Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
Italics denote thoughts.
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Kagome had stomped into the first cab that she saw; fury marring her face. All she wanted to do now was to get away from this place.
Ugh. It was a mistake to come here. Who would have thought that father's student and someone so amazingly handsome at that could be so full of himself? That stupid, arrogant, ego-inflated jerk! I would give anything to wipe that damn annoying smirk off his face. God knows how father could stand him? Sure, he's got the talent, a genius even, but with an attitude like that; I'd rather do without him. That stupid, pompous idiot! He's nothing like what father used to be. If I ever see him again, I'll cut, slice, dice, cube and grate him into a million little pieces and feed him to the dogs. Eww…that sounds disgusting. I can't believe I'm actually thinking such sadistic thoughts. Bad Kagome. This is your fault, Sesshoumaru for making me think this way! Argh.
She was still fuming when she got home. The 30-minute journey from the Blue Crescent Palace back to her apartment was spent labeling Sesshoumaru with every derogatory name she can come up with.
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-- Flashback --
"Miss Higurashi, I presume? I am Kawamura Sesshoumaru, head chef of the Blue Crescent Palace," said he with a slight bow at Kagome.
Startlingly amber eyes met her sapphire ones.
Standing straight and tall in the arched doorway against the background of thick burgundy curtains, he looked like perfectly chiselled statue. His cool and calm demeanor bore a striking resemblance to the marble sculpture of an angel she'd once seen in Rome.
Then again, he couldn't be an angel from heaven. The piercing gaze of his dazzling amber eyes made him seem more like a demon in disguise; stunning yet dangerously so. No angel could ever manage to have those burning eyes, eyes that seem to pierce straight into her very soul, without it being a major sin. Those eyes of his coupled with the long, silky silver hair and pale, porcelain-like skin gave him a hauntingly beautiful, almost ethereal appearance.
He was the epitome of masculine beauty, the peak of human evolution. If it wasn't for the chef's uniform that fitted perfectly on his well toned and sculpted form, Kagome was ready to swear that she has gone on a one-way trip to heaven and met with a god. It should be a crime for someone to be so undeniably gorgeous and hot as hell at the same time. Kagome felt a blush spreading on her cheeks.
"Higurashi Kagome. Pleased to make your acquaintance," said she with a shy smile and a bow.
"I am a busy man, Miss Higurashi, if you haven't noticed. I did not come here to be gaped and gawked at by some blushing schoolgirl. A world famous food critic indeed. Father should have told me beforehand, it would have saved me a lot of trouble to come up here," he said with a sneer.
Kagome's eyes grew wider at every word. "What?? You – "
In a bored tone, he continued, "If you were going to praise my cooking abilities, you can save yourself the trouble. Your admiration holds no significant meaning to this Sesshoumaru. This Sesshoumaru shall not lower himself to accept the empty praises from someone who knows nothing of the culinary arts."
Kagome was white with fury. Someone who knows nothing of the culinary arts? That arrogant jerk! Sesshoumaru smirked with the knowledge that he had managed to stoke up the embers of her temper.
"Well, I might be planning to bestow a few kindly praises on you through Kawamura-sama but now that I see you here, I might as well just say what I really think of your cooking to your face. Sure, you can cook. Big deal! Anyone who spends half his life cooped up in a stuffy kitchen will know how to cook eventually. The only question here is what the end product will taste like. Unfortunately for you, I know of kids who can cook a better bowl of instant ramen than you ever can!"
"Do not compare this Sesshoumaru with the fools who do not know how to cook." His previously smooth, velvety voice now sounded low and dangerous. But Kagome was not one to be intimidated easily. If anything, it only served to make her angrier.
"Oh, now you're acting all high and mighty, are you? Fine then let me tell you this, Sesshoumaru-sama; if my father were still around today to see you, he'd be very disappointed!" With that parting sentence, Kagome stomped her way out of the restaurant.
-- End Flashback --
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In a bid to forget about that anger-inciting encounter with a certain egotistical chef, she sought refuge in her bed with the covers pulled up well over her head. Her soft, comfortable bed was her personal haven, her private sanctuary, and her secret fort against all the big, bad things in the world. It calms her, soothes her and in its comforting embrace, she will drift off to sleep, casting all worries to the wind, confident that tomorrow will be a better day.
