Corona
By: The Hatter Theory
Chapter 9: Strictly Business
I was going to do an ultra hardcore update of everything at once, but I don't want to spam the crap out of the front page, so I'll be staggering them throughout the day.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not the rights to Inu Yasha, or any right's to Sean Truby's music, I'm just plugging songs I like that inspire the chapters. Go listen! Gogogogogogo!
Stumbling down the stairs, Kagome moved like a zombie into the kitchen, shuffling to the fridge while her mother cooked breakfast. Slept hadn't come easily, her body finally giving in to exhaustion well after six am. Her alarm clock, ever faithful, had gone off at eight, pulling her from a restless, dreamless doze.
"Kagome, what are you doing here?" Nodoka asked, shock evident. Too tired and upset to care about her tone, she mumbled something under her breath as she dug through the fridge.
"What dear?" Nodoka asked, voice still colored with surprise.
"I don't want to talk about it!" Kagome snapped, grabbing the carton orange juice and celery from the fridge. Ignoring her mother completely, she grabbed the peanut butter from a cabinet and stalked out of the kitchen. Her feet stomping on the stairs echoed through the house followed by an echoing slam.
Sitting at her desk she uncapped the orange juice and gulped it down greedily before slamming it back on the desk and reaching for the celery. When her stomach lurched ominously, she stopped and booted up her computer. Looking for her bag, she growled in frustration, realizing she'd left it in the car.
After pulling up the internet and the document containing her theory formulas, she lost herself in her work. Switching from the internet to her document every few minutes, she compiled a new formula, filling one page after another with symbols and numbers, then highlighted it blue. The next was blue again. The one after that was green.
She had just highlighted one purple when she heard insistent tapping at her window. Swiveling her chair around, she frowned when Inu Yasha's face pressed to the glass greeted her. In his hands dangled her bookbag and the canvas bag she carried her fans in. Stomping over, the jerked the window open and grabbed both bags, tossing them inside and almost feeling bad when he wobbled precariously on the branch.
"Get out of the way so I can come in," He hissed as she was making to close the window.
"No," She ground out, closing the window and pulling the curtains across it. Ignoring the indignant noise coming from the other side of the glass, she opened her bag and took out her notebook. Sitting at the desk she forced herself to focus on the purple text. Within minutes she was lost in the formula, making notes with her pencil as she looked for flaws.
Tap
The sound didn't register at first, and she blinked once. When it didn't come again, she shrugged and went back to her notebook, looking from the paper to the text document as she scribbled furiously.
Tap tap
Looking up again, she craned her neck, wondering if she was hearing things. Nothing like the noise came again, and she was about to go back to her work when it happened.
Tap
Tap Tap
Tap Tap Tap
Able to pinpoint the source of the noise, she resolved to ignore it, keeping her back to the window as if the man outside would see and get the hint.
Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap
"I'm ignoring you," She whispered under her breath, not caring that he couldn't hear.
Tap Tap Tap
"I don't know morse code, but I hope it's an apology," She muttered, looking back to the document on her desktop.
Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap
"Argh! I'm going to push him out of the tree!" She snarled angrily, throwing her notebook on the bed and stomping over to her window. Jerking the curtains to the side, she glared at the smirking martial artist. In one hand he held a pile of pebbles. In another he tossed one up and down, taunting her. Inhaling deeply, she opened the window and tried not to scream.
"Go. Away."
"Not until you hear me out."
"Say what you came to say then," She offered, not moving from her place at the sill, keeping him from entering.
"Just let me in," He demanded.
"No."
"If you don't, I'll jump in, probably land on you, and that would bring your mom up here wanting to find out what's going on. She'd find me, probably still on top of you-" He started, smirk growing.
"So she can think I'm easy too?" She hissed. That struck a noticeable blow to him and he visibly drooped, shoulders sagging and the smirk turning into a frown. For a moment he looked so much like a kicked puppy that she couldn't help but feel badly for her tone.
"Come on," She grudgingly invited, moving back from the sill and allowing him to toe onto the sill and then step onto the carpeted floor. Closing the window, she tried not to wince when he sat on her bed -on her notebook more aptly- and posed as if meditating for a moment.
"Look," He started. "Last night was a mistake. But it's not our fault Sesshoumaru got a bug up his ass."
She was sure the world had gone silent, because she couldn't hear anything. Not the rustling of him on her bed, or the noises of her brother and his friends in the living room going over homework. For several minutes nothing penetrated, even though Inu Yasha was moving his lips. Sounds were just not coming out.
"You're telling me that all of you assumed I would go-go- do that," She spat. "And you're going to foist all the blame on your brother?" She hissed in a furious whisper, hands turning into fists at her sides. Taking another step closer to the suddenly silent man on her bed, she watched his eyes widen as he leaned back to put some space between them and only succeeded in hitting the wall.
