their financial cushion, especially since she owed Naruto all that money. She placed her sunglasses on, waved at the coffee shop at the nosy bunch and walked away.
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Sesshomaru sighed as he stopped at a red light. He gazed straight ahead trying to collect his thoughts and plan out his day. Not knowing what was bothering him, he recapped his life in a nutshell. He owned the largest corporation in the city, he was on the top list for wealthiest man under 25. Despite his relationship with Kikyo, he knew he wouldn't have trouble finding another girl but he had no interest in this at the moment. So, what the hell was bothering him?
A tow truck stopped beside him lugging a familiar car on the back. It was Kagome's ugly Frankenstein mobile. She must have left the car at Kikyo's this entire time. The light turned green and he didn't notice until the people behind him honked relentlessly for him to go. Why did she leave that car behind? She loved that car, though he hadn't the slightest idea why. He remembered the day she got it, she was ecstatic and boasting about the piece of crap in the coffee shop. What was she up to, he thought and grew annoyed that he was even thinking about her.
He decided to stop at his father's estate to change his clothes. Not that he couldn't afford to live on his own but he was being too picky with the selections his realtor presented him. He often turned down the options that his realtor seemed to be avoiding him at this point. Sesshomaru frowned as he turned into the driveway of the three-floor mansion and saw Inuyasha's car. What was he doing here, he thought.
He snatched his laptop and briefcase and got out of the car, his eyes searching for him. He walked inside where he heard laughing and met eyes with his father and Inuyasha. Inuyasha gulped and looked away trying not to avoid his gaze.
"What are you doing here?" Sesshomaru didn't bother greeting anyone.
"Is that any way to greet your brother?" his father asked.
"It's a method I've grown to love." Sesshomaru uttered mordantly.
"Inuyasha's coming back to live with us." his father said proudly. "Isn't that great news?"
"What happened to the condo?" Sesshomaru questioned suspiciously.
Inuyasha's brows twitched as it formed a scowl. "It doesn't make sense for me to live there when I'm always touring."
Sesshomaru continued to stare suspiciously at his half breed brother, he knew he was lying. There was another reason.
"Of course, you can come back home." his father grinned. Their father hadn't been right in the head since Inuyasha's mother passed, and he was in a constant state of denial that he didn't notice how much they hated each other. When Inuyasha became famous, he didn't wait a second to leave the house, and their father didn't take the departure very well. There was no way he could stay in this house with Inuyasha without murdering him in the middle of the night. For the sake of their father, Sesshomaru scoffed and went to change his clothes. On the way back out, Inuyasha followed him.
"We need to talk."
"If you value your face, Inuyasha, I suggest you stay out of my way."
Inuyasha sucked his teeth and stopped at the doorway as Sesshomaru got into his car. He turned the car, placed a cigarette in between his lips and answered his phone seeing his realtor on the screen.
"I take it you have something for me." Sesshomaru pinched the bridge of his nose as he reversed out of the driveway.
"Not quite." His realtor answered nervously. "I was calling to see if perhaps we could revisit your terms. They're quite limiting."
"You fail me." Sesshomaru snorted. "I thought you were the best."
"My Lord, I assure you I am."
"Then do not call me again until you have something, and make haste, I need something immediately." Sesshomaru glanced at Inuyasha through the rearview mirror as he drove out of the estate.
He hung up the phone and threw it to the passenger seat and did a double take at the folded piece of paper lying on top of it. It was Kagome's ad for a roommate. He kept his eyes on the road, intermittently reading the note. A sudden thought crossed his mind as he found himself driving over to her apartment building.
When he got there, he observed the building more carefully. Having been here a few weeks ago, he hadn't regarded it with any interest but today, he observed its amenities, or lack thereof, with great disdain. He wasn't this desperate, was he? The building was far from condemned but a few more years of neglect would indeed catapult it in that direction. There was no doorman, no elevator and no parking lot. He sighed and dismissed the negativities as he made his way to her apartment. This wasn't permanent anyway.
He walked up a few flights as he heard people bickering in the hallway. When he got to her floor, a lady in a fuzzy robe and white slippers shuffled passed him.
