Disclaimer: I don't own
Okay, I hope the last chapter didn't scare you pernamently. I hope this one would be better. I'll think about rewritting it at some point, for now I'm going on with the story. I want to thank: Tsuki Ai for beat-reading it, and my reviewers: Risuna-Phenix, The Anti-Stratigist, Inuyashasgirl18. Considering the last chapter I'm shocked I get any reviews!
Now to the story!
Chapter 10-To free a Bird
Sesshoumaru watched the miko take her cane and angrily storm from the room as fast as a blind person could. He didn't bother to stop her. Hell, he would encourage her to leave him. He had a stressful day and both the miko and he needed to calm their nerves. It would be faster if they weren't in each others company.
Besides, as long as she didn't leave the building, the miko was safe. Assassins could be bold, but none of them were bold enough to try and attack her while he was nearby. They weren't suicidal after all, and only a suicide person would attack someone under his protection in his building.
He heard the front door slam and the man sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair. This was one hell of a day and his mind went to the moment when the disaster had started.
It was the moment after Toshiko came and took the little miko for another part of the test. For now, they were still checking if the girl had some allergy to the ingredient they were going to use in their vaccine.
He was going to call a few of his clients when someone stormed into his office. To his worst nightmare, it was his ex-girlfriend followed by a rather annoyed-looking Seiko. Before he was even able to ask any question, Michiko opened her mouth.
"What the hell is going on, Sesshoumaru?" she yelled. He looked at her with a slightly raised eyebrow. Being honest, he had no idea what was she talking about.
"You haven't contacted me in three weeks! I'm your fiancée!" The daiyoukai's eyes widened. 'Fiancée? Didn't she get it through her thick skull that they were over the last time they talked? Wait...'
The man's mind started to work at an incredible speed trying to pinpoint the moment he had broke up with the angry-looking woman. To his own horror, he really couldn't remember that situation. Could that mean he was officially still with her? 'Uh-oh' his inner self stated and Sesshoumaru couldn't agree more. He was in deep mess and it was all his fault. How annoying!
"You may leave Seiko," the young man said, with a perfectly calm voice. No matter how deep in trouble he was, he was the Lord of the Western Lands. Sesshoumaru was not going to lose his calm.
The older woman only nodded, and casting one last evil glare at the annoying woman left the office. Sesshoumaru watched how Michiko took a few deep breaths while he waited for her to start talking. His brain was already working over ways to break up with her to get the minimal yelling.
Finally, the woman looked up at him with a smile that was so false that it made him cringe inside. Why was he meeting with her in the first place? He couldn't remember.
"Well, I'm sure you have been busy darling. I'm sorry I yelled before, but that secretary of yours was mean to me again. Why won't you fire her?" the woman asked in a sweet voice. As much as she was annoyed at the man sitting before her for ignoring her, she just couldn't help but be flirty around him. He was just so sexy!
"Why should I fire Seiko? She's a good worker," Sesshoumaru questioned, already setting his plan into motion. Maybe if he played his cards right he would even be able to make her break up with him?
"She's mean to me and I know you don't like it when people are mean to me," the woman whined in a sweet voice, almost making her 'fiancée' roll his eyes at her.
Sesshoumaru decided he needed to be more straightforward if he wanted to get rid of her.
"I value my secretary more than your opinion; if you're not content with that simply leave." She looked at him with wide brown eyes.
"What?" Michiko asked not really sure what she was hearing. Did he just suggest what she thought he did? Unknown to her, her lack of belief took the last string of patience that the inuyoukai held.
"What I mean, woman, is that I have no wish to see you again. I have informed you at the beginning that there wouldn't be any feelings involved in our relationship and I'm ending it. Remove yourself from my office. I'll send you your things in a day time." The woman's eyes widened twice as much as she continued to stare at the man she planned to make her husband.
"You're kidding. You must, or you have just lost your mind," she started to mumble while her shock was starting to transform into anger. No one breaks up with Michiko Suzuki! No one!
"You're foolish Sesshoumaru Shidehara!" she yelled, standing abruptly from her chair. "You dare to say you're breaking up with me? You're out of your fucking mind! No one dares to break up with me! Do you hear me? No one!" she shouted hitting the desk a few times with clenched fists.
To her great ire, her now ex-boyfriend was sitting perfectly still glaring at her through narrowed eyes. It didn't seem he was going to say anything more right now. The dark-haired woman tossed her hair back before walking firmly to the door.
"You will regret that," she said before leaving out and slamming the door after her. Two minutes after she left, a head peeked in from behind the door.
"Do you need something?" Seiko asked.
"Aspirin," replied the young lord. The feline in disguise quickly nodded, going for the medicine. Youkai headaches were terrible and after so much shouting in the range of the dog's sensitive ears, Sesshoumaru was bound to have one.
