Title: Tōkyō e yōkoso!
Author: Angelicatt
Prompt: Seasons Challenge: Autumn
Genre: Friendship/Romance
Rating: K+
Warning: Stubborn Inu Alert!
Word Count: 4,440 (inc. Endnote)
Summary: Continued from #85 Flat: Sesshoumaru's plight caused by 20th century Tokyo
A/N: Only a couple more to go I think…Much love and thanks to Sugar0o for helping me when I blanked out for 4days. Originally posted on LJ 4/30/10
Disclaimer: I do not own anything but my own cracked imagination (& Toki-Mai)
He had closed his eyes to avoid being blinded by the brightness of the blue light; and when he reopened them, there was darkness all around him and his youkai senses could pick up nothing except the onna he was holding onto frantically, almost as if he was afraid that the strange magic would take her away from him. Kagome had been right in her description of this bizarre time portal; it reminded Sesshoumaru greatly of the inside of the meidou.
She on the other hand, was so used to traversing through the well, that she took the opportunity to simply snuggle up to the daiyoukai during the brief trip. The poor inu was struggling with the peculiarity of the situation, since it was both something new and something that he could not control. As she continued to rub her face into his mokomoko, his agitated aura calmed somewhat; it would only be a few moments longer before they got to the other side.
Just when he began to think that they would be free-falling forever, his booted feet hit solid ground. The packed dirt at the bottom of the well smelt musty and damp and he wrinkled his nose at it. Kagome looked up at him and pointed upwards, so he followed the direction of her finger with his eyes and saw for himself the wooden roof and beams of the building. With one smooth leap, he landed outside the well and glanced around inquisitively at the small structure. The well house itself was about as big as one of the villager's huts back in Edo.
Kagome wriggled out of the Inu's vice grip, which he allowed reluctantly and pulled him by the wrist to the staircase, before sitting on the top step. His theory had held up, remembering the surge of power that was emitted from Tensaiga as they journeyed through time; but her mighty Lord was nervous and rightly so. He had just successfully time leaped five hundred years, into a world that was so vastly different from his own – a world full of humans, strange structures, technology and pollution. It was probably best she gave him a head's up before they stepped outside.
"Sesshoumaru, sit here for a minute will you please." she asked politely, patting the step below her.
In youkai culture, it was unheard of for a daiyoukai to be beneath any being lesser than them in any circumstance; but he allowed it, because he was in her world now. There was no one around to pass judgment on the act.
The Inu lowered himself onto the dusty wooden step and Kagome quickly pinned his upper body between her spread legs, leaning forward so that her head was just above his elven ear. His silver locks cascaded over her clothed thighs and she drew it and the tail end of mokomoko into her lap, so they would not trail on the ground. He was too pristine to have anything dirty on him. Using the fingers on her left hand, she ran them through his scalp, causing him to whine quietly. He could be such a puppy sometimes. Her right arm wrapped around his shoulder and neck, pulling his head further back into her lap.
"Before we go outside, I need to remind you of a few things. I know we have discussed some of the major differences between the Feudal era and this, the Heisei period; but nothing I could have mentioned, will ever properly prepare you for the sights, sounds and smells. As of right now, you are the only youkai that I know of in all of Tokyo… Japan even. I keep hoping that I will pick up even the faintest of auras when I come back each time, but still there's has never been even a glimmer of one amongst the thirteen million people here."
'Thirteen million humans in one city?' his mind questioned the veracity of that figure, but he remained quiet and let her continue talking.
"You have seen enough of my belongings to know that we are far more advanced than anyone in the Sengoku Jidai could ever imagine. Of course with all the increased population and technology, there is also widespread natural devastation and pollution. We have run out of land to build outwards, so we have gone upwards. Where you have your youki cloud and glowy orb thing, we have steel planes that can fly you from city to city and across countries. We still have horses and carriages but these days, they are just for show; instead we get around in metal cars, trains, underground subways and bicycles, like the one I brought through the well a couple of years ago. There are hardly any trees or natural fauna, all the wild animals are held in cages at a place called the zoo. We still have lots of crime but no one uses a sword or bow and arrows, they use guns and grenades." she rambled on and on, her gurn growing at each point she tried to emphasize.