With her small body tucked safe and sound under a snug patchwork quilt, she was soon lulled into the warm comforting arms of sleep. However, that night, peaceful, dreamless sleep was not to be. A man with eyes of smoldering amber invaded her serene slumber. He had eyes that closely resemble two glowing, golden disks, eyes that seem to possess the unnerving ability of penetrating well into the deepest and darkest corners of her soul. The long night was spent dreaming of eyes that burned with a golden blaze. His eyes. When morning came, Kagome had the entrancingly piercing eyes etched firmly in her mind.
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In the dark confines of his room, he tossed and turned repeatedly on his bed until the sheets were a tangled mess. Sleep, like the elusive butterfly that it is, has decided to play a game of tag with him as It. However hard he tried, sleep simply flitted away but always remaining just slightly beyond the grasp of his fingers. While he was busy trying to catch some sleep, an image made itself apparent in his hazy, sleep-deprived mind.
An apparition with eyes of sapphire blue that glittered like the precious jewels in a jeweller's shop revealed herself. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the statement she made earlier this evening resounded in his mind. "… if my father were still around today to see you, he'd be very disappointed!" That particular sentence was currently going round and round in his head like an unstoppable merry-go-round gone berserk.
At 4 a.m., seeing as how sleep had successfully eluded him, he walked out to the balcony of his penthouse apartment. A cool breeze caressed his cheek, gently lifting several strands of his hair. Several softly winking stars could be seen dotting the early morning sky. However, they were outnumbered by the lights of the city that was spread out 26 stories beneath him like a carpet.
Raising his head to gaze once again upon the heavens, the little sparkling stars caught his attention. They brought to mind a certain female's eyes, luminous sapphire eyes that seem to hold the soft twinkle and sparkle of the stars.
She mentioned her father. Is she the daughter of Higurashi Yutaka? How could he be disappointed in me? I graduated from his tutelage at 16 after having learnt all that he could teach me. Putting his teachings into practice, I went on to become one of the top chefs in the culinary arena in a mere 3 years time. I did him proud by earning award after award. Who in the world of fine dining hasn't heard of this Sesshoumaru? To have a student with accomplishments like mine, he should be proud, very proud. So why should I care about what some dim-witted female said?
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Footsteps entered the still slumbering kitchen with a rhythmic tapping. The figure stood for a minute in silent thoughts, as if contemplating the reason it was here. Being an off day, the usually noisy kitchen stood peaceful and quiet. The only sounds one could hear were the soft humming of the refrigerators.
The stillness of the place brought back memories of younger, happier days. Those were the memories that were kept under lock and key in the furthest corners of his mind, never to be remembered, but at the same time, never to be forgotten either.
Somehow, in the tranquility of the place, those suppressed memories came rushing back and there was nothing he can do about it. He closed his eyes as they washed over him like rain and flooded his mind like an unstoppable torrent.
"Now, the trick is to add a little bit of rice wine just before it boils…"
"Timing is very important, Sesshoumaru…"
"Now, watch carefully,…"
"Amazing, and on your very first try too…"
"What is the secret of a good chef, teacher?"
"That is something I cannot teach you. You'll have to figure it out yourself, Sesshoumaru."
He opened his amber eyes slowly. Sesshoumaru had not given his teacher a thought ever since the man's death and he wasn't sure that he wanted to do it again. It brought back too many emotions that were best kept hidden from the prying eyes of the world.
The world saw him as a cold, emotionless being after the death of his mother. However, one man saw through his icy façade. He took him under his wing and taught him how to cook, because, in his own words, that's the only thing he knows how to do.
Like the hot fires of his stove, he melted Sesshoumaru's mask of ice, thawed the frozen barriers that he painstakingly erected around his heart. In short, he made him feel and taught him to be human once again.
Higurashi Yutaka, he was not only his teacher, but also his one and pretty much only friend. He was never one to make friends; he was and still is a loner. After his death, Sesshoumaru had reverted to his cold form once again, but this time he was much colder and icier than before. He swore to let nothing pass through his defences ever again. Turning on his heels, he left the kitchen.
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A/N: I'm glad you guys like this little story of mine. Thank you for the reviews. I'll update the other chapters as soon as I'm done editing them. This story is actually completed and can be found on A Single Spark under the penname of onewinged. So if you don't want to wait for me to update here you can just read it on ASS. However, this one here will be slightly edited (I doubt it's going to be very obvious) but the general plot remains the same. Either way, thank you for taking the time to read. Reviews are as usual greatly appreciated.