Once the elder woman made sure her boss took something to relieve his pain, she left him alone, taking all the calls by herself, telling people that he was unavailable today. It wouldn't help him to feel better and the day was going so slowly that at one point Sesshoumaru thought he would go crazy. He wished to go home and fall on his bed listening to the perfect silence.
He just forgot one, tiny thing: At four when he left, he needed to take someone with him. Sometimes he forgot that the miko was leaving with him. Not that he was complaining. After a few attempts to question him about god-knows-what and receiving no answer, the miko had stopped her talking.
Sure, he told her he would answer her questions, but he didn't mean personal questions that the miko seemed to be so fond of. He really didn't need her to push her little nose into his business, but just like he thought earlier she had gave up on that. At least for now.
The new problem rose when they had reached his apartment. After a quick meal, the miko came to him about visiting of her family. She wanted to tell them about the changes in her life. Of course he had declined.
That was when she became angered.
"Do you honestly expect for me to leave my family without one word of what's going on with me? You must be delusional!" she said. Since she was the second woman that day telling him he was making something wrong, he snapped back at her.
"You're not going and that's my order. You would do well to listen if you value your life." The miko's face changed into a stony expression he had not yet seen.
"If the price for your protection is my family then I wish I hadn't met you," she said softly but with voice that could match steel. Then she turned around and walked from the room and then from the apartment. He knew she was heading to the building's hall when the little orangery (greenhouse) was made. After finding out about the place, the girl seemed to walk there quite often. Probably to calm down after being angry at him.
On the other hand, it was his fault again. He really didn't think it through before deciding to place her in his house as his roommate. He had to admit that she wasn't that bad either. She was respecting his privacy and didn't bother him with company he didn't wish for.
With another sigh, the great inu closed his eyes, massaging his hurting temples. He should have allowed her to meet that family of hers. There was really no adversity against it, except his unwillingness to go, because he would have to go. Maybe he could—
Whatever thought was in his mind quickly left its place and the young lord rose from his seat. He should bring the girl back here and perhaps talk with her later. With that, he left his apartment taking the elevator to the hall where he knew she would be.
It was only ten minutes later when standing in the empty orangery that the daiyoukai realized his mistake. The girl wasn't in the building. She had left.
oOoOoOoOo
The young youkai couldn't believe his luck. He was quite new in the organization and he was assigned to the observation of the miko. It was quite boring work really; he hoped for something more truthfully, but well... who he was to disobey his master? So he watched.
Soon he found out that his work was going to be more boring since the miko seemed to be in the protection of the youkai. He was with her almost all the time and he never left her side when they were on the streets. Sometimes the kitsune wondered with disgust if they were lovers.
Another thing was the youkai- he was rather powerful since he could feel that the concealment spell couldn't hide his all youki, but the kitsune didn't think about him as a worthy opponent. What was the use of power if he couldn't detect him? Ha! He was better than that old fart.
Daichi's humor was lifted again when he saw the miko walk out of the building.
Alone.
Of course his orders were to observe, but no one thought that the stupid woman would start to wander off by herself, right? Besides, what was point of waiting? The sooner she was out of the picture, the better. The man decided to take action and silently walked after the girl.
oOoOoOoOo
'I'm overstressed' Kagome decided miserably, sitting on an available bench. She had shocked herself with walking out of the building she now lived in to the small park that was placed just on the corner of the street. She needed to think and the fresh air would help.
She leaned her cane on her leg and closed her unseeing eyes, enjoying the feeling of the warm sun on her skin and the slightly cold breeze that was, from time to time, messing with her hairs. It was such a nice feeling and she was denied it for too long. That thought led her to her main problem: Sesshoumaru.
He was royally pissing her off for lack of a better word. Of course she understood that he had a lot of work, and probably didn't even want to spent time in her company, but would it kill him to allow her to go out, at least with someone he trusted? She was forced to stay inside the building for the whole week, and now, he even refused her meeting with her family.
This was simply too much. Her family was very dear to her. They supported her when she started to travel through time; they held her when she struggled with the loss of her friends from the past as well as her sight. They deserved to be informed with what was going on in her life and that wasn't for a phone call. Why couldn't he understand that?
The girl sighed, bowing her face. Perhaps when she returned, she would talk with the daiyoukai again, this time a bit calmer. Perhaps, he needed to hear how important it was for her to meet them. Yes, Kagome decided, she would talk with him!
Taking a few minutes to take in the feeling of the surrounding nature, Kagome finally decided to go back. People were probably going back to their houses right now, and she didn't want to stay here alone. It wouldn't be safe.
She took her cane, turning to the side she came from she patted the ground to feel her way. Suddenly she was met with a hindrance that wasn't there earlier. The woman took a protective step back, calling forth her powers. Once she felt it buzzing right beneath her skin, she spoke.
"Who's there?" the stranger's chuckle froze her blood. That didn't sound like Sesshoumaru. Eep! What had she gotten herself into?
