Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Inuyasha. He and the others belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
A/N: Okay, this chapter does NOT have a lemon. The version that does for those who are interested is at Animespiral. Go to my profile and the link is there. Again, this version has NO lemon. If you so desire, you can read the lemon at the link in my profile.
Chapter Twelve
Last time
Sesshomaru's mind quickly digressed into other decidedly inappropriate thoughts as he fantasized ways they would test their skills against one another. He suppressed a needy growl and reminded himself that youkai or not, she was young and he would need to take his time with her. He smirked to himself. Good thing he was the great Daiginkeiko, Reizo. He had all the time in the world.
Maika walked in silence as well, obviously trying to process everything she had just found out. Reiku seemed to be the only one unaffected. Her hands trailed through the lights and stray strands of his hair, and before they had even reached the end of the block, Reiku was asleep.
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"Well, it looks like you two had a fun day," Mrs. Higurashi remarked as Inuyasha and Kagome came strolling hand in hand through the door.
Both flushed slightly and jumped apart. Kagome shifted the pile of stuffed animals and replied, "Oh, it was nice, Mom."
Mrs. Higurashi smiled and turned to Inuyasha, who now stood with his hands crossed over his chest and an agitated look on his face that said he had simply been humoring them.
"My goodness, Inuyasha did you win all those prizes at the fair?"
Inuyasha lifted his nose in the air. "Keh, of course I did. Wasn't like it was hard or nothing."
Kagome rolled her eyes and dumped the pile on the table in front of her mother, then stretched tall. "Well, I'm beat. I could use a nice bath."
"Feh, whatever just remember we're going back today," Inuyasha told her as he closed his eyes and dropped gracelessly back against the wall.
Kagome turned, her eyes flashing, and opened her mouth. Inuyasha cracked an eye and said, "No arguments."
Kagome snapped her mouth shut and sighed, before turning and heading upstairs to bathe and change.
"Are you sure you don't want to hang around a while longer, Inuyasha?" Mrs. Higurashi asked. She stood up and moved over to her refrigerator. "I could make you another steak."
Inuyasha's eyes shot open and he lifted his head. "Steak? Well, I'm not really in any hurry. And Kagome usually takes a long time to get ready."
Mrs. Higurashi giggled softly. "Well, then could you please take those stuffed animal's up to Kagome's room while I cook? We need room at the table."
Inuyasha grunted, but did as he was asked. They made a rather large, tacky pile on her bed. Sniffing the air to make sure Kagome was still occupied in the bathroom, he shifted through the stack until he found a small white plush dog. He smiled wickedly as he shoved it into the sleeve of his firerat. It looked an awful lot like Sesshomaru in his true form.
He couldn't wait to try out his little dynamite plan! And when else would he get to blow up his brother, in effigy or otherwise? From what he had learned today, he knew he never would kill the asshole. Heck, he had almost been reluctant to leave his brother today. They had really had a rather good time in one another's company.
However, blowing up this toy wouldn't hurt Sesshomaru. Besides, this was strategically important. Naraku had already shown and interest in absorbing Sesshomaru, so a toy that looked like his brother would be better bait.
Inuyasha frowned. The hard part would be finding Naraku to test it out. Oh well, if he couldn't locate the evil hanyou, he could still blow the toy up, just for practice.
That put a rather sinister smile on Inuyasha's face as he digressed into a fantasy of just how he'd put his plan in action. Mrs. Higurashi walked in a moment later and nearly dropped his neatly folded red hakamas when she noticed the look on his face. She eyed him warily, set them on the bed, and retreated to the kitchen.
xxx
The next morning Kagome strolled merrily into Kaede's village. Inuyasha trudged along behind her, toting her overstuffed yellow backpack, which he had personally overseen the restocking of. Miroku and Sango glanced up at them from the fence they leaned against.
"So, Inuyasha, one day, no complaints, huh?" Miroku remarked casually as he twisted his staff between his fingers.