"Look-"
"No, you look," She spat. "I'm a virgin. Vir-Gin. I don't sleep around, and certainly not with people I just met at a party. Don't even try to blame Sesshoumaru for what all of you did last night." At this she inhaled deeply, biting back a scream. Once she was sure she wouldn't speak in anything but a whisper, she exhaled and continued. "It hurt. What all of you did hurt me," She added for emphasis. "You didn't even ask me."
Inu Yasha stared at her incredulously for several tense, quiet moments before sighing loudly and looking up at the ceiling, as if it would give him an answer.
"Sesshoumaru is really strict about us not going anywhere with guests. He's big on rules, you know that. But he''s not the kind of guy that makes snap judgments either. When he said you'd disappeared, and he was acting so strangely-"
"You all just assumed I had gone off to have sex with someone?" She demanded, horrified that their opinion of her could be so low.
"We don't know you that well," Inu Yasha tried. "You going off with some stranger at a party is more plausible than Sesshoumaru acting like someone kicked him in the balls for no reason, okay? Try to see this from our perspective," He defended, voice rising to a whine. Kagome looked around her furtively and moved over to her door, pushing the lock in and sitting down, blue eyes still cold.
"You should have asked," She told him, crossing her arms.
"So you could what? Tell us you hadn't done it? Do you know how stupid that sounds?"
"At least I would have had a chance," She retorted hotly, pulling her knees up to her chest and hugging them tightly. Tears stung her eyes and threatened to fall again. "No one has ever even, I mean, I've never, I wouldn't-" She lost the battle with her tears, hot streaks running down her face. Burying her face in her knees, and tightened her grip on her knees and prayed the other man would just leave.
When a hand patted her shoulder she sniffed and looked up, dashing her tears away. Inu Yasha was standing next to her, looking awkward and uncomfortable.
"Look, we're really sorry we screwed up. I wouldn't have believed it if it hadn't been for Sesshoumaru acting so funny, okay?" His words were stilted and as awkward sounding as he looked. Kagome sniffed once, nodding. Pleased with her reaction, he sat back down on her bed and folded his arms, looking out of place in the sea of blues and pinks.
"Sesshoumaru doesn't get angry like that for no reason. He just assumed, and we followed his lead because he's normally not wrong. It was just a huge fuck up on our parts. We're all really sorry," He added, not looking at her.
"Why would he think I would do something like that?" She finally asked, reaching behind her for a kleenex.
"Because he's a moron, that's why," Inu Yasha snorted as he watched her wiping her face. "Sesshoumaru's never been big on people, but he can normally read 'em pretty well. He was just way off base this time. It's probably because he likes you."
"Why does everyone keep bringing that up?" Kagome growled, throwing her hands in the air and then running them through her loose hair. "It doesn't matter!"
"Kagome?" A muffled voice called through the door, making both of them freeze. "Is everything alright?"
Sneaking over to the door and cracking it open, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her mother halfway up the stairs instead of just outside of the door.
"Yeah mom! I was just going over some notes on the phone with Inu Yasha and he's being obstinate!" She called down the stairs, her voice cracking slightly. There was several seconds of silence.
"Okay dear, just try to keep it down! Souta is studying with his friends in the living room."
"Sure thing mom!" She called before closing her door gently and locking it again. Turning to Inu Yasha, she saw him smirking at her.
"What?" She hissed.
"You know, if you just kissed him he'd probably give in. Do the both of you worlds of good. Besides, he's not much of a talker apparently."
Stalking over to the bed, she grabbed a pillow and slung it with all of her might at the head of shock white hair. Slightly mollified by the resounding thump and his red face, she went and sat back in her chair, crossing her arms once more.
"Look, I'm tired of everyone making fun of me for this crush thing I have on Sesshoumaru-" She started, stopping when Inu Yasha began snorting and choking on his laughter. When he grabbed a pillow and covered his face, guffaws coming through despite the padding, she had uncharitable thoughts about holding it there until he stopped twitching. He finally lowered it, his face bright red and lip bruised from biting it.
"Crush thing? Wow, you sound like a-" He stopped, realizing what he was about to say. Kagome didn't think herself overly perceptive for knowing what it was going to be either.
"I'm so glad you find that amusing," She muttered dryly, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them again, feeling self conscious despite herself.
"No, it's just-well," He started, then sobered slightly. "Sesshoumaru used to be every girl's dream guy, except for being an emotional ice cube with the personality of a rock, which most seemed pretty happy to overlook. But after our father disowned us, he was just good looking with a shitty personality. And after he lost his arm-"
"It doesn't matter if he lost his arm," She defended hotly, cheeks flushing. "He's still a hundred times more capable than anyone I've ever met."