"I asked you a question, answer me!" she said in a higher voice. God, she actually hoped it was some youkai and not human. Her powers couldn't protect her from her own race. Hearing no reply, she took another step back. Seeing that, her enemy spoke.
"I thought I could have some fun killing you, but what the good of trickery when you can't see it? There's no fun."
'Trickery?' Kagome's mind asked.
"You're a kitsune?" she wondered out loud. 'Just like my little Shippou.'
"Not your business. It won't be of any use to you in the other world." With that, Kagome felt the youkai's aura rise and she quickly used her own power, pushing it in the way she had last heard the man's voice. Perhaps he hadn't moved yet.
Her thoughts were answered when a slight cry came from that direction.
"You stupid bitch! You are aware of your power!" The girl smirked lightly, pleased with her little success.
"Surprise," she said calling her powers again. She shot it in one direction, but this time no sound came and the next second, she felt something sweep past her and she took a step to the side, turning around. There was a thud from the place on her side where she was standing few seconds ago and her adrenaline shot up.
"You missed," she taunted hoping to hear his voice again. Unfortunately, the kitsune appeared to understand what she tried to do and kept his silence. She sent another blast of her power in the direction that she thought she could feel his youki and in the next second, she was tackled to the ground, her throat being squeezed mercilessly.
"I wish I could tear you apart with my claws, but it would look suspicious. Any last words?" the youkai taunted, squeezing Kagome's throat so hard she felt dizziness and blackness creep over her mind for a moment. The girl squeezed her eyes and tried to concentrate long enough to draw more power from inside her and free herself.
Thankfully, she didn't need to do so because she felt the weight suddenly pushed off of her. What was going on?
"You should have remained in hiding," said the cold voice that the little miko recognized immediately. When did he get here?
The young fox gulped, looking at the angered youkai lord. Now that he was close, he didn't seem so old. The boy was glad that he was blocking his scent already; he wouldn't want to get into the inuyoukai's claws.
The boy quickly reached to his sleeve and brought out his saving cart. The space was filled with mist and the youkai disappeared from the area.
"Coward," growled the daiyoukai. His attention quickly turned to the woman that nearly destroyed everything he had planned because of her stupid stubbornness. She was already standing up, her cane firm in her hand.
"Don't be so foolish again. You could have destroyed the whole project because of your stupidity." Kagome's eyes narrowed. Stupidity? Foolish? Project!
"Is that all you can think about? Your project? It was my life that was in danger!" she yelled. To hell with being calm and talking. The daiyoukai was someone you just couldn't talk to.
"The project is more important than a person who can't listen to the simplest orders."
"I'm not your servant to listen to orders. Besides, I wouldn't have gone out if you hadn't held me prisoner in that apartment of yours for God-knows-how long. I'm not a parrot!" Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. She was getting more ridiculous with every passing second.
"No indeed. The birds have a sense of survival."
"If they are free. But they're dying in the cage because they can't fight it. If you want to have a bird in a cage Sesshoumaru, find someone else," Kagome retorted dusting off her clothes.
"You are not caged. You're protected," Sesshoumaru argued. Couldn't she see his point?
"If that's your idea of protection, then thank you very much for this."
The inu growled. For a moment, he had the strange urge to squeeze her throat himself. How could someone so little be so annoying?
"You're getting ridiculous!"
"And you're not listening!" she hissed rising her cane and shaking it in the air in frustration. "Do you see this? Do you?" she yelled. Sesshoumaru wondered if she waited for an answer.
"Of course I do," he answered anyway. How could he not see it when she was practically shaking it before his nose?
"Well, then you're lucky, because I don't! I'm trapped in the world of darkness! I can't see the world that surrounds me! Even you are only a voice!" She shut her eyes trying desperately to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall at any minute now.
Sesshoumaru stiffened at her sudden outburst, his own anger disappearing without a trace. Standing in silence, he watched how she started to shake and bite her lip trying to stop its trembling.
"I'm caged by my own inability and now you're trapping me in a closed space, denying me even meeting with my loved ones. You might as well deny me the air to breathe."
"I'm not fooling myself that there is any friendship between us, but sometimes I feel like you are treating me like an object. You are not even using my name. I don't want much, but I don't want to only survive- I want to live."
The youkai lord stood quietly, listening very carefully to everything she said. Did he really make her feel like that? Like some sort of animal? An object that he needed to protect in order to fulfill his project? Did he really know so little about humans after living with them for three centuries?
They stood in silence as the sun was slowly starting to set. Finally, Sesshoumaru turned to the blind girl and slipped her hand under his arm, once again taking the role of her lost eyesight.
"Let's go back."
She nodded, sighing quietly.
They had a lot of work before them to survive each other's presence, but it wasn't an impossible mission. As long as they could work over that, Kagome was sure everything would be fine.
The question was if they were really willing to work?
AN: Thank you for reading, I hope this chapter was better and you will consider leaving me some review!