Corona

By: The Hatter Theory

Chapter 17: Turbulence

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha or to Monada's music.

Okay. Okay. I know. I've been letting this languish. But because Kayelyn is so full of awesome and smart, she gets this as a present for making an A on her test. And because I had to rewrite EVERYTHING after my openoffice committed suicide and took my files with it, the muses came back and decided it's time for this story to get it's due. So expect weekly updates once again. This story is no longer on hiatus. I am sorry this is short, but things will be moving along after this.

When she woke it was to the sound of vivid cursing.

"Seriously? Don't you have your own fucking apartment to do that shit at?" Inu Yasha's voice shouted angrily. Unable to stop her smile, she looked up at Sesshoumaru, who was looking down at her with a smirk dancing on his lips.

"We need to shower," He suggested.

"He'd go crazy if we did it here," She snickered.

"All the more reason," He chuckled dryly. She pushed at his shoulder playfully before burrowing back into his chest, delighted by the scent of them still emanating from his skin. Inhaling deeply she imagined she could taste the both of them and their night. Sweat and sex and smoke.

"Hey guys, when you're done being all cozy, Miroku called. Another gig, good money!"

"I guess that's our cue," She sighed, wishing she could have stayed in bed a bit longer.

"Your shirt is still in the hallway."

She had completely forgotten about that.

"You can wear one of mine," He sighed as he stood. Once again she was unable to stop her smile as she watched him stretch and walk over to his dresser. Moving for the crumpled heap of her pants she groaned when pain flared up in her groin.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Umm, yeah. I'm fine," She murmured, trying to ignore the pain and grabbing her pants. Feeling inexplicably shy, she pulled them on under the covers and accepted the shirt he tossed at her, pulling it on quickly. When she stood the sharp pain doubled and she took an experimental step, flinching when the movement only made it worse.

"The pain will fade in a day, perhaps two," Sesshoumaru murmured quietly.

They walked out into the living area, surprised to see Inu Yasha working at his computer at a furious rate.

"They want something big, really showy. Miroku said they're willing to cover all of our expenses. They want us out on Kozushima. Big crowd, apparently, some sort of business dinner. He didn't catch a company name though."

"Has he met with them?"

"Some peon, he said. But the money is in order. It's in a couple of weeks. We won't be able to do anything for the day before, they're paying for a hotel so we can get used to the area the night before, change the routine to accommodate the space if need be. Miroku hit the jackpot this time. Silver tongued asshole," Inu Yasha chuckled as he scrolled through a website.

"I don't get it," Kagome admitted as she watched Sesshoumaru discreetly grabbing their clothing and taking it back to his room.

"You guys used protection right?" Inu Yasha asked in a quiet voice, changing the topic abruptly.

"What?" She stuttered, surprised by his sudden furious expression.

"You know, protection," He hissed.

That hadn't even occurred to her. Panic, pure, adrenaline fueled panic lanced through her as the realization dawned on her.

She had just done the one thing her mother had been terrified of her doing.

"Shit, shit, SESSHOUMARU!" Inu Yasha shouted as he stood, obviously reading her terrified expression as the answer it was. "You son of a bitch!"

Sesshoumaru walked back in looking as apathetic as ever. She looked to him, dread immediately forming a brick in her stomach while her heart beat frantically in her chest.

"What now?"

"She was a virgin, so it's understandable. But you fucking know better. Go get her the morning after pill fucking now!" Inu Yasha shouted. "Right goddamned now! And use fucking protection next time you get cozy."

In the span of ten minutes she had gone from euphoric to panicked to mortified. Inu Yasha's curse ridden rage was entirely justified, but no less humiliating. Perhaps it was all the more so for it's justification, for it's honesty.

She had, within days of leaving her mother's home, slept with someone without protection.

What had she been thinking?

"We will go get it now," Sesshoumaru said, face it's normal, calm, cool mask. How could he be so calm? Had he considered it, even before she had? Had he been thinking of it the night before?

"Go. Both of you, just-" Inu Yasha muttered, glaring at them both before running both hands through his shock white hair. "Fucking go. Now."

Her shoes were quickly collected, she didn't even bother with her socks, and she rushed out of the door, putting them on once she had gotten out of the apartment. Inu Yasha's ire still hung in the air, thick and sharp. Sesshoumaru's cool indifference clashed against it, following her outside and to the elevator. And all the while the throbbing pain in her groin persisted.

"I apologize, I wasn't thinking last night."

"I should have thought about it," She muttered, growing angry with herself. Again and again she thought about what her mother would say, about what she had done. It had been stupid and reckless and for all she knew, she had just doomed herself to the same fate her mother had, maybe even worse. There was no guarantee Sesshoumaru would want to stay with her. In fact, there was no guarantee he even felt like she did about the night before. There was little doubt that he had slept with other women, and for all she knew, giving him her virginity might not even be a big deal.

"We both should have."