"Most people don't see things that way, and you know it. Since then, he's just become really closed off, I mean more than he used to be. He opens up with you." At Kagome's derisive snort he rolled his eyes and then directed a 'you're an idiot' look in her direction. "I've known him for twenty years. Trust me, he's more open with you."
"It doesn't matter," She finally sighed. "He thought I would just go off and sleep with someone."
"He was going to apologize after giving you some time to cool off," Inu Yasha offered hopefully. Blue eyes glaring in his direction stopped anything else he was going to say. They sat that way for several minutes before he shrugged once and walked for the window.
"You know, he's always been a loner, and alone even when he was around people."
"Why are you still trying to apologize for him?" Kagome bit out.
"Because I owe him, a lot."
"He can come and apologize to me himself," She retorted as the window opened and Inu Yasha climbed out onto the limb more gracefully than she ever had. She was left that way, alone and silent. Wind blew in the window, ruffling the curtain and chilling her. Stomping over to it, she closed the window and pulled the curtain shut, resolving to focus on her work.
Sesshoumaru watched her practicing with her fans. He was not the only one. Two others were sitting in front of her, jaws almost embarrassingly slack as she moved through their routine one sided, looking like she was fighting an opponent. Despite himself, he couldn't help but be impressed.
Inu Yasha's fumbling apology might have had something to do with it. The bastard had even stolen his keys and gone to pick her up for practice and the one new gig they'd booked with her as a part of their troupe. While her temper had cooled toward the others, her overall treatment of him had chilled considerably. If he didn't know better, he would say she was doing an impersonation of him, mocking him.
Practice had gone well, and they'd even gone out for food. But she had avoided sitting near him, did not speak to him, and took the bus home after. It had been the same for the performance. This time they had refused any invitation to go inside and 'mingle'. Since then, she always seemed to have someone near her, or was on the run for one thing or another. Walking forward into the sun, he watched her as avidly as the pair on the ground did.
Each movement was controlled and precise, flowing into one another seamlessly. Without a partner it was a beautiful dance. It wasn't until she stopped abruptly that he realized he'd been staring, and he inclined his head once.
"What do you want?" The female on the ground demanded, standing and dusting the back of her pants. Kouga stood as well, doing his best to look disinterested and failing miserably.
"I would speak to Kagome alone," He replied blandly.
"Too bad," The woman -he remembered Kagome calling her Kujaku- bit out, brow furrowing as she moved a step closer to him, trying to make herself look intimidating. Eying her carefully, he immediately put her in the same class as his brother, personality wise at least. Even he wouldn't insult his brother by saying she was anywhere near as strong or trained.
"Is that not up to her to decide?" He intoned, arching his eyebrow just so, to imply the woman was an idiot. Already she was fighting a futile battle, better not to add him to it as well. Not normally given to vindictive behavior, he was beginning to wonder if getting to Kagome wouldn't be worth it merely to piss Kujaku off.
"Kujaku, Kouga, I'll catch you tomorrow, okay?"
The entire time Kouga had said nothing, but he eyed Sesshoumaru knowingly, his lips tightened in a frown as he nodded once and walked away. Kujaku glared at him distrustfully and muttering something that might have been a farewell before grabbing her bag and jogging away to catch up with Kouga.
Kagome stuffed her fans in her canvas messenger bag and threw it over her shoulder before pulling on her backpack.
"Well?" She finally asked.
Oh, this was harder than he thought it was going to be. Some segue way into it would be wonderful.
"Your behavior is childish."
Not what he had meant to say. And by the sudden darkening of her features, it was nowhere near what she wanted him to say. Inu Yasha had lectured him every day on what she wanted and deserved to hear. Now if only he could make himself apologize for behavior he didn't entirely understand.
"Childish?" She ground out. "You have the nerve to call me childish?"
Cornered, he did what he did best, and continued on that vein, determined to hold his position and be right. Even though he knew he was wrong and should apologize immediately.
"You refuse to speak to me, you have avoided me all week unless forced to practice with me, and you're about to throw a tantrum."
For a moment silence reigned, and he would have congratulated himself on the purely shocked expression on her face. Maybe he had wormed his way into a win. Somehow.
However, in less than thirty seconds her face had reddened and she was stomping towards him, invading any and all rules of personal space and jabbing a finger into his chest as she unloaded on him.
"You insult my integrity, refuse to apologize for it, and then have the gall to accuse me of being childish for being mad at you?" She shouted, either oblivious or apathetic to the small crowd of students that was gathering around them, watching them with avid interest.
"You are having a tantrum," He reminded her, surprised by the finger's sudden strength as it poked him again.
"You are a narcissistic jerk! I waited for you to apologize. Everyone else did. But you haven't. And here I thought you were the civilized one. Apparently I was wrong!" She snarled, spinning on her heel smartly and suddenly noticing the crowd of students.