"That girl is a hot mess! Late on the rent, doesn't lock her door, telling you, someone will kill her one day!" the lady coughed as she walked downstairs. "Hope they do, it will save me from doing the job."
Sesshomaru ignored her and walked towards her door. He saw a paper taped to her door with "Eviction notice" written across it. He ripped it off and knocked gently. There wasn't an answer, so he knocked again, this time louder. Still no answer. He cupped his palm over the doorknob and quietly turned it. Annoyed that it was unlocked, he turned it completely and pushed it open. He paused in the doorway and was shocked by the state the apartment was in. Take out boxes of Chinese food and Pizza were scattered across the floor, clothes thrown over furniture. As he treaded into the apartment, he passed the kitchen where a mountain of dishes were stacked up and piling over the counter. It was unkempt beyond belief and the trash can smelled like it hadn't been taken out in days. The TV was on loud and he walked towards the living room to see Kagome on the couch sleeping with the remote in her hand, snoring. He scoffed as he snatched it from her hands and turned off the TV.
Kagome woke up startled and jerked back in the couch.
"What are you doing here?" she rubbed her eyes and looked around perplexedly.
"Is this not your ad, 'I'm nice, clean, responsible and don't snore'?" he said as he read the paper aloud and looked around the apartment. "Someone should sue you for false advertisement."
"How'd you get in here?" Kagome asked, her hair sticking up, smudged makeup around her eyes and he could smell the alcohol on her breath even a few feet away.
"Your door was open." he said, shaking his head. "This is a disaster."
"So, you thought you'd just let yourself in and what…judge me?" she scoffed, picking up a soda can beside the couch and guzzling it.
"This is pathetic and unlike you." He scoffed.
"unlike me?" Kagome snorted. "oh, you know me so well, from what? Exchanging maybe five words in the entire five years we knew each other?"
This wasn't a good idea, he thought but he swallowed his reasoning and looked at her. "I am interested in the room."
Kagome cocked a brow at him and chuckled. "You're kidding, right?"
"I don't…kid."
Kagome waited for him to say he was joking and when he didn't, she flailed her hands at him. "You live in a mansion!"
"I have my reasons, now is the offer still available or not?"
"The offer is long expired, if you haven't noticed, I'm being evicted."
"Do you not care?" he asked.
"Why should I? Besides, there is nothing I can do about it. Soda?" she picked another can from the floor and handed it to him.
"No thank you." he cleared his throat. " This is quite disappointing."
"What is, the offer?"
"No. You. Tell me this is not your silly way to mourn for your loss? I have seen crack dens in better conditions."
"Ugh, can you just go now. I really don't need you to come all the way down here and talk shit about how I'm living."
"I want to see the room." He added, impatiently.
"Why don't you just wait for the apartment to be vacant? I have to leave by the end of the week anyway."
"If you couldn't afford the rent, why didn't you move back home?"
Kagome glowered at him. "What's with the third degree? I didn't want my mother throwing it in my face that two months after moving out, I failed, okay?"
"How about I pay what you owe, and you rent me your room." Sesshomaru stared at his nails, unable to see the conflict. Here he was, saving her, and she didn't want it. Yet, her humility didn't surprise him, she was definitely no Kikyo.
"No thanks, I don't want your charity." Kagome rolled her eyes as she turned on the TV. "What's with this desperation? This is so unlike you."
"Oh, now you know me?" he emitted a dry laugh.
Kagome bit her lip and looked at the television. "I don't like to owe anyone anything."
"So don't. You want to pay me back when you get a job, suit yourself. You are making this more complicated than it has to be. Let me see the room." he started for the hallway and she sprung up the couch to follow him.
"Wait!" she said. "Hold up, you can't just-"
"Is this the vacant room?" he pointed as he opened it. He scanned it quickly and looked over his shoulder at her in disbelief. "My bathroom is bigger than this."
"This is the master bedroom." Kagome crossed her arms.
"How sad." he scoffed and walked back down the hallway.
"See, I told you, not your-"
"I will move in this afternoon." He said and her eyes widened. He examined the living room and scoffed at the mismatch furniture. The kitchen didn't have a table or any appliances.
"Excuse me!" Kagome blocked him. He stared down at her with an acerbic expression. She was petite, barely at the level of his chest. They were closer than they have ever been, and this new perspective made him regard her features differently. She had pouty lips and the most innocent eyes, he couldn't help notice.
