AN: I want to thank everyone that gave me feedback. It makes me extremely happy to know that most people think I haven't lost the whole fanfic-writing thing. And thanks for even bothering to keep up with this story after so many…years. So! Quite frankly, I have NO idea what is happening this chapter besides the fact that Kagome is going to a gala, BUT onward ho!!! Oh, btw, if Kagome uses phrases and stuff that are western and it bothers you, I ask you kindly to stuff yourself.
IT'S noT sAne
cHapteR 9
"An insane person never knows they're insane. That's why you've got to worry about the sane ones. They know they're insane, and they know how to use it."
Ice sculptures, Kagome decided, were either the closest you could get to reality and life- beautiful achievements of art at its purest, or the dumbest idea ever. This was her argument. 1. Ice sculptures are hard, and cold, but beautiful and can be enjoyed as art, much like life, and eventually they fade away, disfiguring and melting back to nothingless, much like life. Therefore, ice sculptures were a perfect representation of life as it is, and artistic to boot. 2. Who in their right minds would spend heaven knows how freaking long carving something that would melt in half a night? And, even moreso, who in their right mind would pay ridiculous sums of money for a beautifully carved statue that would disappear in half a night?
Kagome was going to go with the second option. And she knew the answer to it, too. Onigumo Naraku. It didn't help that the statue was as beautiful, shallow, and deceiving as he was. At least he wasn't a water nymph baring her ample bosom to a centaur, though. Although, Kagome suspected that, if he was a water nymph, he would do just that. Then take the centaur to court and sue it for every penny possible.
However, Kagome did have to give their host some credit. He had apparently gotten his long mane cut, so the "oily" factor seemed to be taken down by half. His new 'do' looked amazing on him, if not simply for the fact that he was, in all actuality, an incredibly handsome man. He was dark, handsome, and held a promise of danger to him that made being around him enthralling. Or so it seemed, according to the way every single (or not-so-single) woman was literally hanging on him. The only consolation Kagome received when he made his way over to greet her and Taisho, unabashedly eyeing Kagome the whole way, was that Kagome's date was probably the only man in the place that was as equally or even more gorgeous. That reminded her…
As Kagome had been looking in the mirror for the twenty-seventh time, wondering why the hell she cared so much, and if the dress still made her look fat, her doorbell had rung.
"One minute," she called out. She still didn't have her jewelry on. The doorbell rang again as she was putting in an earring. "Just a second!" Then again as she was rushing to put on lipstick. And a car horn honked. It couldn't have been fifteen seconds. Kagome was pissed. Kagome stormed to the door, lipstick in hand, as another honk issued from outside.
"Oh for the love of-" she opened the door. "Holy Buddha, Amaterasu, and all that is religious in the better part of Asia!" Lights were in her eyes. Very, very bright lights.
"Jaken, turn the car off," Taisho said dismissively, the lights distinguished, and Kagome wondered how the creepy toad-man had even heard his boss from inside the car. Then she wondered at something else. Well, technically, someone, but, oh-wait, no, something fit just fine. Namely, Sesshoumaru. There he stood on her doorstep, wearing a black suit that fit his contour perfectly, outlining his wide shoulders and well-shaped mid region, shoes that reflected Kagome's nose perfectly, and a smirk that somehow managed to be snarky, playful, and absolutely sexy on him. Kagome was pissed.
"What the hell, Taisho? Can't go twenty seconds without honking your own horn?"
"I don't need to honk my own horn. Others do it for me. I told you to be ready to go…ten minutes ago."
"Which means you're late and I'm not ready."
"I can see that," he said, eyeing Kagome's bare feet and half-done makeup.
"Well, you can either stay there outside and wait until I'm perfectly ready, or get your ass inside. Either way, close the door. It's freezing outside and it looks like it's going to rain."
"Are you a goddess?" It was a simple question, and it stopped Kagome, mid-step. What did he just say?
"…What?" Kagome turned and eyed him. "What did you inject, snort, or smoke before coming here?" She gripped the open lipstick in her hand and wanted to snort.