"Well?" She snapped impatiently. "Show's over!"
With that declaration the students began hurrying away, giving them both space.
"I apologize," He ground out as she began walking away. She stopped, turned back and glared at him.
"And?"
What more could there be? He'd just apologized, isn't that what she'd turned into a harpy over? Mentally trying to figure out what else she could want, he came up empty. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose before closing the distance between them and looking up at him with stern blue eyes.
"Promise me you will never make such an assumption again. I think I've proven that I deserve the chance to defend myself before being judged," She informed him, her face a mask of seriousness. He realized he didn't like it when she was so stern, so straight faced. It bothered him that this had come to pass at all, but this was a consequence he liked as little as her silence.
"You have my word," He promised, not bothering to mention that his word was his bond. Since his father had disowned him, he had lost almost everything except that, and it was the one thing he wouldn't give up.
"Good. Now you can buy me lunch," She told him, a small smile tilting up the corners of her lips.
It was strange and even surreal how quickly she brightened as they walked for his car. Wondering for the umpteenth time if she was chemically imbalanced or just that eager to be happy, he strolled beside her silently, listening to her idle chatter.
"I'm sorry about Kujaku by the way," She finally said as they were getting into the car.
"Did you tell her about what happened?"
"No." It was a sigh and she leaned her head back and looked at the roof of the car and it's drooping fabric. "They still don't know I'm working with you. Kujaku warned me against taking a job with you, that you'd suck all the joy out of spinning," She admitted.
Not wanting to examine that statement too closely, he chose to ignore the admission.
"Then there is no need to apologize. Her behavior is all her own."
They were quiet as he drove off campus and headed for the normal diner. Unable to tell if she was quiet because of him or because of her friend, he gave in and contemplated the accusation Kujaku had leveled at him.
Was he destroying her joy of fire? Whatever it was for her, she had proven that she deserved at least that small pleasure in her life. Even if it was just an escape for her, she needed it. More than anyone he knew how important an escape was. Martial arts were his. It was a place of order and a clear mind, where the world faded away. For her it was fire. Could he be killing it by forcing her to rein it in and control it?
"You don't," She informed him quietly, guessing where his mind was.
"Don't what?" He asked, not wanting to give away his worry.
"Suck the joy out of it. I like performing with you," She admitted quietly.
He told himself the her wording was merely a way to say she liked performing with the group as a whole, not him specifically. That it mattered at all bothered him, and he refused to believe that he was forming some sort of crush on the girl. Yes, there was a physical attraction there, but then who wouldn't find her attractive? Not to mention he hadn't had a woman in months, which must be playing into it.
"Why would you say such?" He finally asked, determined to think about anything else.
"You looked kind of worried and sad." She didn't look at him as she said this, instead opting to look out the window as he pulled into the diner parking lot. Bothered that she could read him so well after only two weeks, he refrained from answering, instead getting out quietly. She followed, pulling up close to his side and leaning against him.
Reminding himself that he was probably one of her first male friends, and that she probably had no idea how to treat male friends, he allowed it, moving away only to open the door for her. Thunder cracked and the air pressure dropped. He hoped for rain.
They were seated with little issue, gave their orders and both sat in an awkward silence, made so mostly by her as she worried her lower lip, eyes shifting to and fro nervously. Obviously she wanted to say something, but wasn't sure of herself or the statement.
"Speak," He ordered plainly, and she immediately relaxed, smiling sheepishly before digging through her book bag. Pulling out a familiar notebook, she opened it and it slapped onto the table, her nervous fingers dropping it between them.
"Promise not to laugh?" She asked.
He had already hit his limit for promises for the day, but he nodded anyway, curious what made her so anxious.
"I've been thinking, since Inu Yasha said something about me becoming a mad scientist. I'm really good with chemistry, and it occurred to me that I can work on a way to modify the fuel or create an additive," She stated simply, her smile conveying 'unsure but hopeful' as she stared at him, waiting for a reaction.
"What is the purpose of the additive?"
She answered by leaning in, as if to impart some great secret.
"To change the color of the flames." It was whispered and when she pulled back, her eyes were lit up, glowing merrily. "I've already figured out a true red, and I think I have the right formula for green. I haven't had a chance to test it in the science lab."
Letting her savor the moment, he nodded once and leaned back into the seat, considering her proposal. In retrospect, he should have deduced something of that nature when she asked him about the fuels he used. However, there were questions and holes in her idea. Burning oil and gas created enough problematic chemicals on their own, but they weren't immediately dangerous. Adding chemical compounds could pose an immediate hazard, a risk he wasn't willing to take.
"How safe is it?" He finally asked.
"I ran the formulas and tested it. The mix doesn't give off poisonous fumes as it burns. I'm still working on brightness, but it burned crimson. It also doesn't burn much hotter than the original fuel mix," She added, smiling brightly.