"Where do you get off just coming into my apartment and running the damn place?"
"Don't be so combative, Kagome."
Kagome tucked her chin into her chest as he locked his ambers eyes on her.
"You should be nice to those who help you." he smirked. "Oh...and for someone who doesn't pay their rent, you certainly have a lot of fast food lying around."
" I didn't want to starve!" she orated but he walked past her.
"Your priorities astound me." he chuckled. "I expect this place rid of this mess when I get back. This is certainly no way a lady should live."
"Bite me!"
"I mean it, clean this place up." He said as he walked toward the door. Kagome followed him, crossing her arms and pouting like a child. Opening the door, he held it in his hand and gazed over his shoulder at her. "Lock the door behind me."
Kagome tried to contest but instead stammered in place as he closed the door behind him. She took in how random it was for Sesshomaru to not only show up at her apartment but to move in? In some way, she was glad because she wouldn't be evicted, there was nowhere else for her to go, but living with Sesshomaru? This was too weird. She could honestly say that was the last thing she expected in life to happen. Walking back to the living room, she stopped and inspected it as mortification hit her like a ton of bricks. This place was disgusting. It was as if she had just woken up from a nightmare and it took Sesshomaru to show up for her to realize the devastated state she'd fallen into. She had been so consumed with thoughts of revenge against Kikyo and Inuyasha not considering the neglect on herself and her surroundings it was causing. A sudden burst of motivation and energy coursed through her body as she grabbed a trash bag and started throwing everything out. She washed the dishes, cleaned the counters and took the trash out. After two hours, the place was cleaned. The apartment smelled of cleaning products, so she pried open all the windows to air out the chemicals while she jumped into the shower.
Sesshomaru showed up around 5pm along with movers. Kagome sat on the couch as men with hand trucks rolled in a four-poster bed, shiny oak dressers and shelves, and boxes of silverware and glasses. Two men picked up the couch she was on and she huffed.
"What are you guys doing?"
"Your boyfriend said to throw out the couches."
"He is not my boyfriend! Leave the couches please!" she growled as she marched toward him. "What are you doing?
"What do you mean?" Sesshomaru was on his iPad, an earpiece plugged into his ear. "Freeze the account then and call him to discuss the penalties."
"You are trying to get rid of my couches!" Kagome crossed her arms.
"Yes." He said, removing his earpiece. "What is the problem?"
"Why are you trying to get rid of them?"
Sesshomaru looked up from his iPad. "I'm replacing them with ones that actually match."
"I like my couches! I bought them myself!" Kagome argued.
"You actually paid for that?" Sesshomaru pointed with disbelief and put the earpiece back into his ear. "No, raise the prices, money is no option for that man." Noticing Kagome wasn't leaving his side, he sighed. "they look like you fished them from the garbage. Besides, what is that red stain, blood?"
"It's hair dye, and I intentionally was going for the mismatched look." She scoffed. "Sorry it doesn't suit your hoity toity style, but they are staying!"
"The couches I bought were hand stitched from Italy." he argued, then went back to his earpiece. "Forward me the invoices."
"Then what a waste because they are not coming in here." Kagome said with finality. He jerked his head back frustratedly then waved his hands.
"Very well." Sesshomaru gave in not wanting to fight. "Leave the couches." he looked back down at his tablet.
Kagome grumbled under her breath as she went to hide in her room for most of the evening, ignoring the clatter the movers were making. After a few hours, everything was silent, and she could hear the movers outside packing up the trucks and leaving. When she walked out of her bedroom, her mouth nearly dropped to the floor. It was as if she entered a new apartment. Aside from her couches, everything was new. There was a different entertainment center, a huge flat screen mounted on the wall, a bistro table in the kitchen and a six-seater dining room table outside of it. A faux fireplace was at the opposite side of the living room. Red velvet drapes covered the windows. Wandering over to the kitchen, she opened the cupboards to see finely stacked plates and matching glassware. Silverware that was actually made of silver were in a marble case inside one of the drawers. A state-of-the-art microwave, toaster oven and espresso machine were setup for use on top of the counter beside the refrigerator.