"I know this is a lot to absorb; but you have to promise me that you are not going to just attack anyone or anything that seems weird to you. If you have any questions, and I am sure you will, ask me or my mom. When we've settled in some, I will introduce you to my encyclopedias – they are a collection of books that cover everything, from science, medicine, to history and world geography. There's even a whole chapter on the 1969 moon landing." she gleamed, with a smile. The Inu had been in utter disbelief when she had informed him some time ago, that humans had managed to get to the moon.
As comfortable as he was with her gentle petting and general closeness, her speech only managed to exacerbate the anxiety in his heart and mind. 'What am I getting myself into?' his logic griped. He was a little annoyed that she felt the need to tell him to reign in his natural defensive urges. His aura radiated that irritation, as he stood up and faced her; an impressive scowl gracing his normally placid face.
"Miko, do you take this Sesshoumaru for some sort of wild beast, incapable of controlling his urges? This one is not some uncouth child, like the hanyou and has every intention of respecting your home and family. Hnn, some of us have more manners than you give us credit for." he spit out venomously, eerily sounding more like his old cold-hearted self, than the caring, affectionate youkai he had become in the last few days. Was the onna making him soft?
Kagome resisted rolling her eyes at him; but his anger had wounded her. She was only trying to ease his transition, not trying to insult him. Not content to let sleeping dogs lie, she pounced off the step; leaving Tensaiga on the railing and grabbing her yellow backpack and made her way to the door, handle in hand, before she turned to him again.
"Gomen nasai Lord Sesshoumaru. Please pardon this humble peasant for implying that you would be anything but your usual stuck up jerk self. If you will excuse me, there are some things this one needs to speak to her mother about." she choked out through clenched teeth and her head bowed.
Oh she was pissed. How dare he get mad at her, when she was only looking out for his best interests. 'To hell with him then.' Kagome thought ruefully. Her reishi flared and sizzled around her, casting an ominous pink haze in the dark room. Yanking the handle with all her might, she almost succeeded in ripping the door off of its tracks. The force of her action whipped up a cluster of detritus and fallen leaves, which flew in to occupy the space she vehemently departed.
An odd red flower landed on the daiyoukai; as he picked it off of his person to inspect it closer, he smelt salt. His miko was not only furious at him but she was crying too. Honestly, he was getting really annoyed with himself about how easily and how often his insensitivity triggered her emotional collapse. If she got to her family, before he could calm her down, his chances of getting their approval would flit away, like sand running through his fingers. Slipping Tensaiga back into his obi, he made for the slightly abused door, easing it open much gentler than Kagome had just moments ago.
He took his first tentative step out into twentieth-century Tokyo and precious minutes later, he wanted to just turn around and jump back into the wooden portal. If it wasn't for the fact, that it was his decision to travel to the future and speak to the miko's family in the first place, he would have turned tail and ran off like a kicked puppy. 'Damn that blasted honor of mine.' his mind groused.
Blinking repeatedly, he tried to focus on his surroundings. There was a modest sized house and two other buildings next to it – one was most likely the shrine, given all the religious intonations outside the main door and the other looked no bigger than a shed, it was probably the storehouse that frequented many of Kagome's tales of her grandfather's misadventures. His eyes however, where having a hard time adjusting to the mid-afternoon glare. It wasn't so much the sun that bothered him, it was more like the heavily scented air around him that was making them burn and tear up.
The daiyoukai had not shed a tear since he was younger than Rin and that was from a painful trouncing during training with his father. It had made the Inu no Taisho very angry to see his young heir crying over a mere bruise. The lecture that came afterwards ensured that the pup never did it again.
But here he was, the most powerful youkai in Japan and if Kagome was right, the only youkai alive currently and he was forced to use the end of his billowing sleeve to wipe the hot, slightly acidic tears that dripped out. 'How disgraceful!' Unable to see through his reddened eyes, he decided that he would have to rely on his other keen youkai senses to find his onna. That was a really bad idea.
