Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.
A/N: Okay... this chapter is a doozy. I hope it's long enough... -- It's over 10,000 words; the longest chapter I've ever written. Gomen nasai, min'na!
Chapter 22
As he flipped through the other photos, Yuki felt his heart, no, his entire world, come to a grinding halt. He'd wondered for a while now if Kagome'd really did have something going on with Inuyasha, despite the fact that Hiro repeatedly told him that she couldn't bring herself to be anymore than friends with Inuyasha. But Yuki never actually expected Kagome's secret lover to be his older brother. Hell, he never expected Kagome to have a secret lover, period. The pictures that were strewn on his desk before him told him the whole lurid story. Well, at least part of it.
At first, when he'd acted like a fool and treated her to a front seat viewing of his massive ego, he hadn't really cared if she wanted anotherman, but now... he knew he couldn't let anyone else have her. Kami knew he didn't deserve her love, her tenderness, her sweetness. But he didn't care. He wanted her and he was going to have her.
But now... But this... An affair with Sesshoumaru? How could she? How could she do this to him?
Again staring down at the pictures, he knew it was all true. It had to be! He recalled that Kagome had once talked of having appointments on Wednedays. They weren't appointments at all; another thing that his private eye had discovered. She'd gone on dates with her over-attentive guardian.
So, there were the 'appointments' once a week, the house she lived in, the car she drove, the money she lived off of... It was all so bloody obvious. Sesshoumaru was supporting her because she was his mistress. A man like that would never be so attentive like that to a woman who was supposed to be his sister, so that was the only logical explanation.
He slumped down in his chair, his eyes never leaving the scattered pictures on his desk. Why hadn't he seen it before? She'd turned Inuyasha and himself down time after time, but she'd only went out with Inuyasha because she got tired of him asking. She probably had to ask Sesshoumaru's permission to do so and he had allowed it, knowing that his little brother would get no play from her anyway.
Yuki groaned, feeling utterly depressed. Who was he, to think he could compete with Mr. Perfect? Because that's what Sesshoumaru was. Perfect. Not just physically, but he was perfect in ways that Yuki could only dream of being. His rigidly controlled manner, for instance. Yuki always wished to be able to hold in his emotions like that. He felt that maybe if he had a cold demeanor instead of having such a hot temper, people would take him more seriously.
Perhaps if he were more like Sesshoumaru, Kagome would want him. But he knew that he couldn't go after Sesshoumaru and take his revenge. Sesshoumaru was practically untouchable. He was so damned powerful that even if he tried to take Kagome from Sesshoumaru, he knew that Sesshoumaru would ruin him and all that he'd worked so hard for. He'd be left with nothing, not even Kagome, and the thought of losing her hurt more than anything.
But what hurt the most was that she couldn't even tell him she was sleeping with him, her supposed guardian. Why did she lie to him? Oh, gods that hurt so much! Didn't she know how much he loved her? Didn't she realize that he would do anything for her? Or was it the money talking? After all, Sesshoumaru was far wealthier than he was. Did she think to just string him along, all the while continuing to see her step-brother?
With a roar of unbridled and frustrated fury, he knocked all the objects from the top of his desk with a sweep of his arm. The photographs, as well as the expensive glass objects and his computer shattered when they hit the floor and pieces of them scattered across the smooth, marble floor. When that still had not managed to relieve his rage, he jumped up and shoved his desk over. It landed with a loud crash and he proceeded to destroy more objects in his office.
When it was all over and his surge of energy was spent, he limped wearily and painfully without his cane over to the windows and leaned heavily against the glass as he slid down its length until he sat on the floor. His chest was heaving with the exertion and his green eyes were darting wildly around the room as the truth as the hopelessness of the situation hit him again. Hot tears fell unheeded down his cheeks and stained the front of his rumpled silk shirt. His mind felt numb, but his heart didn't. Just two weeks ago, he'd had hope... but now...
Propping his arms on his knees, he brought his hands up to cover his face. He hadn't cried like this since he was a little boy and growing up, he discovered that nothing was ever worth crying over so he didn't. Nothing was ever that important. Nothing, that is, except a tormented young woman named Kagome that managed to worm her way into his steel-plated heart. He had been completely blindsided and hadn't even realized it until too much time had passed by when he should have been loving her instead of mistreating her. Even then it had taken a car accident to knock some sense into him, to make him see just how perfect she was for him. But then again... she was sleeping with Sesshoumaru...
The sound of pounding feet echoed in the hallway just beyond his office doors and stopped in front of them just as Hiro burst in, panic-stricken. "Yuki? What's wrong? Did you fall?" His eyes roamed around the room. "What the hell happened in here? Are you okay?"
It took Yuki a minute to remember that Hiro was watching over him today, as Kaede was out. But right now, he didn't want Hiro here. "Leave me alone, Hiro," he said, staring dully ahead of him. "Just go away."
"Like hell I will." Hiro picked his way through the mess to get to his brother, who just sat huddled against the window pain, his knees pulled up to his chest. Long fingers were buried in the tangled mess of his fair hair while green eyes stared blindly out over the wreckage. "Yuki...?" he began, then something on the floor caught his eye. Frowning, he bent down to see what it was. It was a black and white photo of Kagome hugging a tall, white-haired man in front of a restaurant. Sesshoumaru.
"Where did you get this, Yuki?" he asked worriedly, picking his way through the remains of Yuki's home office to find more of the photographs. They were scattered everywhere. The images on them would have disturbed him, too, if he hadn't known everything.
One was of Kagome and Sesshoumaru having lunch outside at a pricey French restaurant. Another was of them at the same place but Kagome was laughing, her head was thrown back while Sesshoumaru smiled at her indulgently. Yet another was of Kagome standing on tiptoe, giving the tall man a chaste kiss on the cheek. Still another showed the most telling image of all: One of Sesshoumaru's arms went about Kagome's slim waist, the other went up her back so that his hand cradled the back of her head. He was giving her what looked to be a passionate embrace. Kagome's face was visible against his shoulder and it held a look of ecstasy. Her eyes were closed and a sweet smile turned up the corners of her lips. Hiro knew hugs like that were, for Kagome, extremely important. No wonder she looked so happy in his arms.