"It's just that…" Sesshoumaru closed her front door quietly, turned, took two steps, and reached out to brush Kagome's cheek with his hand. Kagome was freaking out on the inside, somewhere, she knew it, she just couldn't figure out exactly where, and was, therefore, stuck freaking out.
Sesshoumaru leaned in closer, his breath warm on her nose. "It's just that…the weather outside..." he brought his other hand up and tilted her chin, so that they were staring straight into each others' eyes. "…this dismal weather outside….it reflects your nature so perfectly. I though you must be a goddess to control it so well."
Kagome looked at Taisho, her anger easily pushed down for once, a slight blush on her cheeks. She smiled beautifully, reached her hand up, and left an artfully curved, fat streak of lipstick across the right cheek, nose, and forehead of the most handsome man she had ever seen.
Who was cold, mean, and hard- like ice. Ice sculptures. Oh, that's right… The reason Kagome had come to hate ice sculptures so was that one of the bosoms of the well-endowed nymph had just dripped water down her back. She jumped and turned around to glare at the statue, just as Onigumo approached.
"Do you like it," his deep voice inquired, and Kagome turned back around. "The ice statue? It's a moment from a Greek myth. The centaur was in love with the nymph and would not let her be, so she begged her father, the god of the river, to help. He turned her into a beautiful tree."
"Sounds like something a father would do…" Kagome muttered under her breath, not at all surprised at Naraku's knowledge of Greek mythology. Onigumo seemed to miss that. Before she knew what was happening, he took her hand and laid his surprisingly un-greasy, soft lips on the back of it. Kagome couldn't help blushing. Any physical attention did that to her. She could take verbal fights, even fist fights any day, but a loving touch was a hard thing to handle. She turned her head to the side, so Taisho couldn't see.
"Ah, and of course, the talented president of my most deserving rival company, bristling by the beauty's side. Looking as sharp as ever, Sesshoumaru," Onigumo smiled and held out a hand.
Hell called. They want their car salesman back was repeating over and over in Kagome's head. Sesshoumaru, to her delight, did not take the offered hand.
"Because this is your little…fiasco," Sesshoumaru said, glancing around him, "I will ignore the fact that, once again, you referred to me by my first name when it is absolutely unappropriate. And since I do not wish for you to look like even bigger of the distgusting creature you are in front of your guests whom you have so cunningly deceived, I will not punish you at this moment for referring to me by my first name. If you do so again, however, or look as if you are going to devour my secretary one more time, I shall be required to disfigure that face which you payed so much for."
A slow, evilly curved smile rose on Onigumo's face.
"As kind and accomatdating as always, Taisho. I do enjoy our little chats." Onigumo turned to Kagome. "You look ravishing tonight, my dear. Your boss is a very lucky man. I do hope you enjoy my little party. I hate to leave you looking so bored with your date, but I must make the rounds, unfortunately. These things are as much business as pleasure." He gave a wickedly sexy grin and walked away.
"You know, for once, Taisho, I really admire your capability to admonish and demean any living creature on Earth." Kagome turned to look at Sesshoumaru, who was looking like he was waiting for the punch line. "No, seriously, you…"
"You…? Are you falling into that bad habit of not finishing sentences again?"
"You kinda rocked for a second there." Kagome allowed herself to give him a small smile.
Sesshoumaru stared at her oddly.
…………
I had to say, the girl had fallen for me hard. Before, she had obviously been in denial, but I knew, as soon as she praised me for my wit and gave me a small little smile, that the minx knew she was done for.
And I have to say, when she smiled (when poison wasn't dripping from her lips) it did a lot for her. She really was an attractive woman, when she put her mind to it. I had been more than a little surprised when she opened the door to her apartment, still unprepared, but on the way to looking beautiful. Well, that's what a good dress and makeup will do to a girl, I had thought at the time, but now that I thought about it, Kagome had become increasingly attractive at work, also. Was she on a diet? Going to a salon? Going to a psychologist? Mental note: check Kagome's calendar. What? I'm her boss. I have access to that sort of thing. I deserve to.
