A/N: Hello everyone! I am so sorry that I have missed not one but two (!) updates! I sincerely apologize *deeply bows*
BUT! I hope this chapter more than makes up for it. I was also going to update a bit sooner this week since I will unfortunately be very occupied on Fri, Sat, and Sun, meaning I have three days to make a new chapter and update. *sigh.* I am a bit stuck on how I want to proceed after this chapter but fear not I will prevail! Lolz.
On another note I would like to thank all those that have followed/favorited this story. I have reached more than 100 followers, I was so happy to see that there are more people reading my story. Arigatou gozaimasu.
I have also been thinking about putting up the poll as to what pairings I should do.
Kyouya/Kagome
Honey/Kagome
Mori/Kagome
Kaoru/Kagome
Hikaru/Kagome
Sesshomaru/Kagome (Cecilia54 I absolutely love [!] this pairing but I will leave it to the voters)
?/Kagome (my mystery person)
Mori/Kagome/Kyouya
Kaoru/Kagome/Hikaru
Mori/Kagome/Honey
Sesshomaru/Kagome/Mori
Sesshomaru/Kagome/Mori/Kyouya/Honey
Harem (The top picks!)
If you have your preference let me! I will post up a poll when I have received a good amount of votes so that it will be fair for everyone.
So then here is chapter 12!
Chapter Twelve: Chocolate and Honey
"Kagome-sama," Minato-san said with hesitation. "Are you alright to attend school today?"
Looking up I could see the worried lines surrounding dark brown eyes. His aged face made me realize that even with Sesshomaru's strict demand that we hold ourselves rigidly in front of those that served us-there were some that could and would cross the line when it came to my well being. At the thought I let out a genuine smile, one that it seemed had not made its way onto my face in what seemed like forever.
"Hai," I whispered softly, turning to the side and looking out of the car window. "I'm fine Minato-san, just had a lot of homework last night."
It was a blatant lie and I knew that with his nose he could tell, but it was the only thing I could say.
Knowing it was all I was going to say he accepted the answer I gave him and allowed a noncommittal sound out.
I said softly, but with my true feelings, "Arigato Minato-san."
The car once more turned into a peaceful and comfortable feeling, something that was hard to come by these days for me.
Returning to school while the danger that hovered over us was uncomfortable to say the least. There were so many people around in school, so many auras that sparked with Other that I felt as if I was being stalked. Followed. It was very disconcerting.
Shippō (at this moment) couldn't be of much help since we hadn't let him know what was bothering us. The whole thing was something I could not escape at school and definitely not at home. I was always trying to search for something that could possibly point me in the right direction, a sign as to what was so threatening to the whole demon society and to the ningen(s) on this plane. To no avail.
There was absolutely nothing, no sign or hint. Sesshomaru on the other hand had achieved something. He now had guards posted everywhere, absolutely everywhere. Whereas before they would only walk the perimeter of our home, they were now stationed in every entrance/exit of the house. Because of this I felt closed in and caged. Not a very peaceful feeling to have in your own home.
This had also raised a few eyebrows and murmurs. Rumors where spreading amongst the staff, but for the moment there were no answers we could give them and nothing that would-once again- allow them to be feel safe in the house they had called home for so long. The guards were not limited to the house either. They were to follow Shippō and I wherever we went. I know that there were some that used to follow me when I was not with either Shippō or Sesshomaru, or even Minato-san, now though…
It mattered not if I was around them- I had three other escorts with me.
At school there were times where I just wanted to walk out the gate and not look back, to go to Mama's and eat Oden or even just play with Buyo anything to get rid of this heavy feeling that had begun to follow me since the argument with Sessh. Then when it got to be too much for me, I felt something around me that screamed safety and serenity. I was unsure what it was. I could sense that it was something like an aura projection, something that demons-parents- were wont to do to calm their pups/kits/litter when they were having nightmares or when they needed that reassurance of parental love. This made me feel at peace and calm. On the other hand I was unsure if this is exactly what it was or if it was part of their hunting instincts as a way to harm, the possible ways of a hunter. It could possibly be a demon's ability to calm its prey.
Even with knowing this that I could be in danger at any one moment- I allowed myself to let down my guard a bit. It was necessary since I tended to tense every time someone even approached me. It was nerve-wracking. But Kagome was nothing if not tenacious. She had already lost one year of school, to let this ominous thing that was pressing down on them make her veer away from the duties she now had, was definitely not going to happen. Everything that she had so hard worked for, everything she had gone through was not going to go to waste. Especially not now when she had the surname Taisho. It would be a smear on their prestigious 'line', the one thing that Sesshomaru, her Aniki, had for so long and so hard done to pave the way to what he was now. No matter that even if the only ones that really mattered to her would allow her all the time in the world to have her adjust to her newly appointed life and duties. Or so everyone thought.
The real problems that were circling in her mind were not the pressures of her new life, or what her Aniki and being part of his lifestyle was expected of her. She was nothing if not adaptable to new things, it would be silly to be scared off by that when she had once been thrust 500 hundred years into the past and surrounded by demons. No adjusting to riches and fancy dinners was not the cause of her current melancholy and deep concentration, but no one could know of that yet.
There was no one except Sesshomaru who knew her true thoughts and feelings on the things that were going on in her mind at the moment, even if he wasn't present to see how much the fight they had had was affecting her.
So it was normal to that she had no real feeling to be surrounded by many people-people who did not know what could happen at any given moment- as well as not being able to distinguish friend from foe. It was amazing though, that with so many around there was one aura in the entire school who could calm her, and allow the barrier-a barrier that at that moment was fluctuating with the need to expand itself and show that she had the power to take down anything that could bring harm to those under her care harm-she had around her powers stay low and unnoticeable. For the past couple weeks, not matter how much and how hard she searched for it, she could not find it. Even with all the different things on her mind the one thing that was at the foremost at the moment was the Host Club.