A thought it hit him and Hiro turned a confused face to his brother. How could Yuki have gotten these pictures? "Oh my god, Yuki, did you have Kagome followed? Why?" Hiro lowered the pictures and turned to look at his brother, who hadn't moved from his spot on the floor. Apparently, Yuki didn't know the truth or that it was something else he'd forgotten. He sighed. "There is a reasonable explanation for this, Yuki."
"I know," the miserable-looking blond muttered hoarsely. "She's his mistress. No wonder she didn't want to tell me who he was. Why would she lower herself to be with a nobody like me when she has the most powerful man in Tokyo at her beck and call?" A mirthless smile tilted the corners of his lips up. "Kagome's a smart girl. Naturally she would choose to be with the man who has the most to offer her."
With a sigh, Hiro finished gathering the photographs, found Yuki's cane amidst the wreckage and then joined Yuki where he sat on the floor. His brother was hurting and all he wanted was to stop the pain. Perhaps it was from all the times he'd comforted Kagome... he didn't want to see anyone hurt.
He set the cane next to Yuki's leg. "You don't really believe that, do you?"
Yuki lowered his hands and they went in search of his cigarettes. He'd finally gotten a chance to smoke them since Kaede was out. Finding them, he lit one with trembling hands, his arms still propped on his knees. "I don't know what to believe," he replied simply and exhaled. "But now its difficult to believe that she truly felt anything for me at all."
Damn, he still hadn't gotten used to his brother's new attitude. "Trust me, she loves you, Yuki."
Angry, tear-filled green eyes shot him a nasty look from beneath tangled locks of gold. "Oh, please," he bit out caustically, "How can that be? Tell me, Hiro, tell me how many times I treated her like shit and all of a sudden I'm like, 'Hey Kagome! I'm in love with you! Would you be my woman?' Yeah, Hiro, like that makes a lot of sense. I'm surprised she doesn't look at me with utter confusion every time I'm around her." He took a drag before hanging his head dejectedly and continuing on in a voice so soft that Hiro had to lean over to hear it. "Besides, she's Sesshoumaru's woman." He exhaled. "How can I compete with him?" A look of pain crossed his face, then he turned it away from Hiro's staring eyes.
Hiro reached over and gently smoothed his brother's wild hair down. "Yuki, you're mistaken. Trust me, it isn't as hopeless as you think it is."
Yuki's bitter laugh filled the room. "You're joking, right? She belongs to him! Just look at the way he's holding her! If there's something I'm an expert in, it's deciphering male body language." He grabbed the stack of pictures from Hiro's hands and flipped through them until he found the one with Sesshoumaru cradling Kagome to him. He jabbed a shaky finger at the picture. "That is a photograph of a man in love with the woman he's holding. Anyone can see that."
Hiro looked away and Yuki handed the pictures back to him. "Look, Hiro, I know you mean well, but I know when I've been beaten and I know it would be useless to keep pursuing her. I mean, it was pretty damn obvious that she's his woman. All you have to do is watch how he treats her. It's like she's a delicate, irreplaceable piece of glass." He took a drag and stared into space until he exhaled and the smoke snaked out of his nostrils in two streams. "Anyone can see he's in love with her. And whatever Sesshoumaru wants, Sesshoumaru gets," he finished sourly.
"Not necessarily," a soft voice broke into the heavy silence.
Yuki froze for a moment then looked up in the direction of the speaker. When he saw who stood in the doorway, he immediately dropped his cigarette and put it out with his foot before reaching up with nervous hands in an attempt to straighten his hair and shirt. "K-kagome!" he exclaimed, trying not to wince as he put weight on his bad leg.
Kagome came over to him, being very careful not to tread on any sharp objects that might be on the floor. When she finally stood in front of him, she reached up to straighten his twisted collar. "You look very tired, Yuki-kun. You should go rest." She reached down, grabbed his cane from off the floor and pressed the handle into his hand. "Hiro and I will take care of this mess."
The startled man looked over at Hiro, who had gotten to his feet and was grinning from ear to ear. "I'll go now, shall I?" he asked and left without waiting for an answer. Yuki stared back down at her, still unable to believe that she was here...right here with him...
His heart began to do funny little leaps in his chest and he grabbed a hold of her small hands, brought them up to his lips and kissed them tenderly. "Why are you here, Kagome?"
Her face flushed and she looked away, but Yuki would not have that. He was tired of her not being able to look him in the eyes. He did not like feeling as though she were scared of him. "Well?" he demanded softly, releasing her hands and tilting her face up to his with one of his.
She released a little sigh. "I wanted... to apologize. I'm sorry you thought the worst of me. You were confused about my relationship with my step-brother. I know it must seem strange to you. Sesshoumaru is a very affectionate and loving man. He adores me and he isn't afraid or embarrassed if everyone knows it. But our relationship is not as you think, Yuki. I'm not Sesshoumaru's mistress. I never have been."
She'd overheard him? That sneaky little girl...
A huge weight seemed to vanish from his shoulders. "So...you're saying that what he said really was true? You really are just his ward?"
Nodding, she gave him a sad smile. "Yes. His father had become the guardian for myself and my brother after my mother died. He'd planned on adopting us, but he never got the chance. It wasn't until after my little... incident... that Sesshoumaru told me that he'd taken over guardianship of my brother and me. But he'd been so busy taking his place as head of his father's company and learning everything he could, he hadn't been able to find the time to take care of us properly. After I got out of the hospital, he moved me into my own house and gave me a set income, so that I wouldn't have to work and he actually requested that I not work. So you see, everything I have was through his generosity and worry for my well-being. It was not gained through an illicit affair with my guardian."
"Oh." Damn, he felt stupid! "But what about those appointments? What were they exactly?"
Kagome smiled mistily at his chest. "Sesshoumaru wanted to make sure that I eat dinner with him at least once a week." She looked up at Yuki rather sheepishly. "He wanted to see for himself that I wasn't wasting away again." She shrugged. "That's the story. I'm sorry that I upset you. I didn't mean to."