Anyways, now that the ever-pleasant formalities between myself and Naraku had been finished, it meant an almost as torturous round through all of the other company executives, chairmen, CEO, what have you. I grimaced inwardly, quirked an eyebrow, and took Kagome's arm in mine. She looked up at me, surprise etched in a firm line across her lips.
"I have to make the rounds and I'm not doing it alone. Try to look like I'm escorting you," I said in a low voice. "And for the love of everything, please don't embarrass the hell out of me in front of anyone even semi-important."
"Three weeks." She said, also in a low voice.
"Three weeks, what?"
"Three weeks extra, paid vacation."
Fuck! I smiled slightly at her.
"One."
"Three."
"Fine. Two. But I leave it at that. Any more than that and Jaken is sure to be murdered by myself in a most gruesome way during your leave."
"Did you just indirectly say you need me?"
"Jaken needs you." Good. Appeal to the kind, womanly sympathies that I do not possess.
"Fine. Two weeks. But you can't call me once during them."
"I'll send you a fruit basket."
"I'll shove it up your ass."
"Good, I don't approve of fruit baskets, either. Remember, no demeaning remarks of my intelligence, crude remarks of my attitude, or revealing of my lack of sensibilities towards all other creatures".
"What about denying your manhood altogether?"
"You know that's not true. Come, let us mingle."
Kagome smiled a perfectly wonderful "Ms. Thang" smile, and took the arm I so graciously offered.
………
"I know you're an emotionless bastard, who only thinks of self-progress, money, and possibly Rin, but how the hell do you put up with this shit?"
Kagome and I were standing near the ice statue again, having made the rounds. Formalities were exchanged, politeness ensued, and Kagome had shown a sweet, demure, endearing nature which I did not know she was capable of. Almost all of the older woman, (and many of the men, although in a completely different way) approved of her gratuitously.
One former business partner had dragged me off to the side.
"I have to say, Mr. Taisho, that is one amazing woman you have with you. How long until you drop to a knee?"
I had been slightly put off and very surprised, but satisfied that Kagome played her part so well. She really was capable of handling any type of people.
So we stood, drained, by the ice sculpture, making small, periodic remarks. Having made ourselves seen, we both decided it would be better to not be seen anymore. And we did the only thing we could think of that wouldn't drive us insane at this party. We helped ourselves at the bar. The bartender was looking at us incredulously as Kagome ordered her sixth Cosmo and I ordered my eighth shot of the best vodka Onigumo could afford. I was getting difficult to read labels. Why did I always get into situations like this with Kagome? The girl could not be a good influence.
"Oh, you mean these dears? I look forward to soirees like this the most. The people are so endearing."
"I'm serious, Taisho. I give credit when it's deserved and I give you (just a little) credit. You really are good at pulling off the all-business, emotionless bastard. But maybe it's easy to act the part of something you know so well."
"Encountering a secretary like you everyday is the best training imaginable. I thank you for that."
She giggled. What the hell?
"Did you just giggle?"
"No."
"Fine then. Well, I have to say, thank you for not turning me into a spineless pile of sludge before my colleagues. You did surprisingly well."
"They liked me."
"They liked you. God knows why."
"I'm good at it."
"You may be good at it."
"You were thanking me."
"No."
"Fine then. You're welcome."
We stood for a while, sipping our drinks. I, for the first time I could remember, was enjoying a companies party.
"That second merger-company executive grabbed my ass."
"He what?"
"Grabbed my ass."
"When?"
"I told you they like me."
"Who was it?"
"I don't remember. The faces all kinda blur now."
"What happened to the 'well-placed kick' of yours?"
"I agreed not to compromise you."
"What happened to my foaming-at-the-mouth secretary who doesn't let anyone get the better of her? What happened to She-Ra, Zena?"
"Did you just compare me to a lesbian warrior princess?"
"I'm getting you that fruit basket."
"I'll shove it-"
"I know. Next time, tell me when something like that happens. I'll find out who it was and maybe, tomorrow morning, their stocks will all have been mysteriously bought out by a Mr. T."