"Temporary? " Kagome scoffed.
Sesshomaru walked out of the bathroom, freshly showered in a casual white t-shirt and dark gray sweats. It was the first time she'd ever seen him without a suit or button down. She could smell his cologne from a few feet away.
"Please, make yourself at home." She added.
"I don't intend to." Sesshomaru smirked then walked past her.
"You made my apartment look like a museum!" Kagome sighed.
"Better a museum then a squalor." He taunted her with a half grin as he passed her to go to the kitchen.
"Don't be an ass." She rolled her eyes as she followed him.
"So how much longer do you intend on being a vagrant? Have you made efforts in applying to jobs?"
Kagome sheepishly looked away from him and shrugged. "I will find something. I have been…sidetracked but I'll start looking tomorrow morning. Like I said, I intend to pay you back."
"If you are interested, I have a job for you."
"What…kind of job?" she shot him a wary glance.
"Executive assistant at my company."
"You have a company?" Kagome snorted. "Thought you lived off of daddy's money."
Sesshomaru glowered. "For your information, I invested my entire trust fund when I was eighteen and quadrupled my fortune. You may have heard of my company, Crescent Corp."
"Crescent Corp? Are you kidding me? I interviewed there."
"Yes…" he cleared his throat knowing what would come next.
"You ass! I was really counting on that position and you denied me!"
"Yes," he sighed. "In my defense, I didn't know it was you."
"Unbelievable."
"Well, I retract my decision if you're still interested. My new assistant quit anyway."
"Gee, I wonder why." Kagome muttered sarcastically.
"Was that an attempt to insult someone who is trying to help you?" he said as he turned on the espresso machine.
Kagome bit her lip. He was right. Here he was, helping her with the rent and offering her a job and she couldn't turn off her defenses.
"Well, you said I didn't have the experience. What would I be doing, fetching your dry cleaning?"
"You believe me to be some tyrant." He laughed. "I have someone else to do that. You would be managing my calendar, filing reports, travel arrangements, screen calls, oversee other clerical staff members, drafting correspondence. I must warn you, there are days it can be very time consuming, though mostly it won't be. You leave when I leave and stay when I do."
It could be that too much had happened in the last few hours that reality could not set in. She stopped beside him, looked up and he met her gaze.
"What?"
"I'm sorry…I really must call bullshit. None of this is making sense to me. For five years, you and I barely said a word to each other, it is clear as day that you've always hated me and now you move in here, offer me a job, I mean, what gives?"
"I don't know why you think I hate you..." He sighed. "You'd have to be significant for me to have an opinion."
Kagome ignored his rash comments. She'd come to find out in the last few hours that sarcasm and cynicism was Sesshomaru's innate ways to communicate. "Are you not telling me something? I'm not trying to sound ungrateful, but I just didn't expect this."
"What did you expect?" he said as he set down two cups and poured the espresso in it. He placed one down for her and one for himself. She glanced between him and the cup perplexedly.
"I don't know actually. Not all of this, that's for sure. You know it's almost 10pm, and you're making espressos?"
"I sleep just fine after drinking it." He shrugged.
"Me too." She smirked then grabbed the cup. She took a sip and moaned. "Oh my god, this is so good, I haven't had coffee in weeks."
"I know." Sesshomaru uttered then mentally scolded himself when she looked at him. "I mean, I usually see you in the coffee shop and your absence was noticed is all. Well, good night." he threw his cup into the dishwasher.
"Night..." Kagome watched him meticulously as he meandered out of the kitchen. He turned to her.
"Are you…accepting the position for executive assistant?" he asked, over his shoulder.
"Um…yeah, I'd like to give it a try."
"Good." He said. "Then I suggest you get rest. We have to leave at 7am."
Gross, Kagome thought. No one should get up before 9am. It should be a law, but instead she flashed a motivated smile.
"Sounds…good."
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Kagome looked at the clock and groaned. It was 5:30 in the morning. She could hear Sesshomaru getting out of the shower and rustling about. Forcing herself out of bed, she searched through the boxes for something to wear. She'd been living there for two months and still haven't hung her clothes in the closet. She'd have to do that when she got back before Sesshomaru could comment on her 'priorities' one more time. She set a black pencil dress on her bed and shuffled toward the bathroom. Still yawning and rubbing her face, she hadn't notice Sesshomaru when she entered the bathroom. He was standing over the sink, a towel wrapped around his waist. She immediately shut her eyes but she looked long enough to see his abs, chiseled chest and arms.