Cupping her face in his hands, he shook his head. "You don't need to apologize for my behavior, Kagome. I was being completely irrational and totally idiotic. I'm the one who should be apologizing." He let his hands slide to the back of her skull and into the coolness of her silken hair. All he could do for the moment was stare at her.
It had been too close. Far too close. If he'd let his jealous nature completely override his common sense, he would have eventually taken his anger out on her, never knowing that it had all been just an enormous misunderstanding. "I have two things to ask you. May I?" She nodded again and gave him an encouraging smile that set his heart to galloping. "Okay, first question. Do you forgive me for being an as--, um, a huge jerk?"
Her small hands came up to rest against his chest. "Yes, I forgive you. What's the next question?"
It was his turn to drop his eyes from her gaze. But it wasn't out of shyness. He was attempting to gather his courage, for he knew that Sessoumaru loved her too and that she had spent a considerable amount of time in his company in the past couple of weeks. Indeed, whenever she was with Sesshoumaru, she seemed very happy, very content.
He drew in a shaky breath. "Do I still have a chance? With you, I mean."
Silently, Kagome stared up at him for a long moment and Yuki felt his little bubble of hope slowly decreasing in size. "Yeah, you're probably right. We started off on the wrong foot...I mean, I started off on the wrong foot and---" He released her suddenly and turned away from the look of surprise in her eyes. "Damn it. I'm sorry, Kagome. I just... I'm sorry."
"Yuki." It was all the warning he had when he felt her arms go around his waist. "You didn't give me a chance to answer your question." She moved around to the front and was once more staring up at him.
"I don't want to hear you reject me, Kagome. I don't think...no, I know I couldn't bear that. Not from you." His hands gently gripped her arms and pulled them away from him. "Please don't do that to me."
The girl in front of him only looked up at him in silence for a moment before she frowned and wriggled out of his hold. "Please don't push me away, Yuki. Ever since you first came to my house looking for Hiro, I felt something for you. It wasn't just your beauty, your perfect body, your expensive clothes. I didn't know why, and even though I didn't remember our time together as children, I wanted you. Even though you were cruel to me, I wanted you." Standing on tiptoe, she wrapped her hands around the back of his neck and pulled his head down to hers. "So the answer to your second question is, yes, you still have a chance." She brushed her lips lightly against his and whispered, "Are you going to take it?"
With a possessive growl, Yuki grabbed her and crushed her to him, taking her lips with a brutality that he'd never thought he could ever use against her. But she took everything he gave, allowing him to take over.
Yuki was impressed, but wondered what had just happened to her. He'd never seen her be forceful before. Inwardly he shrugged. Who cares? She was his and that was all that mattered!
He whirled them around, so she was squashed between him and the pane of glass. Lifting her up, he felt her legs wrap themselves securely around his middle. Convulsively, his arms tightened around her and she pushed against his chest. It took him a moment to realize she was trying to loosen his grip. Breaking the kiss, he apologized in an unsteady voice. "Sorry, Kagome. I... um... got carried away for a minute." His mind was in a whirl and his eyes were trained on her lips, which were red and swollen from his kiss.
Those lips smiled tenderly at him. "It's okay, Yuki." She sighed and brushed the hair from his face. His piercing green gaze shifted and met hers with a look of such adoration that she nearly cried. Instead of giving in to tears, she asked him how his mother was doing.
He frowned, his delicate brows knitting together over those magnificent emeralds. "Well, she's been begging me to go after you and there was something else, too..." He trailed off, appearing to be lost in thought. "Oh yes! She's also about to lose her mind if she doesn't get a grandchild soon."
Kagome blushed. "Oh dear. But I haven't said yes--"
Yuki's mouth kept her from finishing the rest of her sentence. When he released her, he kissed the tip of her nose. "You will. I can feel it. Besides, I can't have you leaving me for another man. Because you know, I tend to get insanely jealous over small stuff..." He gave her a rueful smile and rubbed his nose against hers. "Will you marry me, Kagome?"
Kagome started at his question. His eyes were regarding her with some solemnity and she smiled. "Yes," she whispered tremulously. "Yes, I'll marry you."
So there they stood, with Kagome crushed between the window and Yuki's body and both of them gazing foolishly at the other like a pair of love-struck teenagers.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
When Kagome made her way home later that day, she could feel Miroku calling out to her. She sighed. She knew that he knew what had happened today and he was sorely upset. His anger ran up and down her spine in hot waves. Oh, boy, was she going to get it.
But as she drove, she felt oddly devoid of elation. Wasn't this supposed to be one of the happiest days of her life? Somehow, as soon as she left Yuki's penthouse, she felt... nothing. She wondered if this indeed was the way she should be going and suddenly she was overcome by a sensation of reassurance. Yes, this was supposed to happen.
It wasn't that she didn't love Yuki, for she did. Strange thing was, she loved Kouga as well. If she really thought about it, Kouga was far more suited to her than Yuki was. Why was it supposed to be this way? What was the purpose behind her needing to marry Yuki?
Once she got in the house, she went up to her room to put her purse away... and to admire her engagement ring. It was perfect. The large amethyst winked brilliantly up at her as she moved her hand under the overhead light. But somehow, it brought her no happiness. She didn't understand how that could be. After all, how had she reacted to the ring Kouga bought her? She had adored it... because it came from him.
So what was the difference now?
As she changed into her houseclothes, a jolt went through her. Miroku again. She supposed she should call him, but that would be pointless. As she headed downstairs, she knew he was coming to see her. So she went to unlock the front door and then headed to the kitchen.
While she was chopping vegetables, she heard the front door open and close, and after that came footsteps that were heading straight for the kitchen.
With a sigh she said aloud, "You're upset."
Miroku stormed across the kitchen and yanked the knife out of her hand. "Wrong! I'm fucking pissed! What were you thinking? Look at me, damn it!" He slammed the knife on the counter, breaking the blade off of the handle.