"Shut up, monk," Inuyasha grumbled.
Kagome grinned broadly over his shoulder at their friends. "We had a great time. It was a day I don't think I'll ever forget."
Inuyasha blushed at her words, which earned an impressively lecherous grin from Miroku.
"Keh," Inuyasha said, and he started walking down the path. "Let's just get going, okay."
The others quickly gathered their supplies and took off after him. Inuyasha slowed his pace until he was walking beside the monk. "Um, say, Miroku. Do you happen to know where that Renkotsu guy got his dynamite?"
Miroku paused, then asked, "Dynamite? What on earth do you need that for?"
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Maika glanced over at the handsome man beside her. A youkai, and not just any youkai, a daiyoukai. An actual living legend among her kind. Yet there he was, tucking a sleeping Reiku beneath her covers, his awesome power masked by a simple charm as he lived his life day to day as a human, granted an extremely powerful and intimidating human.
She was still numbed by her amazement from when the illusion fell away, revealing his pristine white hair, intense amber eyes and that odd fur thing over his shoulder. Maika blushed as she couldn't help but wonder what that thing was. Could it be some sort of tail? Just what kind of youkai was he? All she could detect from his aura was power, a seemingly limitless supply of it.
I bet he has stamina, she thought to herself as they quietly let themselves out of the girl's room and returned to the street. A couple walked past. Maika and Reizo remained silent until they passed, staring at each other with scarcely restrained desire. Unfortunately things needed to be said first.
"I take it you are a wind youkai?" he questioned her, in that outwardly emotionless voice that always sent a flush of heat through the more intimate places of her body.
Struggling to match his calm, Maika flicked her fan open and caused a breeze to ruffle his long hair. Gods, how she wanted to run her fingers through that hair and feel it sliding against her bare skin! It had to be like the finest silk. As if he could read those thoughts in her eyes, his own gaze heated with a lustful fire. How she would love to see them revealed in their full golden glory again!
Pulling her mind away from its delicious fantasies, she smirked at him and asked, "Wow, Sherlock, how'd you figure that one out?"
He growled low and feral, drawing her to him by a hand beneath her chin, and whispered, "By close observation."
She shivered, his words gliding over her like caressing fingers, leaving a tingle throughout her body. Her breath hitched and her knees went weak. Just as she thought she would not be able to stand, strong arms were holding her tightly against a firm chest. There was a light, a surge of youki so intense it stole her breath away, and the world flew past them.
Pressing herself tightly to the firm anchor of his body, she closed her eyes and tried to suppress the weightless, bodiless sensation that overcame her senses. Even being the wind, she had never flown like this before.
He chuckled softly, obviously aware of her plight, and said, "We shall be there shortly. Don't worry, you have nothing to fear from me."
Though she could see nothing but light, she felt it then, his kiss. His lips worshiped her, not any particular part of her physically, but every part of her, even her very heart and soul. Maika nearly passed out from the pleasure of it all. While she was by no means a virgin, this youkai managed to make her feel young, awkward and inexperienced all over again.
Then he shattered those feelings, broke her and made her new again. A being of desire and longing only for him, his touch, his kiss.
His laughter rumbled around her again. "Soon. Soon," was all he said.
xxx
Maika could scarcely believe her eyes when the white light receded, revealing a vast feudal palace. She gasped and took a few dazed steps before she even realized he had put her back on her feet.
"This- this is your home?" she blurted, suddenly feeling completely the fool for all she had done to him at the fair today.
He sidled up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and taking a deep whiff of her hair. "Indeed. It is my family home. My mother left it to me when the humans became too much for her stand. This is where I was raised until my father started training me."
"Oh, my," Maika said. She had never heard him speak so much about himself before. "Did your father leave with your mother, then?"
She instantly regretted saying that. A sadness she could actually feel seeped into him.
"No, my father died long, long ago. When I had scarcely come of age myself."