"I am so sorry." She threw her hand over her eyes.
"For what?"
She had averted her gaze downward but managed to see his abs again as he walked by her. "My apologies, I think the hot water ran out."
Even though Kagome heard the door close, she didn't want to open her eyes. She felt like she was blushing, her face was so hot. She shook her head of the mental image of him half naked, surprised at how fit he was. After she finished taking a shower, she passed him on the way to the bedroom. He acknowledged her briefly, his gaze landing on her exposed collarbone.
"Would you like some coffee?" he asked, quickly looking away when she looked at him.
"Yes, please..." she begged as she entered her room to change into her dress. She grabbed a pair of black heels she had bought for her interview and donned them on as she quickly added some mascara and pink lip gloss. She sprayed a musky perfume onto her neck and examined herself in the full body mirror in front of her. Not bad, she marveled. It was the first time in months that she wasn't wearing pajamas or sweats. She tussled her bob around, massaging her scalp for volume and made her way to the kitchen.
Sesshomaru pulled on his cigarette and looked up from his iPad when she strolled in.
"How do I look?" she turned around.
He started his gaze at her legs and trailed up her body. She looked amazing. The dress clung to her curves in all of the right places and her face looked fresh for the first time, in what he can only imagine, months.
"Fine." He said and looked back down at his iPad.
Kagome frowned. "Just fine? Why are you smoking inside? That's gross."
Sesshomaru immediately put it out on the ashtray. "There, satisfied?"
Kagome walked over to the table and sat beside him. The scent of her perfume awoken an unexpected arousal as she reached over and pulled a cigarette from the box.
"What are you doing?" he snapped out of it and glared.
"Smoking..." she said, lighting the cigarette.
"You don't smoke." he spat.
"I'm thinking of starting." She said. Before she could take a pull, he snatched it from her lips and snapped the cigarette in two. He dusted the tobacco off his fingers.
"What the hell?" she scoffed.
"It doesn't suit you." He said as he drank the rest of his espresso and got up. "Let's get going."
Kagome cast a frustrated look at him as she drank her espresso and followed him out of the apartment.
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Everyone at Crescent Corp was surprised to see their CEO in. Sesshomaru barely made a presence in the last couple of months with his lead chairman Naraku taking over yet everyone kept their pleasantries short and made themselves look busy all day, though, they all wondered why he and his new executive came in together. Sesshomaru left Kagome to figure out how to do her tasks on her own. Her desk was outside of his office, at an angle where she could see him when the door was kept open. A few clerks were nice enough to teach her a few things and show her where the cafeteria was. It was a long first day, with Sesshomaru in and out of meetings. It was 9pm by the time they finished and went home. Again, his employees watched him and her leave in the same car and they started to make assumptions and rumors. When they got home, Kagome took her heels off by the door. She limped toward her room to change into a cropped t-shirt and shorts.
"How the hell do you do this every day?" she rubbed her bare stomach and he found himself watching her discreetly.
"I haven't been to the office in a while, so I was behind on a lot. It is normally not this long. We are usually out by five." He said, still watching her as she rubbed her head and threw herself on the couch. Her shorts rose, exposing part of her buttocks and she adjusted her shorts right away after noticing. Sesshomaru went to his bedroom to change and when he came back out, he found himself sneaking looks at her legs and arched back. A mental image popped into his mind of him removing her shorts and he immediately brushed it off as he took a seat in the armchair beside her and opened his laptop.
"We haven't had dinner. I'm so hungry, are you?"
Sesshomaru was about to respond when a knock came at the door. He looked to Kagome who looked at him and shrugged.
"Are you going to answer it?" he asked.
"Ugh, I really don't want to. Can you, pretty please?" she batted her lashes at him. He rolled his eyes and walked toward the door. Should they get a butler? No, Kagome wouldn't like the idea and the apartment was small enough as it is.
He opened the door and stared into the eyes of a very confused Sango. She stepped back, looked at the door number and looked back at him.