She turned to him and he grabbed her hand, his eyes going immediately to the ring on her finger. "Why?!" he shouted, blue eyes blazing. "How could you? Kouga loves you!"
Kagome stood there for a moment, staring up at the furious monk before dropping to her knees on the floor, sobs wracking her body. "I don't know!" she screamed at him. "I... don't know! Please, let me go!"
With a grunt, Miroku dropped her hand and turned away from her. He waited a minute then asked, "Was it because of something Ginta told you?" His voice was softer, kinder and this change in him caused her to look up at him.
"Wha--?"
He turned back to face her and went down on his knees before her. "You thought that Kouga was still murdering people for money, didn't you?" His chest heaved and he looked as though he was bracing himself for the worst. "Darling, you misunderstood Ginta. Yes, they wear guns, but that doesn't mean they're shooting people with them. What Kouga never told you was that until recently, he and his friends were working for Yuki. They needed the guns for protection, because, let's face it, the business that Yuki tends to meddle into isn't always legal. Yes, sweetheart, your betrothed has enemies."
She began to cry again and Miroku held her to him, his hand stroking her hair. "Why did you do it, Kagome? Why?"
Sniffling against his shirt she muttered, "I told you, I don't know. I'd asked Kami-sama for a sign, anything to show me which way I was supposed to go. The next day, I saw the gun tucked in the back of Kouga's jeans. I knew that was the sign. You know how I feel about guns, Miroku. I dislike them terribly." She paused and then pulled away from him, staring up at him questioningly. "How do you know so much about this?"
His face hardened. "Because I, too, used to work for Yuki, Kagome. I was the one who Yuki handed the reins of his businesses to when he was in the hospital. I was the one who had to threaten his men not to say anything about you and Kouga to him. I was the one who risked my neck to keep you safe from him."
Her eyes widened and she shrank back from him. He scowled and got up. "Yeah, I went through alot trying to protect you, to keep you and Kouga together." He was silent for a moment. Then he went on, "For seven long years I worked for Yuki. It helped put me through college. The money was great and I got to be as ruthless as I wanted to be without suffering the consequences. Do you know what it's like threatening to have someone's loved one knocked off if they didn't do as you say? I do. I've done so many things I regret, and I know absolutely that Kouga regretted being someone's trigger man." His gaze fell to the ring on her hand. "But its not too late, Kagome. Get away from Yuki as soon as you can. Kouga loves you so much. I don't know how he'll take it when he finds out about this."
Looking down at her lap, Kagome shook her head. "I don't know either, Miroku, but I do know this. This is the path I'm supposed to take. For good or for bad, I'm supposed to go this way. If it doesn't please you, then I apologize." Her gaze traveled upwards to his face and she blinked away the tears that had begun to gather. "I love Kouga, Miroku. With all my heart, I love him. At one point, I even offered myself to him. That's how much I love Kouga. If Yuki hadn't come around, I would have, without a doubt, agreed to marry him. But I'm supposed to be with Yuki for a reason... a reason as yet, is unknown to me. Do you understand now?"
Miroku ran an anxious hand through his hair. "I think so. But I still don't like it. I know Yuki much better than you do and I'm telling you, he's dangerous. I don't want you anywhere near him." Again, the vision of Kagome, the shattered glass and the blood filled him mind, making him want to tell her.
Quietly, she got to her feet and went to the counter to pick up the pieces of broken knife. She turned away from him to throw it away in her trash can. "Something bad is going to happen to me, Miroku. Right?"
Startled, he took a step forward. "Kagome! What are you talking about?"
There was a soft chuckle and she turned back to him, an oddly peaceful look in her eyes. "I can see and hear the same things that you do, silly. Remember?" Shaking her head with a laugh, she found another knife and resumed chopping her vegetables.
"What do you see?" he asked cautiously.
She shook her head. "I'm not sure. It's all a bit fuzzy... but I'm in pain. My throat hurts. Would you like an omelette?" She walked to the refrigerator and grabbed a handful of eggs.
He groaned helplessly. "How can you be so calm about this?! You're going to be hurt! You might even die! Aren't you the least bit concerned about it?"
Kagome smiled happily and cracked the eggs into a bowl. "Two omelettes, coming right up."
"Stop!" Miroku grabbed the bowl of eggs from her and set it aside on the counter. He took her hands in his and pressed them to his lips. "Please stop. This worries me to no end, beloved. On some level, it has to be affecting you too."
"Of course it does, Miroku."
"Then show it! I don't want anything to happen to you, damn it!"
Standing on tip-toe, Kagome gave him a soft peck on the cheek. "Sango's pregnant," she whispered, pulling away from him to gauge his reaction.
Upon hearing this bit of sudden news, Miroku had to take a couple of steps back. "What?" he rasped, paling. When Kagome nodded and returned to beating the eggs, he had backed up against the wall and tipped his head back, so that he stared up at the ceiling. "She's pregnant? How on earth do you know that? Did she tell you?"
Kagome shrugged and shook her head. "No. The last time I saw her, I sensed it immediately. I guess congratulations are in order."
"But... she hasn't told me."
"Oh, she's been unaware of it. At least until today. I suspect that she's waiting at home for you to tell you the big news in person." Kagome's arm stopped its movements and her shoulders drooped. She seemed suddenly sad. "You should go now, Miroku. I'll make you an omelette another day, okay?" The sadness instantly vanished and she presented him with a sunny countenance.
Still stunned, Miroku allowed her to usher him to the front door and out to his car. Once he was ready to drive off, she reminded him to act surprised. He nodded, barely, and backed out of the driveway.
Back inside her house, Kagome decided that she needed to tell Sesshoumaru the news. In truth, she wasn't prepared to do so, but she could only delay for so long before he found out from someone else. Something like this was better off coming from her than from another person. After several minutes of deep-breathing, she picked up the phone and called him.
Jaken answered the phone. He was delighted to hear from the young miss and yes, he would get his master on the phone right away. While she waited for her step-brother to answer, Kagome began to feel faint. Her heart was pounding insanely in her chest and wondered, for a brief moment, if she needed to go to the hospital. Her heart was beating far so fast it was making her dizzy.