"How old are you? Is Reizo your real name?" she questioned suddenly. The urge to truly know him was overwhelming. There was an ancient sadness in him and it made her hurt for him. "There is so much we don't know about one another really. Because of these stupid charms."
That said, Maika deactivated her own and turned to look up at him. Her heart fluttered in a slight anxiety. What if he did not think her beautiful in her true form?
Those little insecurities vanished as he crushed her against himself again and captured her lips in a rough, wild kiss. The points of his fangs pricked her, causing her to gasp in both surprise and desire. He did not let the opportunity pass and slid his tongue into her mouth to taste her.
Lost in a haze of pleasure, Maika raked her nails down her tormentor's back, desperate to see, feel, taste, experience more of him. She moaned softly as he forced his lips from hers and tucked her head beneath his chin. His chest heaved slightly and rumbled with a growl of desire.
Inhaling deeply yet again, he let out a sigh and murmured in a needy voice, "You are beautiful." Each word penetrated deep within her, causing her heart to pound faster and her eyes to close as she savored the satisfaction his tiny revelation brought her.
Then he answered, "I am several centuries old, yet still in my prime as a youkai. And no, Reizo is not my true name."
He flicked his wrist and she found herself swept up in whirlwind of his incredible aura as he revealed himself to her again. White hair swayed and lashed at them like rays of living moonlight, and she felt something soft and furry curl around her.
"I am Sesshomaru," he announced in a deep, resonating voice that made her knees buckle. She would have fallen if not for his sure grip on her.
Turning, she received a face full of white fur. More than a little puzzled and hopelessly intrigued, she buried her fingers through the softness, feeling a bit like a naughty child daring to play with the emperor's robes. She hesitated when a sharp snarl came from the youkai. Worried that she had crossed some line with him, Maika glanced up at his face.
His expression was far from displeased, however. His eyes were closed and a fang peeked from the corner of his mouth where he was obviously biting back a more vocal response.
Amused and aroused, she stroked the pelt again, smirking at him as his golden eyes popped open. "Just what kind of youkai are you?" she prodded, playfully tugging at the fur again.
Sesshomaru looked at her for a moment, then asked, "Do you wish to see my true form?"
Maika bit her lip. His true form? He truly was powerful. Unable to speak, she simply nodded.
Sesshomaru smirked at her and warned, "This will likely be a new experience for you. I will not harm you, so do not be afraid."
Maika relaxed at the familiar show of arrogance. "Now when have you ever frightened me, Sesshomaru?" She loved the sound of that name on her tongue, and apparently he did as well, if the sudden thrust of his hips against hers was any sign.
Taking a few steps back, Sesshomaru released himself completely. Maika watched in awe as his golden eyes widened and turned red. His fangs elongated and his pale face contorted and shifted. Suddenly, there was a rush of light and wind and crackling energy, then it all cleared to reveal a massive white dog, towering over her where Sesshomaru had been standing.
Maika tried to keep her jaw firmly hinged shut, but it dropped of its own accord. Damn, he was going to insufferable after this, but gods, even in this form he was amazing. He lowered his massive head, jaws large enough to kill her in a single snap, and inhaled once again, the strength of it ruffling her clothes and hair.
Smiling broadly, Maika reached out and petted his muzzle as she said, "An inu! Well, that explains a lot. The sniffing, your shaking yourself dry, that damned swaggering you did after Reiku announced that dogs were her favorite."
She noticed the moon on his brow that had been hidden by the smiley face in his other form and smiled. So that was why Reiku had wanted that image on her forehead. Giving his muzzle another good scratch, she laughed and said, "You big puppy!"
Sesshomaru growled low and returned to his humanoid form. Faster than she could react, he pinned her to the ground beneath himself and whispered in a rough, sensual voice, "Oh, I am no puppy, bitch! Though I'll delight in correcting your error."
