NOTE: I've had some comments that Sesshomaru is slightly OOC. True but let's think about it for a moment. How much have YOU changed over the span of 5 or 10 years? Sometimes our personalities, sense of humor, ways of thinking and our reaction to things/situations changes over time. Now, think about the span of 550 years (55 to 110 TIMES longer). And imagine those 550 years were spent waiting for someone you love to show up again and all you have to depend on are people you previously could not stand (or that you pretended you hated). You would probably change, too. I'm just saying to give our dear Sesshomaru a chance. He's been through a lot – and we're about to put him through a lot more. Hahahah!
Oh, and I don't feel like putting a lot of detail into his, uh, other dates because I'm saving my wit and descriptive skills for Kagome Besides, who wants to hear about the other women? Frankly, I don't.
--000--
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, pushed away from his desk, and slowly walked toward Kagome. Her eyes widened as the tall demon Lord practically stalked toward her. She scrambled to back up but found herself to be pressed back into the chair she had been previously sitting in. As he neared, he leaned down and murmured quietly, "why yes, I do. But she's not a demoness."
Shippo stood near the wall, a satisfied smirk on his face. Oh, this was going to be quite fun.
Chapter 12
Sesshomaru straightened up, laughing softly at the gasp that he elicited out of Kagome with his last statement. He attempted to make it seem as if he was just kidding… but he wasn't. She stared at him with wide eyes. My ears must be playing tricks on me. Did he just laugh? she thought to herself. His laugh had been deep and silky on her ears, caressing around the shell and gently sneaking in. She watched as he walked over to his desk and sat down in his chair. Leaning back, he let out a long, deep breath. "I guess I need to make some calls," he said.
Shippo pushed away from the wall, "yeah, you do. C'mon Kagome, let's go enjoy your first Vernal Equinox Celebration."
Kagome smiled over at Shippo and shuffled out of the room in front of him. Sesshomaru heard her laughter and then the clicking of her geta sandals on the hallway floor once again. Pulling out a pair of reading glasses (which were only for looks), Sesshomaru suddenly wished Jaken was still around so he didn't have to do the arranging. He never thought he would be put in this type of situation. If someone had told him 500 years ago that when he finally found Kagome again that he would be challenged for his title and would have to find a mate and conceive an heir within four months… well, he would have disemboweled them and then melted them to nonexistence with his poison. He had planned to slowly bring Kagome back into his life and, after a while, to confess to her how he felt. What he hadn't counted on was, of course, the Writ of Taishou and Kagome only knowing him for the cold jerk he used to be. There is no good way to rush a relationship.
Sighing, he flipped open his contact book and began to scan pages to find eligible female demons. Things were so much different now than in the feudal era. Much of the practices the Writ of Taishou encouraged were archaic and uncivilized. Had they been in the feudal era currently, Sesshomaru would have no qualms about propositioning Kagome for such a situation. However, the dating scene in the 21st century was something much different. Sesshomaru knew that in order for Kagome to not necessarily suspect that he is singling her out, he should date three other women at the same time as Kagome. After much deliberation and grumbling, Sesshomaru stared at three names that stood out from the rest of his contacts.
Ariko Watanabe
Fuyumi Mie
Saiko Hamada
These three women Sesshomaru knew from his association with the courts, the other Lords, and through his tattooing business. He knew them quite well and knew that, by tomorrow afternoon, each of them would have heard in some way or another about his predicament. The tricky part would be leading them on without them knowing it… oh, and leaving the best dates for Kagome.
Ariko Watanabe was the grand niece of a demon in the Western court. She was actively involved in the workings of politics in the area regarding demon laws and also of present laws of Japanese society. She had a Ph. D in Women's Studies and didn't let you forget it. Hmmm. Ariko and I have known each other for a few centuries. She is single but, Sesshomaru contemplated with a slight cringe, she might be a bit much. After a pause he shrugged. It's just a few dates and I won't be mating her anyway. It might be fun to play a game of 'Lord Sesshomaru is better than you'.
Fuyumi Mie, a quiet demoness descendent of a Noble in the Northern lands, was his second pick. She was very intelligent and quite an artist when it came to painting. Sesshomaru had commissioned several portraits over the centuries from her and she always did an unbelievable job. He recalled how, when he started complimenting her on her work, she would blush and accept the compliment quietly. Her humble behaviour reminded him of Kagome. Perhaps she would help me understand some of Kagome's more sensitive emotions.