"Kagome! Hello, beloved! How are you?"
Kagome, who had gone into the kitchen, leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes tightly. A wave of sickness washed over her. Here goes...
"I'm engaged, Sesshoumaru."
Dead silence.
"To whom?" came the frosty response after what seemed an eternity.
She took another deep breath, feeling the room tilt crazily. She knew she wouldn't last long on her feet. "Yuki," she whispered, and opened her eyes. Everything around her was one big blur.
Kouga... I'm so sorry...
Kagome didn't pay much attention to the thundering roar on the other end. She wasn't able to. She'd already dropped to the floor in a dead faint.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
When she came to, she heard loud arguing nearby. She stirred slightly and a pair of warm hands were on her, smoothing her hair back.
"Sweetheart? Can you hear me?"
A woman's voice? Kagome frowned slightly. "Okaa-san?" she whispered, her voice trembling. The sickness hadn't passed.
"No, honey, I'm not your mother." A pleased chuckle. "But I'm going to be your mother-in-law, I hear."
Kagome's eyes flew open. Above her was Rini, her bright brown eyes shining with pure joy. "Yuki told us already, darling. I'm so happy for you both."
She sat up with Rini's help. "What... what's that noise?" she asked trying to look to see if she could see who was making all that noise.
Rini helped her get to her feet. "Oh, that? Just Yuki and that gorgeous creature with all that amazing silver hair who says he's your guardian." She grinned at Kagome and gave her a hug. "I take it they don't like each other much."
"You could say that." Kagome went out of the kitchen and made her way towards the loud racket in the living room. It seemed to be full of people. Sesshoumaru and Yuki were both red in the face and shouting at each other; Inuyasha was being held back by Hiro and Souta and Ryuji was sitting, quite peacefully on one of her sofas, sipping on a glass of what appeared to be whiskey.
As soon as she appeared, all eyes turned to her and Rini and the shouting ceased. A heavy silence followed, where Kagome felt heat coming from Sesshoumaru's eyes and she turned away. She knew he was terribly disappointed in her and she could feel that sink into her very bones. The hurt that radiated from his very soul tore at her and she wanted nothing more than to burst into tears.
"I'm... sorry, Sesshoumaru," she murmured, risking a look at him. "I never meant to put you through this."
The anger in his eyes dissolved instantly and he came over to her, scooping her up in his arms. "I know you didn't, beloved," he told her, holding her close. "And I'm sorry, too. I should have been in the kitchen with you instead of in here having a shouting match. You look weak. Have you eaten today?"
That familiar phrase caused her to laugh softly, ignoring the wave of nausea at the thought of food. She bowed her head and shook it, as though she were a naughty child. "No, sir."
"Oh, Kagome, you know how that makes me upset." He sighed. "Hiro, could you?"
"Sure. I saw you left some ingredients out for an omelette, Kagome. I'll let you know when its ready." Hiro shot Kagome a smile and exited the living room.
Rini eyed Sesshoumaru coldly. "I guess this isn't something out of the ordinary. You dare to order my sons about, sir?"
"I dare," he snapped, tightening his hold on Kagome. "Besides, Hiro knows as well as I do about Kagome's poor eating habits... hush, my love... and knows exactly what to feed her. As you can see, my hands are full with Kagome and since he's the only other person in this house who's dealt with her in this capacity..."
"It's fine, mom!" called Hiro from the kitchen.
"You see?"
"Excuse me, but could you put my fiancee down, please?"
Sesshoumaru turned a hard gaze on Yuki, who glared back at him with icy green eyes. "She doesn't need to ask your permission to do everything, you know. She's a grown woman who is perfectly capable of making her own decisions... and that includes getting married."
"Kagome's still my ward, Yamadera. Her care has been entrusted to me by my father and I will not let her go to someone if I find them unsuitable."
"Oi!" Rini marched right up to Sesshoumaru and poked him in the arm that was wrapped around Kagome. "Unsuitable? My son is more than suitable for this young lady and I won't have you saying otherwise!"
The other occupants of the living room stood stockstill as Sesshoumaru and the yellow-haired woman were locked in battle of stares.
"Ano..." murmured Kagome, looking from one to other, wondering Sesshoumaru would say to Rini. Goodness, the room was warm. Was it this hot in here earlier?
"Your son has hurt my ward more times than I care to count, madam," Sesshoumaru said acidly but quite calmly, his eyes narrowing. "So forgive me for being unable to put him on a pedastal as you seem to have done," he finished, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"My son loves Kagome!" the woman retorted angrily. "Its clear as day she loves him in return, for she accepted his proposal, did she not? So don't you start spewing nonsense, mister high-and-mighty!"
Gasps could be heard all around; Hiro's could even be heard from the kitchen. Kagome turned her face against Sesshoumaru's neck. This wasn't good. She felt even more ill than before. All this emotion around her, coupled with everything that had happened earlier, plus not having had a meal all day, made her feel extremely weak. Or perhaps... it was something else?
"Sess-houmaru," she whispered, resting her forehead against his throat. She could no longer hold her head up. The room was far too hot. "Please... stop..." She fell limp against him.
The second her flesh touched his, Sesshoumaru's eyes flew open. Out of habit he yelled, "Hiro! Call the doctor!" He bolted upstairs and took her to her room, where he lay her down on the bed. The sight of her flushed face nearly sent him panicking. Her forehead was hot and dry. Not a good sign.
"Kagome? Sweetheart?" He dashed into her bathroom, where he retrieved a towel and ran it under the cold water for a moment. When he returned, he saw everyone crowded into her room. "Get out! Get out of here!" he yelled, shoving people aside to get to her. "Hiro! Where the hell are you?"
Hiro's feet pounded up the stairs and he burst into her room. "He's on his way! What's wrong? Is it another fever?" he demanded, nearly shoving Inuyasha out of his way in his need to get to her side. He got to the bed and dropped to his knees beside her and Sesshoumaru, who was sitting next to her, wiping her face down with a damp towel. "Here, I got some ice and fever reducer."