"I know this is the apartment, but this can't be right." she looked over his shoulder.
Kagome heard her voice from the hallway.
"Sango! Come in!" she yelled.
Sesshomaru moved to the side allowing her to enter but she hesitated and walked in without taking her eyes off of him. She looked at Kagome and then around the apartment. The place looked different and clean.
"Uh..." Sango laughed nervously. " I came by to say what's up since I haven't seen you..."
Sesshomaru closed the door and walked past her. " I'm retiring for the night" he said as he headed to his room.
"You don't want dinner?" Kagome asked.
"Not hungry." He said and closed the door behind him.
Sango dropped her mouth, flailed her arms and rushed to Kagome.
"What the hell is going on, why is Sesshomaru here?" she whispered tersely, still looking over her shoulder in disbelief.
"He's living here." Kagome said, nonchalantly.
"Living here? Sesshomaru? You're kidding?"
"No, I'm not kidding."
"Seriously, Kagome, is he keeping you hostage?"
Kagome laughed. "What? Why would he do that?"
"Kagome, don't joke." Sango whispered. "Blink once for yes."
Kagome snorted as she got up to go to the kitchen for something to eat. "Sango, I'm telling the truth. He lives here."
"Ok, why would he do that, Kagome? This isn't exactly his type of living style. You're telling me he ditched his lifestyle of the rich and famous for the slums?"
"My apartment isn't that bad!" Kagome giggled.
"You really can tell me if he is keeping you prisoner."
"Sango, stop. Ok? He isn't. I don't know why he moved here. Yes, it's weird but he offered to pay for the room and I was behind on rent. I didn't have a job and I didn't want to lose my apartment along with everything else." Kagome's jaw tightened as she searched the fridge for something edible.
"You could have asked me, Kagome. I would have helped you, you know that right? What do you mean, didn't have a job, do you have one now?" Sango sat down at the table. " This is nice..." she rubbed the red oak table.
"Yeah, he offered me one at his company as his assistant."
"He offered you a job too?" Sango shook her head. "I feel like I entered the twilight zone." She watched Kagome quietly as she made herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm just fine..." Kagome ignored her gaze, but she could tell without looking that Sango was pitying her. It was one of the main reasons she stopped going out. Everyone pitied her and not once, could people stop talking about Inuyasha or try to setting her up on a date.
"Want a sandwich?"
Sango shifted in her seat. " No, I'm ok, thanks. Well, like I said, I stopped by because you haven't called me. But I'm glad to see you're doing better. You look so much better than the last time I saw you."
Kagome grinned as she sat down and took bites of her sandwich. "How's Miroku?"
"Still being the pervert that he is. He still feels guilty about you and Inuyasha. He didn't want to come and see you because he feels you blame him."
"well, I don't. "Kagome said.
" Ok...I'll let him know." Sango nodded. " So…how is it living with him?" she gestured to Sesshomaru's room.
"It's only been a day." Kagome snickered. "but I don't know, I feel oddly comfortable."
"Hmm..." Sango cocked her brow. "Are you guys-?"
Kagome shot her head towards Sango in a quick 90-degree turn.
"No, are you nuts?"
"Just asking..." Sango laughed. "I figured you guys were using each other as rebounds or something."
"Sango, please! Inuyasha's brother?" Kagome whispered.
"I'm just kidding!" Sango whispered back and stood up from the table. "Well, listen I have to go. I just came to check on you. Let's hang out soon, I miss you."
" I know…" Kagome pouted as she got up and walked her toward the door. "I miss you too. I just need to get my life back on track."
Sango nodded as she looked around the apartment. "The place looks so different. Look at all these fancy stuff."
Kagome nodded in agreement. "I know."
"Oh, Kagome, wait." Sango stopped and turned around. " Um, I hate to be the messenger but Kikyo called me, asking me to tell you that you need to give her back something you took from her."
Kagome scoffed and rolled her eyes. What I took from her? How about what she took from me? "I don't know what she's talking about."
Sango shrugged and gave her a quick hug goodbye. Ignoring the pain of betrayal coming back, Kagome finished her sandwich and called it a night. No more thinking about the past. She had a future to focus on.
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