And then there was Saiko Hamada. Saiko was the first woman Sesshomaru ever tattooed. Hell, she was the person he tattooed the most. He was more familiar with her body than he liked to admit but only in terms of where her tattoos were located and how much un-inked skin she had left. Saiko had a friendly, outgoing personality which helped her at her job as a receptionist for a large company but she also had a side of her that was quick witted and sharp. By day she was business casual but at night she was an unrecognizable woman with her arms and legs uncovered, showing her myriad of tattoos. Sesshomaru received many new customers thanks to Saiko's exploits at bars and clubs around the city. When she was at the shop or the two were just hanging out she always found a way to help him relax and tap into his creative mind.
Sesshomaru scooted his chair back and rested his forehead on the edge of the desk. So, it looks like these are my other three women. This is going to be harder than I first imagined. The next few months were going to be incredibly busy for him.
Over the next 2 weeks…
In order to make sure none of the women knew about the other, Sesshomaru planned dates in different areas of the city, at different times and on different dates. All four women were different enough that it would not be the same date over and over. He figured that first he would take out Ariko and then Fuyumi. Arranging those dates was easy.
Sesshomaru took Ariko to a public discussion at a liberal arts college where porn legend Ron Jeremy squared off with anti-porn activist Craig Gross, debating the pros and cons of adult entertainment. Sesshomaru was amazed that such a debate would be happening in Japan but, figuring it was coming from one of the more liberal organizations, he thought it would be fun. What else would ruffle Ariko's figurative feathers than talking about something that obviously objectified women? Sesshomaru had never been one to view pornography, feeling it was distasteful and disrespectful. This, however, did not stop him from taking the opposite side of Ariko in order to badger her and make her defend her views. By the end of the night Sesshomaru had been out-debated by Ariko and decided to NEVER AGAIN take a woman to something where a man with a supposed 9 ¾ inch penis discussed porn. Definitely not a good dating experience; he was glad he had not brought Kagome. She would have fainted due to all of the blood rushing to her face.
Fuyumi was a different experience all together. Sesshomaru met her at a large park with rolling hills, trees, and walking paths. They stopped at a quaint café on the edge of the park for some lunch and coffee. Sesshomaru smirked inwardly at the way Fuyumi was unable to meet his gaze. She timidly played with her coffee cup and made small talk about the collection she had done that had recently been purchased by the Edo-Tokyo Museum. Sesshomaru sensed her unease when she seemed to run out of things to say so he paid for their lunch. They strolled through the park, enjoying the modern art sculptures that artists were displaying. Unfortunately (or fortunately), their date had to be cut short because Fuyumi had to pick up her grandmother from the airport. Sesshomaru walked her to a taxi and thanked her for a pleasant afternoon. Sure, Fuyumi was quiet but it was nice to be around her after having Ariko talking his ears off.
Saiko refused to do anything but go out to dinner with Sesshomaru. Over the centuries she had learned that Sesshomaru was finicky and stubborn; more so than herself. Sure, he had chilled out over time but she knew that, inside, there was still a lot of the old, cold, ruthless Sesshomaru deep inside. There was a lot she learned about him during her tattooing sessions. For instance, she learned that he had never been in a relationship with a woman. She found that ridiculous. How was it possible that Sesshomaru had never courted a woman or been in an intimate relationship?
--Flashback--
It was during her 3rd session to complete a full back piece that she asked him why this was. He had been silent at first and she decided it was probably a touchy subject but then he started talking. He told her about the Shikon Miko that traveled with his brother and that she had aided in the eventual destruction of the half demon Naraku. He explained how much he loathed his brother at that time. Loathed him for having a sword he felt belonged to him and loathed him for the closeness he shared with the Miko. He described how, after the destruction, the Miko made a wish on the jewel and then disappeared. There was no mistaking the longing and desire that dripped off of each and every word that came from his mouth. He continued working on her back for another few minutes and she thought about what he had said. Lying on the table with her head turned to the side, facing away from him, she thought about the words he used to describe the Miko. Strong, stubborn, annoying, humble, and full of fire. She smirked at his description. She sounds like the kind of woman that would be a good match for him.
"Sesshomaru?"
"Hnn?" he grunted, wiping some excess ink from her back.
"Did you love her?"
He was silent, the buzzing of the equipment and the rain splattering against the window the only sounds in the room. Saiko tensed, her eyes and ears searching for any indication that he had heard her. She worried that she had overstepped her boundaries with her friend. Opening her mouth to apologize, he interrupted her.
"Yes," he said quietly, again wiping excess ink from her back. She heard him move, shifting to get more ink, and then the sound of him shifting back to hover over her bare back.
Saiko stared out the window. It was raining hard and fat drops spattered against the window, blurring the brick building that was next to the shop. "Do you think you'll ever find her again?" She heard him take a slow, deep breath and pause before continuing the shading on the tattoo.
"I will," he said in a final tone, his indication that the conversation was over.
It had been 20 years since that conversation but Saiko had never forgotten it. His voice held a hard, determined tone when he had said 'I will'. Everyone knew that if he wanted something bad enough he would persist until it was his. Rude, selfish, spoiled whiner she thought.