Kyōya had started to drop hints of when she would be joining when she would go and visit Haruhi during club hours, which was also another problem that she had unknowingly caused. The twins, the blond king and the females that were there had began to either threaten, harass or plain squeal every time it occurred. Headaches were becoming the norm lately.
Then again when was life ever fair to her.
"Kagome?"
Jolting out of her thoughts, she noticed that the whole day had been spent thinking.
"Ah," she murmured, blinking owlishly at the small brunette that was standing in front of her. "Hai Haruhi?"
Doe colored eyes stared intently at her, "Is everything alright?"
Was everything all right?
No. No it was not, but she didn't say that.
"Hai," the same fake smile that had began to take residence on her face made its appearance. "Everything is fine. Just worried for the quiz we will be having in our Data Analysis class. You know math is not my best forte."
Snatching the small briefcase next to me, I stood up and headed towards the door. All the students had filed out and were making their way to their designated clubs and activities. One of which both Haruhi and she had. Thinking it time that she follow up with her promise, she made her way to the music room that the Host Club ruled in.
"I think that today I will finally take all assignations."
The footsteps behind me paused for a moment before they continued once more, "Are you really?"
"Hn."
"Are you sure about that?"
Now it was my turn to pause.
Was I really in the mood to converse about frivolous things, to flirt and amuse the females of the Host Club patrons?
No. Definitely not. But if there was one-thing humans were in the habit of doing it was ignoring and/or procrastinating until it came and bit you in the butt. It was human nature.
So thinking of that she replied the opposite of her true thoughts, "Hai."
Once more resuming her walk, she steeled herself to a few hours of boy, fashion, and other frivolous talk that the girls of Ouran would subject her to.
It was times like this that she truly hated being right. Half an hour had passed and she was already counting down the seconds for her to leave.
"-me-chan?"
Would it be possible to leave?
"-me-chan?"
No. Kyōya would definitely keep her here until the club ended. He had been putting of the females of Ouran until now; he would tie her to a chair until all her assignations of the day ended.
He was definitely a sadist beneath that veneer of gentlemanly behavior.
"Kagome-chan."
Something bumped into her nose causing her to jolt herself away from her inner thoughts. Sapphire blue eyes crossed themselves to tip of her nose before clashing with marble like black eyes. Looking up she saw Honey-sempai with his ever-present Usa-chan, who he moved away from her once he saw her attention on him, staring down in concern at her.
"Yes Haninozuka-sempai?" she asked tilting her head to side. It was surprising to see the small third year near her after avoiding her after their first meeting.
Chocolate -momentarily sharp-colored eyes stared at her before turning to his normal Lolita personality, "Would you like some cake? Sweets always make me feel so much better! Haru-chan said that you were worried for your upcoming test but I know chocolate always helps me concentrate better."
A plate with small fudge brownies with a dollop of whipped cream on each one made its way towards her. She could feel all the hosts-as well as the guests of the club-eyes on them, especially charcoal grey eyes. Starring down at her sempai, she grabbed the small handkerchief that was part of the uniform and cleaned the small stain of chocolate on the corner of his mouth, with a small smile. He so reminded her of her small kit sometimes.
"Only if you help me," she replied softly. "I don't think it would be fair to eat all these by myself when I know you've been looking forward to eating them all day Haninozuka-sempai."
Eyes widened in surprise for a second, before they shined with happiness, "Of course Kagome-chan."
"Why don't you sit here with me then?" She turned to her guests who had had their eyes on their interaction the entire time. "Would you ladies mind if Haninozuka-sempai joined us for a bit?"
The girls in front of her furiously shook their heads in a negative motion, allowing for the small man-boy to take a seat next to her, and placing Usa-chan on his other side.
"Thank you ladies I truly appreciate it," saying with a small grateful smile towards them. All turned a furious red at the sweet smile they had not seen since the beginning of the term. Everyone who once saw the cheery first year knew something was wrong but no one had been able to uncover the source of her melancholy and were steadily growing more and more worried over the fact that they could do nothing to help. Even then when they had all his attention they could tell he was not truly with them, instead he was so in his thoughts he had failed to notice the third year calling out to him.
This in no way though detracted from their need to be near the new host. Even with his attention elsewhere there was a sense of 'home' and love that exuded from him. That and even when he was in deep thought his handsome looks became more otherworldly, he turned into a being that could not be touched and that could protect and care for those that did not have his will. All in all it was a chance to be in the presence of someone so different, so majestic.
Not that their host had any notion of their true thoughts. He simply believed himself to be a new novelty in a world where everyone knew everyone since childhood.
"You know Kago-chan you can call me Honey," said the once again chocolate covered boy. "Everyone calls me Honey so you should too."
"Hn," slender fingers held onto a small brownie, delicately wiping away the small crumbs from her own face. Taking a sip of the tea near her she served the third year his own, to swallow down his third to her one.
He definitely resembled her kit when she would take candy and sweets to the feudal era in what seemed so long ago.
It was while being there, in the place she had so dreaded coming to when she decided to commence her hosting job, that the tension and the stress of oncoming danger that she allowed herself to enjoy the present and allow the future to be what it would be.
The true smile all the females had been charmed with made its appearance, making them all giddily squeal inside. For those in the host whom had not seen the true and real Kagome, were all reeled in, making them realize that maybe, just maybe, they had just found another soul that would fit in perfectly with the misfits that they were.
Who knew it would be a small boy with his Usa-chan who would bring the real Kagome out once more.
'Arigato, Honey-sempai.'
Dual thoughts thanked the ecstatic third year.