Sesshoumaru flashed Hiro a look of gratitude and placed the bag of ice on her forehead. Her face was an unnaturally bright shade of red. "She's burning with fever," he muttered, moving the towel down to her neck and dabbed the towel along her heated skin. "What the hell happened?"
Shaking his head, Hiro poured out some of the medicine and handed it Sesshoumaru. Deftly, he took the cup from Hiro and poured it into his mouth. Then lifted her up gently and placed his mouth over hers, slipping the medicine into her mouth, making sure nothing spilled out.
This apparently, did not go over well with Yuki or his mother. Or Inuyasha, for that matter. All three of them began complaining when Hiro jumped up, shielding Sesshoumaru from them.
"Be quiet!" he spat furiously. "Sesshoumaru and I are the only ones in this room who have taken care of her when she's like this. There's no one I'd rather have taking care of Kagome than him. Now please, leave him alone!"
The sound of footsteps downstairs caught Hiro's attention and prompted him to call out, "Up here, Akira!"
The elder Morikawa jumped up and swung on Hiro. "What? You called your cousin instead of my--"
"Akira was on his way over anyway. I just told him to hurry it up."
When the doctor made his appearance in the room, green eyes narrowed. "Where is she?"
As one, the entire group stepped aside for Akira, who made a beeline for the sick woman's bed. After checking her vitals, he stepped back. "This is stress-induced, I have no doubt. From what Hiro's told me, her health had been shaky last year around this time." He turned a cold eye on Sesshoumaru, who scowled in return. "I've also heard that you've made her put together huge parties recently. Making her work so hard just to keep her away from my cousin was not a responsible thing to do, Morikawa-sama, especially knowing that her health was not strong to begin with."
Ignoring noises that sounded suspiciously like growls coming from Sesshoumaru, Akira shrugged. "But I'm thankful the two of you were here and knew what to do. Her temperature was very high when I checked it just now, but it was not dangerously high. Thanks to the prompt application of the ice and the dose of medicine, I would order you to keep a close eye on her for awhile. If there's no change within the next hour or so, I'd request that you take her to the hospital." He leaned down to touch her forehead and cheeks.
Sesshoumaru itched to punch the man, but he was a doctor and a competent one. Instead, he resumed his seat on Kagome's bed and called out to his younger brother. "Inuyasha, take Souta and go to the store. We'll need juice and some sports drinks, if you please."
Inuyasha cast a worried glance at the still figure on the bed and nodded. "Sure. Come on, Souta." The two left the room.
"Is there anything I can do?" Rini came up to Sesshoumaru, but her eyes were on Kagome. "Shall I sit with--"
"No."
Rini's eyebrows flew downwards. "I don't think it's appropriate for you to be in here alone with that sweet girl. Who knows what you would do to her?"
"Excuse me?" One of Sesshoumaru's eyebrows lifted up. He was highly displeased.
Crossing her arms over her chest, Rini did not bother hiding her dislike of him. "It's pretty obvious that you're in love with her, and as sure as I'm standing here, I know you'd do anything to keep her from marrying my boy. If you so much as lay a finger on her, so help me, I'll--"
That was too much for Sesshoumaru to bear. He shot to his feet and stood there, shaking with indescribable rage. Was the blasted woman suggesting that he would rape Kagome? "How dare you! Do you think that I would harm Kagome in such a way?!"
"In order to get your way, I wouldn't put it past you!"
With that last heated statement, Hiro and Ryuji jumped in and quickly led Rini away and out of the room. This left only Sesshoumaru, Yuki and Akira alone with the sleeping Kagome. Resuming his seat, Sesshoumaru glared at Yuki, then turned away and grabbed one of Kagome's hands. As his thumb rubbed the back of her knuckles lightly, he just happened to look at her other hand. On her finger rested a delicately ornate gold ring, set with a large amethyst. He reached out and took hold of that hand to get a good look at the jewel.
"She loves amethysts," he murmured, laying it on her abdomen.
"Really? I'm glad. My mother picked the ring out. She thought that Kagome would appreciate it." Yuki moved forward, leaning heavily on his walking stick. "It looks wonderful on her."
Sesshoumaru looked up at the blond man, who was staring solemnly down at Kagome's peaceful face. There was something in Yuki's green eyes that made Sesshoumaru frown. He was truly upset at seeing Kagome like this.
"Yes, Yuki, it looks great. Aunt Rini has great taste in jewelry. Um, Yuki? I think you should sit down." Akira sounded worried. He took his cousin's arm and led him over to a comfortable looking armchair that sat against one wall. Akira had a feeling that Sesshoumaru, and possibly Hiro, had sat in that chair many times when Kagome was ill. "Are you driving?" he asked Yuki as he dug into his medical bag.
Yuki shook his head. "No, dad is. I wasn't able to step on the pedals without pain."
"That's not good, Yuki. Are you doing your leg exercises like I asked?" Akira knelt down at Yuki's feet, rolled up his pant leg and began examining his cousin's right knee.
"I don't feel like doing them everyday," pouted the handsome blonde. "Besides, I get busy with work...ow! I don't always have time to do them."
Akira grabbed Yuki's cane and popped him on the head with it. "I mean what I say, Yuki. Do your exercises daily. Right now, your knee is so weak that it gives you pain with the least bit of exercise. That is unacceptable. It needs to get stronger. The stronger it gets, the less pain you'll have. Got it?"
As Yuki grumbled good-naturedly while his cousin continued his lecture, Sesshoumaru watched with interest. He liked Akira. His bedside manner with Kagome was good and completely professional, despite the disparaging remarks he'd made about Sesshoumaru overworking her. Other than that, he seemed trustworthy and sincere.
Should he ask if Akira would become Kagome's personal doctor?
When the doctor was finished with Yuki, he got to his feet and turned to look at Sesshoumaru. "Just because I'm Yuki's cousin, doesn't mean I'm anything like him. If it's agreeable to you, I'd be more than willing to lend my services to you and this wonderful young lady." He reached into his wallet and withdrew a business card, handing it over to Sesshoumaru. "Excuse me." With a nod to Sesshoumaru, he left.