--Present Day--
They never called it a date. It was always "I'm hungry, let's go ." This time it was at a small restaurant that served fantastic sushi and sashimi. Sure, Saiko had heard about the challenge that had been made against Sesshomaru. It didn't seem like a big deal until she read that he had been seen out with Fuyumi and Ariko and then called her to say, "I'm hungry, let's go to Buku's." I thought he was waiting for his Shikon Miko. Why is he seeing those demon women? Surely he hasn't given up; Sesshomaru doesn't give up! I'm going to drill him for information like a dentist! She thought to herself.
Pushing open the door to the restaurant, she didn't need to scan the customers in order to find him. He sat at a table, occupying one of the two seats. He looked tired and slightly anxious. She walked over and pulled the other chair out, its legs scraping across the floor before she sat down.
"Hey," she said, resting her forearms on the table. She leaned forward and squinted. "You're not looking that great, Sessh," she mumbled. His eyes snapped up to hers and he half-smiled.
"On the contrary, Saiko, I feel great," he said, his voice smooth and smug. Saiko leaned back, snorted, and looked toward the kitchen. The pleasant smells of food were already making her mouth water.
"Says the demon whose title and lands are being challenged. You're quite the smug asshole with all things considered."
"Ah, but you are not considering everything, Saiko," he said haughtily, ignoring her vulgarity toward him. He paused, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back in his chair. "I found her." His eyes narrowed on her, shining with glee.
Her brows came together in a confused frown. Her? Who's her? Sesshomaru's right eyebrow lifted and Saiko's brain located the correct file. Her! "You found her?" she asked, amazement filling her voice.
Their server arrived with their food and Sesshomaru waited until he left.
"Actually, she found me," he said, helping himself to the sashimi. It was still true that he had almost no need to eat but he had come to enjoy the taste of certain foods over the centuries. He told Saiko about Shiori and that he had her watch over Kagome's house once he found out where it was. He had calculated at what time she would most likely be coming back from the feudal era based on her birth announcement that he found (after some digging, of course!).
"Well, why didn't you go after her when you found her?" Saiko asked, swallowing a mouthful of tuna and rice. Sesshomaru ignored the fact that she talked with her mouth full.
"Go after a child?" he asked. "The timing wasn't right. She needed to be already sealed back in this time. Besides, I'm sure she would have been frightened had she come back and found me sitting in her kitchen, drinking tea with her mother."
"No one wants to find you drinking tea with their mother. Ever," she said matter-of-factly. She looked over at him and he gave her a dry look while setting his chopsticks down. Ah, he was fun to tease. "So how did she find you?"
"She happened to come into my shop with a friend who wanted a tattoo one day. I sensed her immediately. I said some things to make her mad, she came to the back while her friend was paying, yelled at me and viola," he said, holding his hands out like a magician presenting a magic trick.
"How romantic," she jeered. Sesshomaru went on to tell Saiko how they had tea together and he caught Kagome up on what happened to her friends back in the feudal era. He also described how he corralled Shippo and Inuyasha at the celebration to re-introduce them to Kagome beforehand.
"You know, you would already know all this had you shown up."
Saiko blushed and mumbled something along the lines of 'having to work late'. Sesshomaru knew she had a thing for her boss. People didn't 'work late' unless there was someone else to 'work late' with.
"Hmmm, so what are you going to do about your cousin?" she asked, taking a sip of her tea. Sesshomaru scowled.
"He's already too friendly with Kagome. I saw her dancing with him and heard the timbre of his voice when he speaks to her. He is someone I will have to over shadow so that Kagome is not ensnared by him. It would not bode well… for him especially."
"Oh, you can be just as charming, Sessh," she said, setting her napkin on the table.
"She doesn't know me like you do, Saiko. She doesn't remember me or know me as charming. To her I am still Sesshomaru, the demon that tried ruthlessly to steal Inuyasha's Tessaiga. She is timid and nervous around me," he said, slight frustration coloring his voice. He took out his wallet and placed a few bills on the table. Saiko sat back and set her chopsticks down beside her plate. She smoothed her shirt over her now full tummy. Raising her tea cup to her lips, she looked at Sesshomaru over the rim.
"Then show her how you've changed," she said before taking a sip.
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You all deserve an award for your reviews. Seriously. You are THE BEST. Maybe I will send Sesshomaru after you...
Still trying to work out exactly what I'm going to do with Takeshi but I DO promise he will be an antagonist in one way or another. Also, please know that Saiko is on Sesshomaru's side.
A glimpse at Chapter 13? Sure.. It begins with a phone call… and ends with someone getting a phone number. Who calls, who receives, and just whose number is it?