He took a huge intake of the caustic air and immediately started to choke and cough. His throat and lungs felt like they were on fire and it left a horrid bitter taste in his mouth. Sesshoumaru was upset, or was it his iron stomach that was distressed; either way the decided need to purge his insides of the vile poison overwhelmed his normal regal propriety, as he leaned over and spewed the contents of his stomach all over a rose bush close to the well house, totally forgetting that his saliva carried his own inborn venom. He looked at the withered plant in disgust and sighed, 'another thing to apologize for.'
Two senses incapacitated, he tried to use his fine tuned hearing next to listen for the miko's sobs and or rants, depending on how mad she was at him. The situation was deteriorating quickly and he had yet to step into the courtyard proper. His ruined sleeve covered his nose and mouth as he diffidently stumbled out into the middle of the barren yard. Oh Kami how he wished he had not done that. In his weakened condition, he had not the energy to shield his ears from the onslaught of mottled outlandish noises – there was beeping and whirring and metallic growls; things that sounded like canon fire, crashes and all the screaming. It suddenly felt like there were a thousand voices all yelling in his head; pounding away at his mental strength. It was making him nauseous again and he didn't relish the thought of dissolving more of the miko's home with his acidic vomit.
Sesshoumaru's only thought was that he needed to find Kagome and quickly, as the splitting pain in his head increased and his eardrums throbbed from the unbearable noise. 'If I had the hanyou's ears I could flatten them to my head and somehow manage. Even if he is only a half-breed, how can he stand being here for any length of time?' the Inu wondered to himself; becoming more disturbed at the thought of being jealous of InuYasha at a time like this and the fact that he had even thought about the miscreant at all.
Using what like youki he still possessed he located the petite onna just west of him and her aura was definitely aggravated, but also sad at the same time. Once again, his oppressive guilt gnawed away at his insides, causing his already irritated stomach to churn in agonizing pain.
He deserved it, he figured. He had been wrong to bark at her earlier and now he was paying the price for his foolishness. If he could have seen what he looked like at that moment, he would flown away in shame. His normally flawless clothing was in an utter state of dishabille, the sleeve all but eroded away from his own doku. His golden eyes were so bloodshot that he could barely make out his own hand in front of him. If it was at all possible, his face was paler than it usually was and visible tear trails ran down the cheeks that were flushed from his nausea He was cold sweating like a man with a fever, while his body groaned from the ache.
The daiyoukai staggered forward and with his blurry vision saw Goshinboku on his path. 'It figures that she would seek comfort at that tree. I wonder if she wishes that he were here with her instead of this Sesshoumaru.' he silently tortured himself. Straining his eyes, he made out the little miko propped up within the massive roots. He was almost there…almost.
Less than five feet away, he croaked out "Kagome" and fell flat on his face.
The miko had been trying to meditate her anger at the Inu away, when she heard his muted cry. The sight that greeted her was the last thing she ever expected.
Lord Sesshoumaru, Daiyoukai of the Western Lands had passed out on the grounds of her family shrine.
It was funny that he could be brought down; but the reasons why caused her simmering rage to fizzle somewhat. All she could think as she got up to go to him was 'I told you so.' It was not the time to jest at his misfortune, even if he had it coming. One look at his distorted face and messed up haori and she stopped laughing all together. He was really sick. Now, how in the hell was she going to get him inside?
The Kami must have been watching out for her again, as she casually sat seiza next to him, trying valiantly to turn his weighted form over; but failing to do more than turn him to the side.
"Hey sis, welcome back." a crackly male voice called out. Souta had arrived home from school.
"Whoa, who is that? Is he a youkai? He's got white hair like InuYasha. Is he related to him? Is InuYasha here? What happened to him? Why is he on the ground?" he rattled off when he got close enough to see the large unconscious male, whose head was awkwardly lying in his sister's lap.
"Souta, this is Lord Sesshoumaru, InuYasha's full blooded inu youkai brother. You know, I've told you about him before. As for all the other questions, they are going to have to wait; I have to get him inside fast. I think he's allergic to our modern air." she woefully commented.