So it was down to two, thought Sesshoumaru sourly, looking over at Yuki. He was resting his head against the back of the chair, his eyes staring vacantly up into space with his right leg was stretched out in front of him
"Did he give you something?"
Yuki started and looked at Sesshoumaru. "Yeah, an injection."
"Does it hurt pretty bad all the time?"
Yuki frowned for a second, then smiled. "It aches mostly, but if I'm on my feet too long then it really starts to hurt. I guess I should start doing what Akira wants, huh?" He lifted his cane and began tapping it against his outstretched foot. "What do I need to do to convince you that I truly love your step-sister, Sesshoumaru?"
"You can't," replied Sesshoumaru shortly.
"Then what? What do I need to do?"
"Nothing."
"Huh?" Yuki shot the other man a confused look. "I don't understand."
Sesshoumaru shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back to Kagome, whose color had returned to normal. He reached out and touched her cheek, finding it cool enough to satisfy him. "No man is good enough for my little one," he said quietly, removing the bag of ice from her head. "But... if this is what she really wants..."
"Sesshoumaru!" Yuki cried out happily but flinched when Sesshoumaru shot him a dark look.
"I haven't finished yet. As I was saying, if this is what she really wants, then I'll have to have you investigated thoroughly... and there will be a prenuptial agreement. My Kagome is an heiress and I will be damned if you try to get your hands on her money. I'd squash you so fast--"
"Hey! I have money, too, you know! What do you think I am? A pauper?"
"I've dealt with greedy men before, Yamadera. I don't like them. I like them even less if they try to target my beloved. They're sneaky bastards, but I know how to spot one a mile away."
Yuki jumped to his feet and pointed his cane in Sesshoumaru's direction. "The only thing greedy about me concerns Kagome. I want her all to myself and I don't want to share her with anyone. Not even you." Lowering the cane, he limped over to Sesshoumaru. "All the prenups in the world won't keep me from what I want, Sesshoumaru. I'd sign every single one of them to have her."
Sesshoumaru disliked Yuki even more now. What a stubborn man he was. Why couldn't he have gone after someone else? But... if this is what his little girl wanted... he'd do his best to keep her safe anyway.
He still didn't trust Yamadera Yuki.
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A month later in mid-June, Kouga still hadn't reappeared and Kagome was terribly worried about him. The day of her wedding was drawing close and she needed to see him again, to explain... to apologize.
Today she sat in her bedroom, curled up on her bed. The sun was out in full force and it was a lovely summer's day, but she was unable to enjoy it. Ever since her engagement to Yuki, her health had backslid. Sesshoumaru was over every day to check up on her and twice in as many weeks, he'd arrived to find her passed out on the floor, burning with fever.
Akira was over at least every other day to make sure she was okay, unless the fevers had come back. Then he was practically camped out in her guest bedroom and came into her room to check on her every hour.
Miroku and Sango came over to see her, but she told Sango not to come in her bedroom. She didn't know if she was contagious and didn't want Sango or her baby to catch anything. Kagome had even asked Miroku to stay away until she got better, but he wouldn't hear of it.
"I've stayed away long enough," he told her irritably. "You can't keep me away if I want to be by your side."
At times, they would meditate together and Kagome would feel so relieved because during those times, she felt no pain... just peace. But then he would leave and the pain would come back. He had even given up asking her to reconsider marrying Yuki, which she was grateful for. She could sense his anger whenever he looked at her engagment ring, but he said nothing about it.
On this day after her most recent fever, Miroku had come to visit her by himself. She had felt particularily weak that day and couldn't even get out of bed, so it was little wonder that Miroku was alarmed at her appearance.
"Kagome! Sweetheart! You look so pale! I wish you'd go to the hospital," he told her, as he took a seat beside her on the bed.
But she shook her head carefully, for her head ached. "I'm not going to die," she said after a moment's silence. "Miroku, I want you to do me a favor."
"What?"
She lowered her gaze to her satiny green comforter that lay across her knees. "Call Kouga. Tell him I want to see him."
Kagome felt Miroku's body stiffen. He got up and walked to the end of her bed. "And tell him what, exactly? That you're going to marry Yuki after all? That you've been so ill and weak that you can't even leave your room?" His dark blue eyes were angry. "Do know what he would do if he knew this was going on? Do you know how it would make him feel?"
"Miroku, I--"
"He'd hate himself even more than he does already," he interrupted brusquely. "You can't keep tormenting him like this, Kagome. You and I both know he deserves better."
A tear ran down her pale cheek. "I only wanted to apologize to him," she whispered brokenly, "but you're right. Never mind then. Forget I asked." She slid down on the mattress and curled herself into a ball.
"You could stop this, you know, at any time you wanted."
"I know."
"Then why don't you?" he asked, his voice urgent, pleading. "You could end this right now and I'd call Kouga and he'd return, then you'd be happy again."
She shook her head. "I can't, Miroku. There's something that must be done first before I find my happiness."
The monk was silent for a few minutes as he paced around her room. At last he stopped and said, "I know why you're sick, Kagome. You are at war with yourself. One side loves this blond bastard and wants to be with him, while your other side yearns for Kouga. Its tearing you apart inside and because your body can't handle the stress, you're getting all these fevers."
A quiet sob disturbed the silence and he went around the bed to peek beneath the comforter where she had hidden herself. "Sweetheart, please don't cry." He stroked her hair.
"They both... needed me," she said between sobs. "I didn't know... who to choose. I love them both." She turned her face downwards, into the mattress. "Kouga... I'm so sorry! Tell him... tell him I'm sorry, Miroku. P-please."
Miroku sighed and promised her that he would tell him. With that, he got up and took his leave.
After he was gone, Kagome dozed off for a few moments before sliding out of bed and walking to her window. Her head ached horribly and she wondered if she should call Akira. But she shook her head. No, Akira had to rush to the hospital. One of his patients was critically ill.
This left her alone in the house.
Kagome thought that perhaps she should go downstairs to get a drink. It was awfully hot in the room, despite the air conditioning. Damn, this must mean her fever had returned.