Maika shivered in anticipation, and couldn't help running her tongue along his tapered ear just to taste him. He shivered at the sensation and ground his hips against hers.
Smirking up at him, Maika said, "Is that so? Well, you forget that I am the wind."
She traced her tongue along the shell of his ear once more before throwing him off of her with a gust of wind and quickly regaining her feet. She tossed her feather into the air and filled it with her energy.
"You'll have to catch me first," she called down to him as she flew off.
Sesshomaru sat sprawled on the ground where she had thrown him, a broad, feral grin on his face. Oh, this was going to better than he had ever imagined. Slowly, gracefully, he got to his feet and stalked in the direction she had gone.
Even the wind cannot escape this Sesshomaru,'he thought. But I shall enjoy the hunt.
Maika's heart raced and her entire body felt hot and alien, as though she were not in complete control of herself. She was not entirely sure what she had just done either. She wanted him, with every ounce of her being she wanted, no needed, him; but her instincts held her back, repeating, "Make sure he is worthy. Make sure he is worthy."
Maika groaned and bit her lip, shifting her hips as she tried to relieve the building ache between her thighs. Make sure he is worthy for what! He's a damned billionaire and a daiyoukai! I should be the one worrying if I'm worthy of him.
But her instincts ignored her and continued their cautioning chant, filling her with a quiet elation as well. "He comes!" they seemed to reassure her.
Maika shivered as she felt his aura in the air all around her. Indeed he was coming. A flash of white through the trees, a sudden flare in his aura - she knew he was tracking her scent.
"Not yet, not yet," her instincts cooed.
Maika laughed. A nose like his was an unfair advantage. But he continued to forget she was the wind. Picking up speed, she made sure she was out of sight, then landed inside the thick forests that surrounded his ancestral palace. Returning her feather to its place in her hair, Maika flicked open her fan and waved slowly back and forth in front of herself, revolving slowly to make sure she had gathered all the air around. Then with a sweep of her arm, she sent it like a roiling fog to blanket the forest in her scent.
Let's see how well the puppy can do without a trail to follow," she purred. Oh, he would find her and catch her, of that she was certain. Let her instincts have their way for now. She would have him soon enough.
As she had expected, it was only a matter of minutes before she felt him approaching. Scanning the trees around her, she knew he was watching her, though she could not pinpoint his exact location. The mere thought sent a pulse of desire through her core and a rush of heated liquid to the juncture of her thighs in anticipation of his presence. Her body convulsed around nothingness, leaving her so empty and incomplete that she moaned aloud.
He seemed to be confident that he had her now, taking his time as though he delighted in her frustration and need. Biting back another moan, Maika lifted her fan to launch an attack just to flush him out of hiding. But a coil of glowing energy curled around her fan, hand and arm, halting her attack.
Maika smiled, and turned eager eyes towards the source of the whip. There he stood, practically glowing in the moonlight, his hair stirring lazily about him from the force of his own power. She tried to tug her hand free, but it was firmly caught, until he felt like releasing her. Which Maika was desperately hoping would not be any time soon.
Slow, feral and confident, he advanced on her, keeping his whip taunt as he did so. His golden eyes surveyed her from head to toe as if captivated and drawn by some spell. There was an intense hunger in them that made her tremble, and he ran his tongue over his lips as though he were already tasting her in his mind.
xxxxxxxxxxxx If you would like to read the lemon, go to my profile for the link.
Sesshomaru inhaled deeply. His scent mingled strongly with Maika's and filled him with a comforting sense of completion. Never before in his life had he been able to say he truly had all he could ever desire. His chosen female tucked against his chest and his child tucked into bed fast asleep: what more was there?
Maika pressed a soft kiss to his chest and looked up at him, her ruby eyes still hooded and clouded with passion. So beautiful and his. For a moment, his mind recalled another ruby-eyed female from long, long ago. Kagura had seemed openly interested in him back when he was too young and selfish to think of much beyond himself, and she had died before he had learned much more than her name and desire to be free of Naraku.