"He looks too heavy for just the two of us to lift…wait here, I'll get Mama to help. Jiji's useless when it comes to lifting anything and he'd probably throw a fit when he sees him." the twelve year old boy announced, before bounding off to the back of the house in search of his mother.
As soon as Souta was around the corner, Kagome leaned in to listen to the daiyoukai's unsteady breathing. It sounded like someone who had a really bad asthma attack, all wheezy and gravely at the same time. She shook her head in mock disbelief, remembering that she did try to warn him; if only his damn ego hadn't gotten in the way, maybe he wouldn't be in this state.
"Shinpai shinaide Sesshoumaru" she whispered to him softly, as she pushed some of his damp silver hair from his face.
Chieko Higurashi came running out of the kitchen door, apron flapping in the breeze, just minutes later, Souta trailing behind her. She had been preparing dinner when her son came racing through the house, like there was a fire hot on his heels. After getting him to slowly explain what was the matter, she grabbed the nearest blanket she could find, which was conveniently sitting on top of the washing machine and made her way to her daughter. Mama had plenty of questions herself, as to why the once human-hating youkai Lord was now with her overly loving child and how he had managed to get through the well. The tenderness and worry in Kagome's eyes were a dead giveaway that something was definitely up between the two. But first they had to get the daiyoukai moved.
"Kagome, what happened?" Chieko asked calmly, as she kneeled down to embrace her daughter, careful of the head on her lap.
"Oh Mama, you have to help me get him inside. It's too dangerous for him to stay out here." the miko responded, the hint of tears pricking her eyes.
The older onna was used to little emergencies, being a parent of two rambunctious children meant you had to prepare for anything and everything. With much expeditiousness, she lay out the blanket on the ground and with the help of her son, rolled Sesshoumaru into the middle. Kagome cautiously removed his spiky armor and swords, placing them on the ground next to her bag, before her mother wrapped the ends around his body. He looked like an Inu burrito, with only his head sticking out.
Signaling Souta to pick up the end that held his booted feet, Kagome lifted his head and shoulders, Chieko braced the mid-section, and the three Higurashis slow marched to the house. They managed to get through the kitchen door with little trouble and headed to the staircase, taking one step at a time.
Obviously, they could have just left him on the couch, which was closer. It was a bit of a strain for all of them; but this was a special honored guest, if Kagome's gaze implied anything and he deserved the very best treatment. So they headed to the miko's relatively unused room.
Poor Souta had to unlock the door one handed, while still maintaining a hold of the blanket and pushed it open with a firm kick. 'Damn this guy is heavy.' he griped. Once inside the room they deposited their bundle on top of Kagome's purple covered bed and stepped back. They all sighed and stretched upon letting go, all three faces staring at the youkai for different reasons.
Mama knew well enough that Kagome would want to be alone with him for a while. She would go finish making dinner, while Souta went back out to retrieve the scattered possessions. There would be lots of time to talk once her daughter left the room. All she could do now was wait.
When her brother dropped off her bag and Sesshoumaru's things, she hugged the boy tightly, to which he squirmed and complained and then released him, so she could start to look after her sick youkai.
The daiyoukai hadn't moved a muscle or made a single sound since they moved him, his breathing was still very raspy and it worried her. 'What if he dies? It would be entirely my fault. How could I ever go back?' she lamented, as she peeled the old blanket away. His clothes were laced with self-generating youki; but they were too restrictive and they would have to be removed, if she was going to be able to clean him up.
The very idea of seeing him in practically nothing made her blush to her toes. Yes, she loved him and yes, she was going to marry/mate him; but dammed it all, if nakedness didn't trigger her childish modesty. This was not the time to be a prude.
Slowly she removed his boots and tabi, marveling at the flawlessness of his pale manly feet. He didn't even have any foot odor, which was amazing since she had never seen him barefoot. Next was the complicated blue and yellow obi and it's million and one knots. It made her wonder how in the world he managed to dress when he only had one arm.