She staggered to her door and out onto the landing, her hands reaching out for the railing. With painstaking slowness, she began her descent down the stairs.
About half-way down, her world whipped around too fast and her eyes closed to keep from seeing the room spinning wildly about her. Her eyes felt hot and heavy in her head and stomach roiled hideously. She began to panic when she realized that she couldn't move any further without making herself even sicker.
Grimly she clung to the railing, praying that someone, anyone, would come through her front door and help her.
Then, after what seemed like a hellish eternity, her grip began to slip. She began to teeter forward. "Help... me!"
she called to no one as she felt her body fall.
But there was no thud, no painful jarring of her brittle body against the stone floor at the bottom of the stairs.
Gingerly, she opened her dry, hot eyes and looked up.
Her eyes filled with tears when she saw a face she had been aching to see for so long. "Kouga," she whispered hoarsely as he lifted her up into the air and carried her back upstairs.
As he lay her gently on her bed, tucking her beneath one lightweight sheet, he knelt beside her and took one of her hands in his. "Didn't I tell you that if you ever needed me, I would be there for you?" he asked softly.
The tears spilled over and she began to tremble. "I'm sorry, Kouga. I'm so sorry I didn't trust in you. I hope you'll forgive me someday."
He shook his head. "It was a misunderstanding, darling. In your place, I would have thought the same thing." His bright blue gaze went over to the bedside table and he sighed. "I see that he won after all."
"Kouga..."
Kouga picked up the amethyst ring that sat on the table and examined it. "Don't, Kagome. It's fine, really. He was the better man, I guess." As he set it back on the table, he looked back at her face. "So, when is it and am I invited?"
Kagome burst into tears and Kouga gathered her up in his arms. "Now don't cry, baby girl. I'm here, aren't I? Right here with you." His lips placed kisses on her forehead, cheeks and nose. "I won't leave you again, I promise. I just... I just needed to be by myself for awhile. I think you remember what that was like." He chuckled against her hair.
Her arms went around him and held onto him tightly. "I love you, Kouga. I love you so very, very much."
"And I love you more than anything in this world, Kagome." He unraveled her arms from his torso and made her lay back down. "Sweetheart, listen. I'm going downstairs for a minute, okay? I'll be right back, I promise." She must have looked frightened, for he gave her a tender smile. "I'll be right back."
His lips brushed hers ever so slightly, then he was gone, his footsteps light upon the stairs. She waited fretfully for his return. When he finally did, she sobbed with relief. In his arms, he carried a bottle of sports drink, a bottle of water, a bag of ice and medicine. After making her take the medicine and asking her to take small sips of water, he told her to lay back down. He then place the bag of ice on her forehead.
"You've got a fever, my love," he said, placing his cool hand against her too-warm cheek. "I called Akira and he said he'd be right over." When she looked at him, puzzled, he grinned. "His business card was by the phone," he explained, letting his fingers trail lightly over her face and down to her neck.
"Oh," she murmured, loving the feel of his hands on her. It was soothing, what he was doing to her.
When she was beginning to drift off, she felt pressure on her lips and realized that he was kissing her. With as much passion as she could muster, she returned his kiss, bringing her hands up to touch his face. It was wrong, to kiss him like this when she was betrothed to another, but she needed to kiss him. Kouga was a source of comfort to her... and right now, she was in desperate need of it.
After several long minutes, Kouga's mouth stilled and he pulled away from her. "Akira," he said by way of explanation.
Akira came into the bedroom, with a smile ready for Kagome. "Hey, sweetie, I hear you've had yet another fever." He removed the ice bag from her head and waited a few minutes before he took her temperature. "Hmm, its a bit high, but not too high. I think that if Kouga hadn't come when he did, you'd be in dire straits right now." He frowned and checked her pulse. "I'm concerned, Kagome."
"How long has this been going on?" Kouga asked from the other side of the bed.
Kagome turned her head to look at him, but it was Akira who answered. "Since last month, two weeks after you left, Kouga. The very day Yuki proposed."
This time, Kagome turned her entire body away from Akira and curled up on her side, but Akira put his hand out to touch her shoulder. "It's not your fault, Kagome. Like I said at the time, it was due to stress and you have a weak body. I'd be upset too, in your place."
"Wait a sec. Just how much do you know?" Kouga asked abruptly.
Akira smiled at him. "I know about you and Kagome. I've known for awhile now, ever since Yuki's birthday. Hiro told me that you two were seeing each other. But don't worry, I won't tell Yuki. It's none of his business, now is it?" With a wide grin, he pulled back the comforter. "Here, lie down, Kouga. You look like tired. Don't worry about Yuki or Aunt Rini coming by. I'll tell them that Kagome needs complete rest and that I'm ordering her not to be disturbed whatsoever. Besides, I have a feeling that Kagome needs you right now and no one else. If you need me, I'll be downstairs." With a wink at Kouga, he left the room, closing the door behind him.
Kouga stared at the door for moment, then looked down at Kagome, who was watching him silently. He stripped down to his boxers and slid in beside her, his arms wrapping around her. She melted into his embrace and sighed against his chest. In her line of sight, she caught a glimpse of a slim gold chain around his neck. It lay askew against his chest and she was unable to resist hooking a finger around it and giving it a gentle tug.
Something heavy seemed to be weighing it down and with a frown, she moved back a bit in order to retrieve the heavy object. Pulling her hand back, she discovered that it was the engagement ring that Kouga had bought her. Looking up sharply, she found him studying her, his eyes alive with love for her.
"I couldn't bear to part with it," he told her, "because it was meant for you. A part of me even had hope that one day you'd wear it because you would have agreed to marry me." He kissed her forehead, which had thankfully, cooled considerably. "But perhaps one day, someone will look down on me and forgive me my past sins... and give me what I want most in the world." The look in his eyes wrenched at her heart and she pressed her face against his throat.
Her tears flowed once more and he held her to him. "Hey. Have I told you I loved you today?"
She nodded and held him closer. "Yes, but tell me again, please?"
He did. Over and over again until they both fell asleep.
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