Obviously she was very pleased with herself, and it was fully deserved. Not only was it a singularly good idea, but he had a feeling anyone else that thought about it didn't have the mind to map out such a formula, or the means to test it.
"Congratulations."
"Thank you!" She beamed.
Grateful any earlier transgressions were past and she had finally relaxed around him again, he nodded once, allowing a small smile to quirk the corner of his lips up. Apparently that smile had been an invitation for her to go further in depth to the formula itself, and he listened intently, struck more by her passion for the topic than her ability to think out such a difficult formula on her own.
When she was passionate about something, she lost the diffidence that made her merely pretty and became beautiful. The transformation itself was not new to him, but her closeness was, as she'd abandoned her seat and sat herself next to him to better explain her work.
Food came and was absentmindedly eaten, and he resisted the urge to wipe a smear of ketchup from the corner of her mouth. When the food was finally gone, she had covered her difficulties with blue and purple, both formulas apparently being vexing enough to earn a special sort of loathing, as well as her eagerness to test out her formula for green.
"Do you have any more of the compound for red?" He asked as she ate the last fry on her plate.
"I do, I made quite a bit, turns out the base parts aren't that expensive. Probably enough for my fans and a couple of swords."
"Where have you stored it?"
Another sheepish smile and she scooted out of the booth and back into her seat, opening her messenger back and pulling out a small clear container half filled with powder.
"Want to do a burn tonight?" She asked, smiling hopefully.
Want to? Not particularly, although the idea of a true red flame interested him. But he didn't have the heart to deny her that pleasure after all of her hard work. Nodding once, he was surprised when she bounced out of her seat and into his, hugging him tightly. Thankfully the action was squeal free, but she did hum appreciatively.
"Thank you," She murmured.
It was the first time he could remember hoping for the rain to stop.
As it was, the didn't stop, keeping them indoors that evening. Inu Yasha had only smirked knowingly when she had walked in, throwing an 'I told ya' over his shoulder through a mouth full of ramen as he walked into the kitchen.
"Would you like to learn more forms?" Sesshoumaru rumbled as he sat his bag down gently on the table. Nodding once, Kagome sat her own things down and slipped off her socks. Before being asked, she did her stretches and then began going through the forms. He watched her with silent approval, never moving to correct her. Inu Yasha came out and watched as well, admiration shining in his eyes.
When she finally stopped, Sesshoumaru came forward, showing her the next form. First he did it in real time, his movements graceful and smooth, his balance perfect as his leg came up high, his foot easily level with his head. Then he repeated it twice, each time slowly so she could take in the nuances of the movements.
When he moved back to the wall, she went through the form slowly, bringing her foot up high, almost falling over when she realized it was almost level with her head and her balance was perfect. When she wavered, a small noise came from Sesshoumaru's direction and she continued with the movements, pivoting on the ball of her foot and bringing her other foot back down to the ground.
"Looks like somebody is getting more flexible," Inu Yasha observed, sniggering behind his hand. It turned into a yelp when a shoe hit him in the head, seemingly appearing from nowhere to connect with his head.
"Thank you," Kagome said with a small bow in Sesshoumaru's direction.
"Again," Was all he said. His pale eyes watched her intently, and she moved through the form seamlessly, feeling rather proud of herself.
"You are free tomorrow?" He asked, although it sounded more like a statement of fact.
"Yeah."
"We're going to the park. It's time to work on some simple acrobatics."
Pride and pleasure came screeching to a halt when his words registered.
"What?" She asked flatly, and Inu Yasha burst into peals of delighted laughter.
"You should see the look on your face! Oh, I wish I had a camera," He choked out, wiping tears from his eyes with one hand while the other clutched his stomach.
"Acrobatics?" She finally demanded, ignoring the younger brother completely in favor of glaring at the older. A nod was her only answer. "I can't, I'm not an acrobat! I-"
"Will do fine. It is not what Inu Yasha and I do," He interrupted. "Simple tricks. Most moves will be restricted by your fan, so we will ignore them."
"Nah," Inu Yasha broke in. "Just teach 'em all to her. She'll do fine, she's a quick learner."
"She is right here," Kagome ground out. "And is rethinking helping you with your chemistry homework."
There was an immediate difference, and Inu Yasha crossed his arms and huffed angrily, glaring at her sullenly. Something came from his lips, but it was so low that she couldn't make out the words. The mate to the previous shoe sailed through the air, thudding into the side of his head and bouncing onto the table.
"If you cannot think before you speak, do not speak," Sesshoumaru commanded, moving over to the metal chest of supplies at the far wall. Confused, Kagome watched as he pulled out a bottle of fuel.
"What are you doing?"
"The rain is no longer as heavy as it once was. We can soak the props in the trunk and wait in the car until they are ready."
