Chapter 9 – Out of Ordinary
She waked in the coziness of her own bed, the sun kissing her eyes.
Lazily sitting up she noticed she was alone, she smiled, the poor boy was just scared by his impending wedding and just wanted a last run before the inevitable monogamy, maybe she just happened to be the only one available at the moment.
She shook her head her cheeks flushed, she felt stupid for confessing her feeling, but could blame the heat of the moment, and throw them away, later on.
Damn that had been an awesome night though, the best storm of her life, even if, now, her heart hurt like hell.
She got ready for work again, as any other day, maybe now it was the moment she had to move on with her life.
"So you are sure Sesshoumaru. This is your final, definitive decision"
the tone his father used could freeze hell over and then shatter it again, but he just nodded
"You are well aware of the consequences, my son. Youkai council is quite in opposition to this kind of matters"
Sesshoumaru sighed
"I am sorry to leave behind all that I have learnt and fought to achieve during this long years. But, father, you have taught me better than this" he concluded moving to stand
"Wait Sesshoumaru."
he lowered again on the leather chair, cringing as he felt the wet spot of Kagura tears on his shirt brush against his shoulder.
"It's not that I am throwing you on the street, you can always have your place here, and in my company. We could ask audience of the council, we can work this out even if you don't leave."
The young demon smiled, a bit sadly
"I think Inuyasha is well prepared for taking my place, moreover" he added locking his gaze with his fathers' "I don't want to cause you any issue with the youkai council, I know how long it has been since they looked at you with the respect you deserve after Izayoi. I believe it's fine and, if she would want me, we could manage working together with what we achieve."
His father hugged him, something he didn't do in centuries
"You know that, whatever we have to say in public, you make me proud, Sesshoumaru"
The smile that crossed his eyes went unseen in the dim light of the dawn.
The first days of june were hot, sweaty and sweetly sticky like syrup.
She was having a hard time balancing a full service of five coffees on a one arm tray, the other hand held two menus for the table next to the door, when the bells suddenly sung.
She thought for a moment that they didn't sound like always at all, there was something that couldn't quite fit. Then she turned, and freeze.
He was standing there in front of her, in all the glory of a worn and slightly wrinkled dark blue linen suit.
His eyes unusually tired as he sat at the usual table, moving his big suitcase away from the passage.
"Sesshoumaru? What happened to you?"
she positively reminded him of a ripe tomato, he could read in her eyes the somewhat shy modesty in remembering that night a couple if weeks ago.
"I'm moving. A coffee, please."
"Your...moving? " she was shell shocked but somehow managed to get the coffees to their respective owners, without actually spilling them.
"Indeed, a small apartment a mere few meters from here." his seriousness was displaced by his worn out appearance
"Wait..wait so where's Kagura?" she was very confused now
"Kagome, where's my coffee?" he managed to mumble, tired, while her blue eyes were wide open staring at him like he grown a second head overnight
"Sit down and listen to me." he began with a loud sight
"I'm moving because I'm not going to marry her anymore." she hissed, reminding him of a stray cat
"Oh God, what could possibly have happened? What about youkai council? And your father? And your job, God Sesshoumaru, what happened?" she was on the verge of hyperventilating, so he thought wise to hold her hand
"Kagome, calm down and hear me out, listen to me well" he paused a few seconds to let his word sink, waiting for her positive nodding.
"I quit that life: Kagura, my position, my family, because my choices in life would be seen as questionable by youkai council, and since I think I got the freedom to live as I deem right, I decided otherwise"
"Sesshoumaru, you..." but her eyes were suddenly watery "You have fought so much to obtain a role in the youkai society. Why now, what happened?"
He smiled, a genuine smile that reflected in his tired eyes, a smile she had never seen
"I think I harbor some kind of attraction toward you. Even if it is in my knowledge that usually people made love after a period of dating of variable length, I would like to ask for your permission to star actually courting you."
It was the first time since he knew her that she seems actually speechless, sitting bonelessly in a chair across him
"I know I could not offer you to share the life I used to lead, for I don't possess anything beside my name, that luggage and a small apartment. Actually, as for today, I don't even have a job," he added, feeling slightly embarrassed
"I'm here to ask, considering all of this remarkable flaws, would you consider me as a possible suitor? Would you, Kagome?"
She smiled, watching him passing a nervous hand through his unnaturally silken hair, a few tears escaped her brilliant eyes
"I hope you know what kind of a mess I am, Sesshoumaru, and in what kind of trouble you're going to put yourself into." she chuckled a bit at his worrying eyes "You should know I didn't give a damn about mundane things, Sesshoumaru! My answer is yes."
They both smiled, then, he softly squeezed her hand
"I'm glad Kagome"
He locked her gaze, then, and sweetly kissed that beautiful lips of her that never ceased smiling.