In fact, all he could recall of her was her brilliant red eyes. Could Maika possibly be a reincarnation of that woman? Sesshomaru shivered slightly and crushed Maika tightly against himself. Those brilliant red eyes and the pain. If she were connected in some way to Kagura, the best thing he could do would be to never reveal that to her. Only in death had Kagura gained the freedom she so longed for, and he would not chain another woman, reincarnation or otherwise, to the painful memories of the evil of Naraku.
Kagura he did not know nor did he feel one way or the other towards her, but Maika, Maika he truly knew and cared for more than himself.
Maika twisted in his arms, then sat up suddenly, breaking him from his thoughts. A frown twisted her face and she exclaimed, "So that's what was so funny! I was so worried, and he knew! He knew, and he didn't say anything to either of us!"
Sesshomaru propped himself on his elbow and admired the contours of her form. "Hmmmm, who is this he, and what did he know?" he questioned.
"Your brother, that's who. That girl, Kagome, is a miko and she figured out I was a youkai. As soon as I confessed, your brother had a fit. And neither of them said a word! They just let me go on about how I wanted to protect you from the youkai world."
"Inuyasha knew you were a youkai?" Sesshomaru mused.
Maika groaned again and she blushed even down to her pale breasts. "He could smell us, too, couldn't he? If he's an inu like you..."
Sesshomaru chuckled softly and nuzzled her neck to comfort her. "Inuyasha is a hanyou," he explained. "And for some reason, he was in his human form today, so he was unable to smell anything beyond what a normal mortal would."
"Well, that is somewhat comforting, though I still feel a little foolish," Maika told him. Her stomach followed that with a rumble. "And I guess I'm a little hungry, too."
Sesshomaru chuckled softly and captured her lips for a soft, chaste kiss. "Well, there is something I can do to remedy that."
He then got to his feet and took her hand to help her stand. She glanced down at her own naked form and blushed slightly. Sesshomaru quickly donned his jeans, then swept her up into his arms.
"I believe I owe you a dress as well," he told her, then used his energy ball to transport them back to his family home.
Maika shivered as he set her down inside the entry hall of the massive palace. "Wow, these floors are cold!" Her hands flew to cover herself and she asked in a whisper, "Are there any servants here? That might come to welcome the master home?"
Sesshomaru drew her close and curled his fur around her. "They should not be awake, but my presence here is difficult to hide without the charm. Let us not take any chances and acquire you some clothing. Just in case."
The moved quickly along the dark, empty halls. For some reason they both felt like teens sneaking through their parents' house, which made everything seem amusing. In Sesshomaru's case this was doubly true as this was his childhood home. By the time they burst into his mother's former dressing room, both were struggling to stifle laughter.
Sesshomaru moved over and threw open the doors to the closet that housed his mother's collection of fine kimonos. Most were way too formal to wear comfortably, so he reached back and found a more casual kimono meant for wearing only within the private areas of the house. He sniffed deeply, surprised to find his mother's scent still lingered in silks.
"Oh, my! Your family was important. These are the kimonos of royalty. And the styles, some of these are more than four hundred years old," Maika remarked with a gasp.
"Indeed, most of these are much more than seven hundred years," he told her, then drew out the kimono he chose and shut the door. "Do you consider that old?"
Maika gawked at the fine kimono he held up, and said, "Well, yeah, I'd say so. I mean, I'm about three hundred years, but even to me that's a lot of years."
Sesshomaru said nothing, but motioned for her to stand in front of the mirror. She complied and watched him through the reflection.
"Hold out your arms," he instructed, then proceeded to slide the kimono on her and fitted the obi around her waist. She watched in fascination as he tied it securely, then said, "You sure know your way around the old fashions."
He smiled at her. "I am old, I told you. I am, in fact, older than many of these garments." His hands lingered on her hips and he pressed himself against her, inhaling the sweetness of her scent. The buttons of jeans threatened to snag on the silk and he reluctantly pulled away.