"But won't the props just go out?" Inu Yasha asked. Kagome saw Sesshoumaru close his eyes, and she was sure if he had a free hand he would be pinching the bridge of his nose as she had earlier.
"It's difficult for water to put out fuel based fires. It would take a stronger rain than this," Kagome explained, excitement already building in her chest. Never once had she thought to do a burn in the rain, and the idea of seeing her formula at work only heightened her anticipation. Before the brothers realized it she was pulling on her shoes, already halfway out the door, messenger bag hanging off of her shoulder.
"Come on!" She urged, hopping as she shoved her foot into the shoe.
"I'll sit this one out," Inu Yasha muttered, still sulking. Sesshoumaru said nothing, and she felt badly for being happy it would be just the two of them. No one else knew about the compound yet, and it felt like a secret only they shared. That would change, sure. But no matter what else, they would be the first ones to burn with it.
For once the elevator worked, and she shuffled and moved impatiently on the ride down. Sesshoumaru said nothing, but his knowing smirk expressed his thoughts. Childishly she stuck her tongue out at him, crossing her arms over her chest. The doors dinged open and she shot out like a rocket towards his car, delighting in the sound of the rain hitting the concrete outside.
He walked slowly while she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet. Knowing he was taking longer than normal to get to the car on purpose, she stomped one foot against the concrete of the parking deck and growled in frustration when he only continued smirking.
"Come on!" She whined. "Don't you want to see it?"
He said nothing, but tossed everything in the trunk before getting into the car and unlocking her door. The entire way to the park she was bouncing in her seat, knees held tightly together as her feet bounced as well.
"Stop spasming," He finally commanded. That comment stopped her cold as she turned to direct the full heat of her glare at him.
"Spasming?"
"You look like an epileptic that has been exposed to flashing lights," He informed her as they pulled into the park.
"You have a really funny way of complimenting someone," She muttered darkly.
"It was not a compliment," He retorted as he parked, taking her canvas bag with him. Knowing he wouldn't know how much powder to add, she got out, immediately chilled by the rain hitting her bare arms. Goosebumps rose on her flesh and she shivered once as she came around to the back of the car. Immediately she was assailed with the scent of fuel.
"You need to mix it in really well. Is it alright if I pour some into the bottle?" She asked, repressing another shiver. He nodded once, offering her the open bottle, which she ignored in favor of digging through her messenger bag. Pulling out the container, she realized she had no idea how to get it into the fuel bottle.
There was a clicking sound and she struggled not to drop the compound when a knife flashed silver in the dim light.
"Use this as a sort of spoon," He explained. With trembling fingers she took the knife, easily the length of her hand, and sat it down. After opening the container and guesstimating half of the amount, she dropped it into the fuel and repeated the process, ultra aware that her hands were shaking as she tried to take care. Most of the powder was now in the bottle and she capped the container, already making a mental note to buy more supplies.
He capped the fuel bottle and shook it for a minute before pouring it in the basins. That being done, he closed the trunk gently and they hopped back in the car, careful not to jostle it too much. The sound of rain pelting the metal of the car and pinging against the windshield made it hard to think.
"Why do you carry a knife?"She finally asked.
"It has a myriad of uses," He intoned, staring straight ahead.
"I just didn't expect you to carry one," She finally admitted.
"I only carry it when I plan on burning."
"Oh."
The silence after that was tense and awkward, uncomfortable for the both of them. She wanted to fill it, to say something. Nothing seemed appropriate. Knives made her uncomfortable, always being something she pictured gang members carrying. Never in a million years would she have imagined Sesshoumaru carrying one, although it made sense. Knives were handy tools, and weren't always carried with ill intent. It was just hard to remember that sometimes.
After a small eternity he made a noise and got out. Gratefully she followed his example, noting that the rain seemed to be coming down harder than before. Hoping for a good burn despite the weather, she took her fans from the trunk and watched him do the same, closing it back up before slinging his sword. Suddenly he stopped and muttered something under his breath.
"Hold this," He commanded, thrusting the sword at her. She took it, surprised by the weight as he dug into his pocket for a lighter. It was a cheap plastic one, and for a moment he looked at a loss.
"Here," She offered, setting one of her fans down and holding the sword, tip towards him. He nodded once and lit the sword. After two false starts bright crimson fire raced down the length of the blade, hissing angrily as the rain hit it. He dropped the light on the hood and took the sword, allowing her to take her fans and light them, the fire just as bright and vivid as it had been on the blade.
They were alone in the parking lot, and without saying anything they decided it was as good a place as any to test her new compound.