Kagome laughed at that. Really laughed. The eighth cosmo in her hand was sloshing dangerously. She was covering her mouth, her eyes squinted up, laughing like hell. And I laughed, too. I didn't know why. It wasn't that funny. The nine shots of vodka may have had something to do with it, but I was laughing. I looked over at Kagome when she abruptly stopped laughing, and her hand was still covering her mouth, her eyes scrunched up, only she was a slight shade of green now.
"Bathroom. Now." She managed to squeak out.
"Right." I took her by the arm and elbowed my way through the crowd, ignoring the odd looks. The bathroom, thank heavens, was not across the other side of the ball room. Naraku had been sensitive enough to put it fairly close, in a hallway right off the giant room, and Kagome was in it before I could say 'drunk college girl'.
I sat on an ornate bench outside of the bathroom, no doubt made for men who had to wait for their dates to powder their noses. It was quiet in the hall, and I appreciated it. I could only barely her slight heaving noises emanating from the bathroom door. I sat and waited, feeling not so amazing myself.
When the noises from inside had stopped for a while and the sink could be heard running quietly, I stood next to the door and waited, just in case. Kagome came, wobbling slightly, through the door. She put a hand on my arm to steady herself.
"Are you alright to walk?" I asked, hoping she had gotten rid of all the contents in her stomach. She nodded.
"I think so. No day-hikes anywhere though, please." I sighed. If she was being her snarky self, it couldn't be too bad.
"We'll leave," I took her arm and started for the ballroom again.
"Ah. Can we just…stay here for a moment," she asked, looking a bit off-color again. I nodded. "Good. I-" And she went down. I caught her just in time, so her knees were barely off the floor.
Ok then. What to do…what to do. I was feeling fairly intoxicated and my mind wasn't thinking too straight, either. But I managed to pull little bits together and realized Kagome needed to lie down. The bench wasn't going to work, it was only big enough for one person to sit, and I didn't think Kagome would be much happy with me flopping her down on the floor. Asking Onigumo for help was not an option, especially in my current state. So I picked Kagome up as best as I could and headed down the hallway.
It didn't take long to nudge open a door that lead to a bedroom. I put Kagome down on the extremely well-made bed and sat down at the foot of it.
"Urghhg," Kagome said.
"I quite agree."
"Light. The light. Close the door," she pleaded, covering her eyes with her hands. I got up and closed the door.
"It's too dark…" she said intelligently.
"Which would the slopping drunk princess prefer?"
"Hnng. Dark is fine."
It was quiet, dark, and warm in the room, and Kagome, though I did not think it was the best idea, was sleeping away within seconds. I sat on the edge of the bed and kicked myself for letting us get this wasted. I folded my arms and waited. I figured, let Kagome rest for a bit, then wake her up and take her home. That was probably the best option. So I relaxed and counted by the minutes. It had probably been fifteen when Kagome spoke, surprising me more than would be cared for.
"Fun."
"What?"
"It's been fun. This party thing."
"You're drunk. Be quiet for a while."
"Yes, I think I am drunk. But this party thing" (she said this all with a little slur) "…I thought it would be absolutely horrible. It was OK though. You're not so bad."
"Hn." I stared off into the darkness of the room, able to make out a stand with a vase on it now.
"Really…" and I heard her trying to get up. I turned around quickly, ready to catch a falling drunk girl, but she was doing fairly well. She appeared to be propped up against the head board of the bed. "Ah, I can't see you. You keep moving. Come closer." Well, maybe she wasn't doing so well. I got up and moved to site next to her, though. The last think I wanted was a ranting, drunk secretary/date at a huge gala. "See? You even did that without bitching." She giggled a little bit and I was reminded of a bigger, slightly more mature Rin. Drunk inspiration hit.
"Kagome, let me tell you about Rin."
"Mm-hmm." She nodded and I relaxed against the head board, too.
"She's young. But you knew that. She has dark hair, like you, but her eyes are different. She incredibly smart and far too cute for my comfort. I worry about her everyday. She calls me everyday. That's how we work. She doesn't even ask me to call her, or send her letters. Every once in a while, I will, but really, she understands that part of me better than anyone else. And she does know."