"I believe I shall change while I'm at home. While I do not mind human fabrics for short lengths of time, I still prefer youkai silks," Sesshomaru told her, then turned and walked back out into the hall. Maika ran after him, the silk of the kimono hissing with her movement. She ran a hand over it admiringly.
Sesshomaru sighed contentedly as he entered his own chambers. This was his haven, his retreat. While he had taken the time to modernize certain aspects of the house, he had refused to allow any sort of modern convenience into his private quarters. He needed no light as the moon was bright and streamed in freely through the open shoji that led to his private garden.
He noticed appreciatively that Maika had closed the door behind them, and he immediately slid out of his jeans. A breeze swept towards him at that moment, lifting his long white hair as it passed outside. He thought that odd until he heard Maika's appreciative murmur.
He turned to look at her, only to find she had slipped out of the kimono and perched rather primly on the edge of his futon. His eyes widened and his body quickly showed its appreciation.
She snapped her fan closed and winked at him. "I know you didn't take me to your little bachelor pad just to admire the furniture. We might as well put it to good use."
Sesshomaru growled and was at her side in an instant. His lips captured hers for a fiery kiss, then he flipped her onto her hands and knees. Maika squealed in surprise, but he leaned over her back and whispered in her ear, "Did you forget I am an inu?"
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Maika giggled into her plate of rice and diced meat. "Was that really necessary?"
Sesshomaru frowned at her in annoyance.
"I mean really," she continued, "it wasn't as if the poor thing knew he'd be interrupting when he walked in on us. He was only eager to serve his master; I don't think that warrants a death sentence."
Sesshomaru swallowed and glanced over his shoulder at the limp body of his servant lying just inside his door. He shrugged. "It matters little. Servants are easy enough to come by, and it is good to keep them in check with a little fear. I believe sometimes they forget that it is not the humans who are truly in charge. I will revive him tomorrow anyways."
Maika choked very prettily. "You-what? You'll revive him?"
Sesshomaru nodded. "You remember Tenseiga?"
"Yes."
"It is not an ordinary sword, but one commissioned by my father and constructed from one of his fangs. Tenseiga has the ability to bring souls back. It was bequeathed to me upon his demise. "
Maika frowned and put a hand on his arm. "You don't sound to happy about that. Was your father's death that painful for you?"
Sesshomaru sighed and set down his chopsticks. "Yes and no. My father was a warrior, so a violent end was always expected. However, he deserved better than to fall shamefully at the hands of a mortal, no less. He had ignored grievous injuries in order to defend the hanyou and that mortal mother of his. Then I found out he had left the great Tetsusaiga, another of his fangs, to the bastard son, and left his heir the useless sword of healing."
"I wouldn't say that bringing the dead to life is useless," Maika pointed out.
"Nor would I. Now. However, then I was young and unsure of how to handle what was happening. All I had planned and worked for had fallen apart."
"You mentioned that you and your brother did not get along. Was that why?"
"Partially, perhaps. It was very complex, my hatred of him. I regarded everything with contempt back then. Even myself to some extend," Sesshomaru confessed. "I tried to kill him. Many times. Unsuccessfully as you can see. I even lost my arm to him in one attempt."
Maika glanced at his limbs, then said, "Well, that's a damn good prosthetic. I couldn't tell."
Sesshomaru chuckled. "No, this is my real arm, though I will not go into details as to how. I almost lost my life to him and Tetsusaiga. Were it not for Tenseiga, I would have died. Eventually I learned that Tetsusaiga functioned to seal Inuyasha's demon blood and prevented him from becoming a mindless monster, and I ceased trying to claim it. However, mine is a very, very long story. And I am interested to hear something of yours. Do you get along better with your own family?"
Maika looked down at her plate, and a frown marred her lovely features. "My family got along well enough. My parents were stern, but cared about us in the usual youkai way. My brothers and I got along really well. We all had separate interests, but we were always there for one another. They were very protective."
