SIXTEEN
The sheets shuffled as its occupant stretched, "Nngh..." Kurenai moaned before actually opening her eyes, it took a while to register that she's in her room in her own time, banished with her friends from the Feudal era with no way of going back after the well disappeared.
A whimper and a fuzzy muzzle gently nudging her cheek pulled her out of her thoughts. She smiled and while rubbing the furry neck, she whispered, "There, there Zodiac. Mama's okay." she crawled to switch the lamp on and found her phone on the bedside table and a bottle of water with a note under it. There's also a paper bag at the foot of the table.
She grabbed her phone and her eyes widened as she stared at the screen: quarter to four... IN THE MORNING! The hell?! She's been asleep for more or less fourteen hours! The spells really did a number on her.
She tried to plant her sprained foot on the floor, it still stings but the pain decreased significantly. She grabbed the water bottle and drank while reading her brother's note:
/Peaches,
Just in case you wake up in the middle of the night, here's a bottle of water. You've been sleeping like a log, even when Dr. Keller checked your foot! He gave you a walking boot, it's in the paper bag.
Wake up soon sis. We're worried about you. Zodiac went nuts, terrified that something happened to you. We hope to see you at breakfast! ;)
Ren./
Kurenai smiled and pulled the husky into a hug, "Sorry for scaring you buddy. I'm fine now." She giggled as Zodiac licked her cheeks.
She pulled the boot out if the paper bag and her nose wrinkled at how bulky it is but she'd rather wear it than be waited on hand and foot. She pushed herself off the bed, seeking balance from the wall and putting as little pressure on her foot as possible, she headed for the bathroom. She's been dying to take a bath.
After indulging in a refreshing bath, the red-eyed dressed in her comfy blue oversized boyfriend shirt and black leggings and secured the boot on her foot; she can't help but feel like a Transformer robot wearing the contraption. She and Zodiac then headed downstairs to quickly work on silencing the incessant growling of her stomach.
The darkness of the house is faintly illuminated by the dancing neon blue waves reflected from the pool. It's enough to guide her down the stairs eventhough she knows the house like the back of her hand. She stopped at the end of the steps to bask in the view of the glittering city skyline she loves before heading to the kitchen.
She's always filled with joy whenever she sets foot in the kitchen, it's one of her most favorite places in the house because of her love for cooking. She meticulously chose every item to achieve an elegant and sleek finish; from the luscious dark wood cabinets that contrasts beautifully with the light hardwood floors and white marble countertops, to the frosted glass doors of the overhead cabinets, the backsplash decked by strips of mirrors, white tiles and black marble and finally, the shiny, metal clad appliances.
The kitchen is right next to the dining area, where Sesshoumaru is sitting. Wait, What?! Kurenai almost jumped out of her skin at the sight of the daiyoukai sitting at the dining table in his demon form so early in the morning eyeing her with his apathetic amber orbs.
"Geez Sesshoumaru, you startled me. How long have you been there?" she pressed her palm on her chest to calm down.
The daiyoukai only moved his head to look away from her, he did it so gracefully and Kurenai can't believe it, How can looking away be so elegant?! she thought before pouring herself a glass of water.
"Why are you up so early? Was the bed not comfortable enough?" she asked but when he didn't respond, she stared him down, waiting for an answer.
Sesshoumaru felt the red eyes burning a hole through him. He closed his eyes and spoke, "The bed is comfortable enough. This Sesshoumaru however, feels out of place."
She smiled at him, feeling sympathy for his situation, "I remember feeling the same way when I first arrived at the Feudal era, especially with all the creatures there, I can't seem to relax but you'll get used to it eventually."
"This Sesshoumaru have no intentions of getting used to this place." Intense amber eyes stared at her.
"I understand that you're itching to go back to your own era, and we'll search for a solution urgently but it's not a bad idea to take advantage of this little adventure." She was going through the fruit basket when her stomach growled once again.
The daiyoukai's eyebrows stitched in annoyance, "Do something about that stomach of yours woman. I've been hearing that disturbing sound even before you came down."
Kurenai felt herself blush up to her ears, Why this arrogant overgrown pup! She screamed in her head, "I'm working on it okay?" she snapped while peeling a banana and took a bite before opening the fridge and scanning its contents.
Sesshoumaru's eyes skimmed over Kurenai's thoughtful form in front of the fridge, amazed that she's walking swimmingly albeit she limps every now and then. Color returned to her face after it went pale from all the magic she used yesterday and her waist-length hair is still damp from her bath with a few droplets lightly soaking her shirt. The top she's wearing seems a bit loose for her frame but it made her look effortlessly beautiful while the black fabric clinging tightly to her long, supple legs showed off their perfect shape. Wait. Where the hell did that come from? This Sesshoumaru does not find a human woman attractive! Though she does smell good, her scent penetrated his senses once she stepped out of her room: fresh citrus, dainty pink lotus and calming sandalwood. She reminded him of spring mornings; laid back, refreshing, inviting. God, he's getting carried away now, what the hell?!
The daiyoukai awoke from him thoughts when he saw her set a foreign equipment on the counter and proceeded to hack through the oranges from the fruit basket. His curiosity is poking at him to get familiar with the object and after debating with himself, he walked over to the breakfast bar and occupied one of the stools. He's getting bored from sitting at the dining table anyway, might as well amuse himself with watching the woman shuffle through the kitchen.