Exhilarated by her success, by the rain and by the moment she was sharing with Sesshoumaru, she ignored conformity and moved like an animal, heedless of the rain plastering her hair to her face and soaking her clothing. Adrenaline pumped through her system, adding an edge to her joy. Feeling almost daring, she danced circles around Sesshoumaru, who in turn was working through kata. Moving like a will'o the wisp, she teased him, trying to break his concentration and force him to play.
Minutes into the exercise he gave in and began leaping at her, spinning and lunging, responding to her teases. The vivid red almost blinded them as they leapt and spun and whirled around one another, and for a moment she felt like they were in a different world, a different place. Peace settled over her like a thick, heavy mantle. Imagining them acting out the push and pull of the male and female energies, she allowed a throaty laugh to escape, a breathless, sensual sound that shocked even her.
The rain grew even heavier, killing the flames and leaving them staring at one another. His long white hair was plastered to his face and his black t-shirt clung to his skin. Despite the rain between them, she was positive she could see the lines of his chest and stomach defined clearly. Moving past him, she went around the car and sat the fans under the front to cool. He did the same, brows furrowing when he straightened and she toed off her shoes, then her socks and started walking onto the grass.
"Come on, when was the last time you walked barefoot on wet grass? It's the best thing in the world!" She laughed, turning to run further into the park, towards the open expanse where they practiced.
Hesitantly he slid his shoes off and then toed off his socks before shoving both pairs of shoes under the front of the car to keep them dry. Following her, he stopped short when she began twirling madly with her arms flung out, laughter getting caught by the rain.
Clothing clung to her skin, leaving little to the imagination. The rain felt colder as his skin heated in response to the image before him. She stopped, breathless, and wobbled over to him, still laughing.
"My father once said nirvana is feeling every drop of the rain as it hits your skin," She informed him, smiling brightly.
Even as he imagined it, he could feel the individual drops hitting and trailing down his body, weighting down his hair and cooling feverishly hot skin. The overall effect was more erotic than anything he'd ever felt, and her fingers, searingly hot, gripped his wrist and pulled him further into the small field.
"Do you feel it?" She asked.
For once his tongue was too thick in his mouth to answer properly, so he nodded. Her arms went to the sky and her head tilted back. Mesmerized by the sight of the water trailing down the expanse of her slender, pale neck he fought back the urge to begin licking it, instead allowing himself the pleasure of watching it trail down over he exposed collarbones and finally hitting the barrier of her shirt. Imagining drops of water trailing down the valley between her breasts nearly undid his resolve.
Her innocent enjoyment of the rain was contagious, although his enjoyment was far from innocent. Each drop was a cold point that only reminded him of how hot he felt instead of cooling him off. When her arms finally came down and she looked at him, eyes bright and cheeks flush he bit the inside of his cheek.
"You did feel it," She sighed happily, hand circling his wrist again as she led him back towards the car. Allowing her to lead him, he took the time to contain his thoughts and ignore the constant steady pulse of rain. Saying nothing, he put the props in the trunk with their shoes and poured the excess fuel back into the bottle before capping it again.
Once they were back in the car, he was fumbling with his keys, feeling like an awkward teenager and not liking it in the least when her hand covered his. He stopped and looked at her. For a moment there was complete silence inside the confines of the vehicle before she inhaled deeply and grabbed his head, moving forward and pushing her lips against his.
It was short and clumsy and obviously her first kiss. Her lips were warm and full, making him ache as they pulled away. It was over as quickly as it had begun, and her whole face with flushed, eyes clenched shut. Every muscle in her body was tensed, as if she was readying herself for flight.
Unbuckling his seat beat, he reached forward and gripped her chin firmly, bringing her closer to him. Meeting her halfway, he slanted his lips over hers, reminding himself to be gentle, to be careful. This kiss was longer, softer, although still clumsy. Physically coaching her, he kept his tongue in check, determined not to frighten her. When he pulled back, her eyes opened wide and she inhaled deeply, a hand going to her lips. Smiling shyly, she moved forward again, bracing her hands on the console as she gently touched her lips to his, mimicking what he had done.
He couldn't remember when she had moved over the console and straddled him, or when his hand had moved to her head, cupping the back gently, when hers had threaded through his wet hair. Somewhere along the way her tongue swept along his lower lip, deepening the kiss and scraping at his self control.
It wasn't until her back pressed against the horn, setting it off and startling them apart that he realized she was straddling him most intimately, that he was painfully hard and that they had somehow managed to fog up the windows. She scrambled off of his lap and into her seat gracelessly, blue eyed dark and lips swollen.
Wordlessly he started the car and pulled out of the park, not quite sure what had happened. Of course she had initiated it. But he hadn't done anything to stop it, although he should have. Someone like him had absolutely no business kissing someone like her. Especially not a first kiss. First kisses were the things girls dreamed about, planned in their heads for years, from childhood until the moment it happened, a moment as equally important to them as their wedding day. Most girls dreamed of it being in a beautiful garden, or a picnic or some other picturesque location with their true love. Not in a car, soaked to the skin with a man who had sworn off anything more serious than a one night stand.