"Does know what?" Kagome said groggily, and I was reassured by the fact that she was at least keeping up with what I said.
"She knows I'm not her real father. But she doesn't care. To her, I am. But she still treats Inuyasha wonderfully. She knows about him, but has never been mad at him. To her, he's like an uncle, the brother of her father. One time, Inuyasha told me he would take care of her from then on. I didn't even ask Rin. I rejected it flat-out. I almost punched him over a little girl that I hadn't even wanted to look at, much less take care of. And now, if I couldn't talk to her everyday, I think I'd go insane."
"Already have."
"I mean, on a mass-murdering level."
"Oh."
"She's away right now, but she's coming back home for three months soon. You should meet her, I know you'd like her. And she'd see the evil bitch in you and like you too, just like she likes me."
"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome rustled quietly. "You always talk about Rin when you're drunk."
"….I always talk about Rin when I'm drunk with you."
It was quiet for a little bit, and I stared at the vase, which I could tell had some sort of oriental pattern on it now- looked Chinese. Then I was distracted when Kagome gently slid up next to me. She leaned her head on my arm. She wouldn't' have reached my shoulder. She was warm and the heat between us was almost too hot, probably from the alcohol.
"You really love her, don't you? I mean, really. More than anyone else."
"Yes." No hesitation.
"She's lucky." Kagome turned towards me and reached up, placing her hands on either side of my face. She wavered a little, but her hands were steady, and she traced my nose and eyebrows painfully slow. I knew I should stop her, but I didn't want to. I hadn't felt a woman's hands in what seemed like years, and she felt so comfortable, my body wouldn't respond to my mind. She moved onto her knees so she was eye level with me, and one hand moved to stroke my hair.
"Your hair's soft…"
I didn't respond and she moved the hand on my face so that it was resting on my lips. Slowly, her fingers traced the outside, then ran across them. I knew I shuddered, but I didn't care. Slowly, she leaned in. Her breath smelled like alcohol, but it was warm against my face. She moved in closer to me and whispered into my ear, her breath hot.
"….Gotcha."
She giggled, swayed, and promptly passed out on my lap.
Not for the first time since I had met her, I realized I wanted to strangle her. For the third time since I had met her, I realized I needed to get laid. Really, really badly.
Kagome woke up about fifteen minutes later and I managed to shove some aspirin that I always carried with me at her.
She must have slept another hour and a half. Then she woke up and, by some means, be it a completely alternative energy resource, the best tolerance for hangover ever, or just the fact that she was a stubborn wench, she was decently capable of handling herself. She didn't sway when I helped her up, so I got her to go to the bathroom and drink some water, then decided it was time to go. I walked her to the entrance room and told her to wait while I called the car.
I shouldn't have given her the aspirin. I needed it for what happened next.
……….
I. Felt. Miserable. Thankfully, I didn't have that bad of a headache, but my stomach was doing Olympics-worthy gymnastics and my eyes were betraying me horribly.
I waited in the entrance hall as a porter gathered my coat and Sesshoumaru called for Jaken. This couldn't get worse. I'm drunk at the party of all parties, with Sesshoumaru as my only savior.
"Hello, Miss Higurashi."
Ok. I was wrong.
"Hello, Mr. Onigumo," I said, turning around and, to my credit, not wobbling at all.
"How has your evening been?"
"Quite pleasant, thank you." It was best to just be polite and wait for Sesshoumaru.
"That makes me more happy than you can imagine. You disappeared for a while, and I was worried that you had gotten bored."
"Oh. No…I was…outside."
"Outside?"
"Ah. Smoking. It's a nasty habit, I know." I had smoked once. In college. I never did again.
"Smoking…really? I wouldn't have pictured you smoking."
"Like a chimney!" I said, far too chipper for even myself. It was multiplying my headache. Where the hell was Sesshoumaru?!
"Well, we mustn't deny ourselves what small pleasures we can get," he said, stepping closer. Was it just me or had his voice lowered to a bedroom level? I hated the man, really did, but I couldn't deny the fact that he knew how to work what he had. He was rich and disgustingly attractive. Where the fuck was Sesshoumaru?!