"You speak in the past tense," Sesshomaru pointed out.
Maika nodded. "They died. A while back." Her voice lowered to a whisper and she added, "Everyone I care for always does."
Sesshomaru winced at her whispered words, as they struck a chord with his own pain. His own life was a story of one loss after another. His father, Rin, Jaken. The very world he had born into and dominated had been lost, swept away like flotsam on the beach by the ever-increasing tide of humans.
"But I've got along well enough," Maika continued in a much lighter tone. "I move around a lot, go wherever the wind blows, so to speak. They may not pay much, but these secretary positions give me the flexibility I need whenever it's time to pick up and go again."
"Yet it seems Tokyo has taken your interest," Sesshomaru remarked. "You have been with my company for over a year now. Impressive for the wind."
Maika smiled, almost one of relief. "I know, isn't it great? It's the longest I've been able to stay in one place without hi-" She stopped herself and hurriedly crammed some rice into her mouth.
"Without what?" Sesshomaru pressed. He enjoyed hearing her talk about herself.
"Without, um, you know," she waved her chopsticks idly in the air as if searching for the right word, "without having the urge to move on."
"Indeed. Well, I believe you owe me an embarrassing story," he informed her as he finished off the last of his meal.
"Oh?" she questioned mildly, arching an eyebrow in his direction. "And why is that?"
"It is only fair. You have learned why I do not enjoy chocolate," he pointed out.
Maika laughed. "But remember, I got that one against heavy protest from you."
Sesshomaru growled low and playfully at her.
"Oooo, scary! Alright, I'll tell you," she said, then leaned over and planted a kiss on his nose. "But only because you're so cute."
Sesshomaru grunted his approval of that assessment.
"Well, let's see, oh, yes!"
Sesshomaru grinned at her openly. Already her cheeks were tinted a pleasant pink even as she recalled the incident.
"A couple friends and I had gone out for a few drinks and some harmless flirting at a nightclub a while back. We were sitting on an upper level of the club, looking down at all the action at the lower tables and the dance floor.
"My friends pointed out a group of some rather attractive mortal guys. Well, I had had a drink or two past my limit and was thoroughly enjoying the onset of tipsiness, so I boasted to my friends that I could get their attention."
Sesshomaru growled softly at the mention of other males. Maika rolled her eyes and said, "Do you want the story, or not?"
He bit back his growl and nodded, though he somehow managed to drape himself over her possessively without seeming to move.
"Anyways, I'm not sure if it was the alcohol, the angle of the stairs, my unfortunate fetish for high heels, or if I had somehow offended the god of gravity and practical jokes, but I managed to stumble just before I reached the bottom step. I fell, and slid directly beneath the guys' table I was headed for.
"I was mortified. I put a look on my face like I'd meant to do that, waved at them meekly, then scrambled for the exit. My friends joined me about ten minutes later after they had managed to stop laughing."
"Well, at least I am certain you had their attention," Sesshomaru said, chuckling heartily.
"Somehow that wasn't a consolation," she informed him wryly. "To this day I haven't gone back to that club."
"Really?" Sesshomaru said. "And just what was the name of this club?"
"You're not that cute, Sesshomaru," Maika told him. "Now, I want you clear up something about your story that has me confused. You were born even before the feudal era, am I right?"
Sesshomaru nodded, uncertain as to where this was headed.
"So, where the heck did you get chocolate from? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think that particular treat was around back then."
It was Sesshomaru's turn to flush slightly. Damn, she was perceptive. "That incident did not occur during my childhood, exactly."
"Exactly?" Maika questioned, a rather evil looking smile curving her ruby lips. "What exactly does that mean?"
Sesshomaru pursed his lips. Now how was he supposed to explain that without exposing secrets only Kagome and his brother had the right to reveal? "I, well, I had an encounter with a curse. My brother insists it would have killed me except that Tenseiga interfered."