With his armor already off, getting to the damaged haori and the underlying layers was much easier; slipping it off of his broad shoulders while he lay on his back was not. His mokomoko was easy to remove. It practically slithered into her arms when she tugged at it. She had to actually crawl on top of him and roll him from one side to the other, so she could remove each arm from the three layers of silken cloths. Task completed, she pondered whether or not she should remove his hakama as well. It was filthy from being on the dusty courtyard and needed to be washed like everything else. She crossed her fingers that the Inu actually wore a fundoshi, because she honestly didn't think she was ready to see all of him as yet. She lucked out when she wriggled the battered bottoms off of his muscular legs.
Kagome stopped her ministrations for a moment to really look at Sesshoumaru. He truly was perfection, even in this weakened state. Why anyone as beautiful as he was, wanted to be with her was beyond comprehension. She chuckled at the thought that within a year, she would soon be waking up to this Kami-like body everyday. That realization sent a fiery jolt to her nether regions making her tremble sinfully. She really did love and want the baka youkai lying on her bed, even when he drove her crazy and pissed her off. She knew she would always forgive him, as long as he told her how much he loved her.
Pulling herself out of her reverie, she dumped the clothes into the hamper, as she scampered to the bathroom. In minutes, she was back at his side, arms full of washcloths, hot soapy water, mentholated oil and her humidifier. It had been a long time since she had to use the gurgling, steam-making contraption, but she remembered that it always helped her when she had a cold or was just stuffy from her allergies.
After pouring in the oil and plugging it in on the wall away from the bed, she took up her place at the side of the bed, going to her knees, so she could essentially give the unaware Lord a sponge bath. She wiped his face first, cleansing it of all dirt and what looked like dried spittle. It didn't take her long to figure out that the Inu had been sick to the stomach and had actually puked somewhere out in the yard. She worked slowly down his neck, shoulders and chest; toying with the spectacular pectorals, before moving southwards to his defined abs. The hot water was getting tepid quickly, so she finished the rest of his glorious form and dried him off with a big, fluffy towel.
Using the same rolling technique she had utilized when she removed his upper clothing, she managed to pull out the damp, dirty blanket from under him and tucked him under her bed's new royal purple comforter. The color suited his regal stature and pale skin and hair, thankful again that her mom had redecorated her room for her eighteenth birthday from the juvenile pink confusion that it had been for most of her life. The room looked mature with its purple and hunter green accents, which mirrored Kagome's adult state of mind.
Her stomach growled at her and she realized that she hadn't eaten in over a day, as the smell of her mother's cooking wafted through the door; but first she needed a shower. Dragging all the used cleaning supplies back to the bathroom, she stripped out of her grimy jinbei and jumped into the shower stall. 'Ah the joy of modern conveniences' she thought blissfully, as the hot spray massaged her tired body.
Not wanting to take to long, least her patient awoke; she stepped out, dried off and put on the first pair of pajamas her hands rested on; foregoing the underwear. It was a green mid-riff top and black drawstring pants that rested low on her hips. She had totally forgotten about her new "tattoo", that was now clearly visible, as she skipped out of her room, closing the door quietly behind her and down the stairs to the kitchen.
Chieko heard all the noise and rustling from Kagome's room and bathroom and when a more refreshed miko appeared behind her a little while later, she didn't think anything about it. She was draining some vegetables over the sink and turned to ask the young onna something, when her hawk-like maternal eyes caught sight of an odd-shaped mark on her daughter's left hip. The colander fell from her hands, clanking loudly as it hit the sink.
"Kagome dear, what is that?" she asked, pointing to the object of her query.
The little miko went white; then flushed under her mother's animated gaze. This was not how she had hoped this would have gone over. Sesshoumaru was supposed to do all the talking, not her. But the big, bold daiyoukai was currently out cold in her bed, which left her all alone to face the firing squad. The stress alone made her want to faint.
"Umm, Mama, I think you need to sit down for this. Here let me make some tea." she replied nervously.
It was going to be a long talk.
Endnote: I utilized the prompt: Autumn, in its other traditionally known term "Fall" a couple times - the free-fall through the well, the flower that falls on him when Kagome storms off in a huff, Sess' collapse and Mama's distracted shock.