"Your date seems to have disappeared. Where did he wander off to, I wonder?" Naraku was far too close for comfort now, and I had unknowingly backed into a gorgeous Monet painting, it seemed. Shit. My brain wasn't working. Why now of all times?
"He-he went to get the car."
"He's been an awfully long time."
For once, I completely agree with you on something!
"Do you think, maybe, he found something more interesting?"
My brain clicked for a second there and I huffed up. What the hell did that mean? Was he saying Sesshoumaru had ditched me for one of these rich bimbos? I was pretty! I was smarter than almost all of these stick-with-boobs! I was only stinking drunk and a possibly deathly liability for Sesshoumaru! My mind did the math quickly, but I wouldn't let Naraku work me like that.
"I assure you, he knows far too well that there is nothing in this house as interesting as myself. If you knew me, you'd understand exactly. He'll be here any second." I smiled wickedly. I was tired, drunk, and didn't want anything else to do with the man in front of me for the rest of my life, even if he was extremely rich, sickeningly handsome, and apparently very into me.
"If you'd only let me, I would like nothing more than to understand exactly."
Oh shit. Oh shit. What do I do? My brain stumbled for something, anything.
"I-I--"
"Am leaving now," an all-too-welcome voice came from behind Onigumo. Thank God! I gave Sesshoumaru a nasty that said we would be talking later and thanked him enormously at the same time.
"Ah, you were going to leave without telling me? You've hurt my feelings, Taisho. It's a good think I found your pretty little date, otherwise I would have missed you both completely."
"Now you know." Sesshoumaru put my coat over my shoulders and grabbed my arm. "It's been most pleasan, Onigumo. Now we'll be off."
"Of course," Onigumo smiled. "I must go back and see to the rest of my guests." He turned and went.
I turned and went off.
"What the hell took you so long! " I swayed, exhausted from pretending sober. I was thankful for Sesshoumaru's grip on my arm. "Do you have any idea how impossible that was!"
"It didn't look so impossible from my vantage point," he growled, pulling me towards the door. I stopped, rooted to the spot.
"What did you just say?"
"I said," his eyes narrowed at me dangerously. I realized they were somewhat out of focus. "It didn't look like you were having so hard of a time with it. You like it, don't you? Rich, powerful men bickering over a common secretary like you? Are you weighing your options, deciding which side is more beneficial?"
I swayed for a brief second, my anger overpowering my drunken state. Who did he think he was?! He has no right to say that to me! I've done nothing but good, honest work for this man and he thinks I'm trying to take advantage of him?! Of him and his rival?!
I took a deep breath and stood up straight. I looked him straight in the eyes, my shorter stature not mattering for the first time ever. I was bigger than him. A better person than he could ever be. I reached for his hand and held it open in mine. The look on his face was confused and angry. He deserves it. I reached into my coat pocket and found the separate key ring I used for work. I always carried it with me, in case of an office emergency. Slowly and deliberately, I place it in his open palm and closed him fingers over it with my other hand. I looked at him a long time, and he looked right back.
"….I quit."
I walked past him, out the door, and shouted for Jaken, who came running up like a loyal dog. The site of him disgusted me.
"Call me a cab, Jaken. I'm going home."
"But-"
"A cab, Jaken!!" I nearly screamed at him. He scampered away, and a taxi pulled up seconds later. I thought dimly that some people must have come in them. This made me a little happy. I got in and told the man to drive me home.
When we got there, I realized I'd left my tiny purse at the coat check-in at the gala. I told the taxi driver to wait. I paid him with the Taisho Inc. company credit card.
……………………….
AN: So! A cliffhanger! This chapter was quite a bit longer than the last, now that I'm reassured you guess don't hate it. So how was it? Too cliché? I realize that, until now, there really hasn't been too much boning, just fighting. But, for Sesshoumaru and Kagome, I think that's their way of bonding in this story. Sorry if it's weird.
Btw, the Greek myth in their was slightly altered. It's mostly true, though, from what I remember.
Well, please tell me what you think!