Maika looked puzzled. "And that has what to do with chocolate? Was it a cursed candy bar, or something? And are you saying this happened when you were an adult?"
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at her. "I was returned to a version of my childhood self, with no memories of my adult life. My brother, Kagome and their friends took me into their care without my consent. They gave me chocolate."
"And as an innocent little child you ate too much and got sick!" Maika filled in, her eyes shining brightly.
"I believe you are getting far too much joy from that, Maika," Sesshomaru told her.
She smiled and winked at him. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. But I'd be a bit worried about that brother of yours."
Sesshomaru snorted. "Indeed."
Maika stretched tall. The loose sleeves of the kimono she wore fell back to reveal the smooth, pale flesh of her forearms. Sesshomaru watched her, like one under a spell. She was so beautiful. Her long, dark hair, usually swept up, lay in long, loose waves over her back and shoulders. Ruby eyes watched him through a thick fringe of lashes, sparking with amusement as she noticed him watching.
In one fluid motion, Maika stood and glided over to the open shoji to study the moonlit garden.
"I really enjoyed today," she told him, without turning from the tranquil scene.
Sesshomaru said nothing in reply. Instead, he came up behind her, swept her into his arms and carried her out into the center of the garden where a very tall tree grew. He sank down with her in his lap and leaned his back against the trunk.
Maika opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it. Burrowing closer to him, she lay her head back on his shoulder and gazed up at the sky. Sesshomaru smiled softly and buried his nose in her hair. How he wished this night would never end, but dawn would arrive in a few hours and he had meetings and other obligations.
xxxxxxx
Maika shivered at the sensation of Sesshomaru's white sphere of energy receding. It felt like someone dragging a cool, silk sheet slowly across her hot, bare flesh and reminded her body keenly of what they had done that night. They stood hidden in an alley near her apartment, though both already had their charms activated. A weak, pale dawn had just broken the horizon in the east and the first signs of life were popping up all around them.
Sesshomaru pulled her in for a final kiss, then turned and vanished into his ball of light again. Maika watched as he rose out of the alley and disappeared. He may not have been a man of many words, but he sure knew how to get his point across. Maika was nearly dancing down the street, and she actually did do a little spin once she was safely inside her building's entrance.
An upbeat tune kept running through her head, so she started to hum it. If furry woodland creatures had suddenly filled the hallway and started singing to her, she wouldn't have been at all surprised.
Maika was definitely happy.
Still performing her own version of Snow White in the forest, Maika unlocked her door and tossed the keys in the general direction of her kitchen counter. It was still dark inside, but Maika knew her way around well enough not to stumble. She spun once and flopped backwards onto her couch, rubbing the sleeve of the kimono against her cheek. It was almost as soft as his skin.
"Well, well, Maika, don't you look radiant this morning," a dark, male voice purred. "What have you been doing? Or perhaps I should say, who?"
In that instant, the forest wilted and the furry woodland chorus scattered. Maika's heart raced, and she reached suddenly for her keychain fan only to remember that she had tossed it aside upon waltzing in. Her eyes searched the darkness frantically for the source of the voice as she calculated her chances of making it out of the door before the voice made its move.
As if he guessed her thoughts, the voice spoke again, this time from almost directly in front of the door. "I wouldn't try that, if I were you."
Maika turned and snarled at him. Not now! "What are you doing here?" she demanded much more fiercely than she felt. He had her trapped, and they both knew it.
He moved forward out of the shadows, then making himself visible to her in the dim light. Though not unexpected, Maika couldn't help but shudder in revulsion at the unwelcome sight.
"Maika, please, we've been through this hundreds of times before. I'll admit you managed to elude me for much longer this time, but once again I found you."
Maika forced herself to not tremble and took a step back from him. She didn't want to be afraid, but his logic was pretty sound.
"I always find what is mine," he told her in an ominous voice.