"Are you mad?" She finally asked as he drove through the rain towards his apartment. He wanted to take her home, but her bookbag was still in the rented space and he wasn't going to send her home without it.
"No," He replied shortly, although he was. Just not at her.
"Did I do something wrong?"
'No, I did,' He muttered internally.
"No," He finally answered. "You did nothing wrong." As a point of fact, she did very many things right, her ability to mimic his actions still disturbingly vivid. They hit a red light and he stopped, watching other cars cross the intersection. Her hand moved to rest on his shoulder, then dropped onto the console.
"I'm sorry," She whimpered quietly.
The rest of the ride was silent as he tried to formulate a response that wouldn't hurt her feelings and leave him feeling like he'd received a swift kick to the groin. Still unable to figure something out by the time they'd arrived at the apartment, she followed, obviously subdued as they took the props and fuel out of the trunk and made for the elevator. It dinged open and he stepped in, noticing she shuffled in after. Both of them were still barefoot, and he noticed her toes painted the most vivid blue he'd ever seen.
She wouldn't look up at him, and he resisted feeling low for bringing her to such a state. When the bell dinged again and the door opened, he was about to exit when her hand shot forward and hit the button to close the door. Turning to stare at her, he was surprised by the sudden defiance in her eyes, reminding him of earlier in the afternoon when she'd been angry with him.
"I don't want things to be awkward with us. If you just want to be friends, say so, and we can be friends," She told him, her voice trembling slightly as she looked up at him. There were scant inches between them, and she had to crane her head back to look him in the eye. Her cheeks were still pink, and her lips were still swollen from his earlier attentions, parted slightly as small gasps of breath escaped. Despite her mask of bravery, he could see the fear in her eyes, a dark shade of sapphire.
He didn't want to be just friends with her. Not that he could imagine them as a happy couple, he wanted her, craved to keep tasting her.
Before either of them knew it, she was pinned between his body and the elevator, his lips pressing hungrily at her own. She exhaled sharply into his mouth and he sucked the air in, stealing her breath and running his tongue over hers, giving her no option but to respond. Ignoring his conscience, he continued on that way, demanding submission and finding satisfaction when she opened to him completely. She was sweet and warm, clumsily trying to kiss back, making up for her inexperience with a passion he'd tried to keep from imagining.
The props and fuel fell to the floor as her hands tangled in his hair, keeping him close. His arm was wrapped around her tiny frame, crushing her body to his. Heat sparked everywhere he felt her pressed to him. Mewling sounds echoed in her throat, mixing with satisfied hums and ending in vibrations against his lips. It was when the hums became a moan that he pulled back, feeling off kilter and dizzy.
Regaining some control over himself, he hit the button to open the doors, picked up the sword and fuel, and walked out, hearing her follow. Before they got to the door, he turned and looked down at her, about to tell her that couldn't happen again when her expression stopped him.
She looked thoroughly kissed. Half lidded eyes and bruised lips screamed her state to the world and only made her that much more attractive. Any trace of the innocent girl was lost to leave this stranger, obviously a woman, standing there, looking for all the world like she wanted to be carried to bed and thoroughly taken.
Which is where his thoughts came to a screeching halt and the cold finally began to penetrate his overheated skin. Kagome was not a woman in the truest sense of the word, and he would be lower than low if he even thought about helping her take that final step. She was not a hedonist, nor was she someone that belonged in his world, not really. In six months he would be free and she would be left behind. Better to end it now, as gently as he could.
"Kagome," He began, formulating his refusal of her affections. "That cannot happen again."
Her face fell and her expression began clearing.
"The troupe has a strict policy about relationships of any sort. I won't-" Here's where he faltered. It had sounded less harsh in his head, and the sudden hurt in her eyes was as good, or better than a physical blow in terms of effect. "You're too important," He finally told her. "And the others would never forgive me." The last was something he was hardly concerned with, but he knew it would get to her.
She looked like she was about to say something, then stopped and settled for nodding slowly. Smiling shyly she moved forward and hugged him, surprising him.
"I'm glad then, that we had that. Thank you."
With that she was walking inside the apartment, leaving him feeling out of sorts, as if he'd been the one to be rejected.
Minutes later when she was telling Inu Yasha about her new additive for the fuel and what he had missed by staying at home, he was too wrapped up in his own thoughts to see the shy glances Kagome cast his way now and again and Inu Yasha's knowing smirk.
How's that for romance? Anywho, tomorrow's my birthday, and birthday week commences -sans spanksgiving, sadly-. I will try to post, but apparently I'm to be kidnapped each day for a new activity. Wine, women, song. (YES!)
NOW GO LISTEN TO THE SONG!