He sounded as angry as she felt, and though his words weren't an accusation, they still felt like one. She wanted to hit something, wanted to shout at herself in the mirror, maybe even shout at him. He should have remembered, he had slept with other women, he knew how to be safe, at least she hoped he did. But it couldn't be helped, and as they took the elevator down she tried to look anywhere but at him.

The drive to the small pharmacy nearby proved to be just as quiet, and when he parked he looked at her, mouth open to say something before he stopped.

"Stay here."

"Why?" She hadn't meant for it to come out so clipped, so brittle and bitter, but it had come out that way, and his eyes narrowed angrily.

"I assumed you would not want to face the pharmacist and ask for something like that. But if you want to, feel free," He added, voice chilly.

The words almost came out before logic came crashing down on her, effectively halting anything she would have said.

He was trying to save her the humiliation of asking a stranger for emergency birth control. And it would be humiliating. Despite the fact that she was ready to break down from nervousness or sheer self disappointment, voiced entirely in her mother's voice no less, she recognized that he was attempting to help.

"Please, thank you," She answered quietly, not daring to look him in the eye. She felt the car shift, heard the door open and close, eyes still fastened on the dashboard.

Her mother's voice bore down on her. All of those warnings, all of those fears, they had turned out to be right. Given the first chance, the first taste of freedom, and she had slept with someone. And not even responsibly!

Running a hand through her hair, she tried to block out the sound of her mother's voice saying 'I told you so' while also trying to figure out what she would say, how she was supposed to act. Even as she was scrambling for something to say, anything, the door opened and he got back in a bag dropping in his lap as he pulled out a small box and a bottle of water.

"Here," He told her quietly. She took the box and looked down at it. The characters on it only said emergency contraception. Not even looking at the rest, she opened it and pulled out the plastic and foil package. There were two pills.

"You take one now and one in twelve hours," He commented quietly. She nodded, popping the pill through the foil and popping it in her mouth, grimacing at the bitter taste. He handed her the water bottle, top already off, and she quickly drank from it, swallowing the pill and washing the taste out of her mouth. When the bottle was half empty, she finally sat it between her legs, feeling only slightly better now that she had taken a step to keep her mother's voice at bay.

"I apologize for not thinking last night."

He seemed, sounded, sorry. In fact, he sounded angry with himself, wasn't even looking at her when she dared a quick glance in his direction.

"We both should have thought of it. But, I mean, thanks," She finished lamely. "For not making me go in there," She tried adding, although it came out pitched and cracking, the very thought of having to purchase something like that making her nauseous and dizzy.

He said nothing, instead choosing to start the car and drive them back to their apartment building. She kept her gaze on the world outside, wondering, in a very strange sort of haze, how many other women had been as stupid as she had, how many women were buying the same pill that day. It kept the stern reprimands her mother would have rained down on her away, but the dizziness remained, increased.

By the time he parked, she felt like her head was filled with air and her stomach with butterflies, unpleasant, angry butterflies. Taking extra care with the pill box, she opened her door and stood, immediately wishing she hadn't. The painful throbbing in her groin combined with an unpleasant nausea and dizziness that made the world pitch beneath her feet. Letting out a strangled sound, she clung to the car door. Heat flashed through her followed by a wave of cold.

"Kagome?" He asked, and she looked up, surprised to see him standing in front of her.

"I don't feel well," She admitted, hating herself for whimpering but unable to speak any louder for fear she'd vomit. And despite the vertigo and heaving of the world beneath her feet, she knew she could not throw up, or else the pill might not work.

Despite the tension that had been hanging between them only minutes before, he took the box from her and tucked it into his pants pocket before wrapping his arm around her waist, bag on his wrist. She stumbled against him, barely noticing when he used his foot to close the car door.

Grateful for the strength he was offering, even if it was only as a physical support, she tried to walk steadily, failed, and leaned against him. His arm tightened around her waist as they headed for the elevator, and for a terrified minute she was afraid it wasn't working. The prospect of the stairs filling her with dread, she breathed a -tiny- sigh of relief when the doors squealed open.

The metal walls were cold against her face, blessedly cold and soothed the heat that had begun throbbing under her skin.

"Do you have your keys?"

"Pocket," She whispered, pressing her cheek against the metal, soaking up the chill. The door squealed shut and she closed her eyes, swallowing convulsively as her stomach fought her will. The elevators motions seemed all the more jerky, all the more unsettling as it went up, and when the doors squealed open, it sounded like nails on a chalkboard, echoing in her head.

His arm wrapped around her shoulder and he guided her to her door. Fumbling, she pushed her hand into her pocket and pulled her keys out, murmuring a quiet thank you when his arm tightened, keeping her upright. In the next several minutes he had walked her to her room and pushed the folded sheets and bagged comforter off, helped her lay down.

But when he disappeared she almost lost what little of her composure she had left. Feeling abandoned, she almost got back up, fighting the heavy feeling pressing down on her as the floor rocked back and forth under her body.

She was supporting herself on her hands when he came back in. A disapproving sound rumbled in his throat and he was kneeling, pushing her back down onto the mattress. Something cool and damp pressed on her forehead. Blissfully cool, she soaked it in, eyes closing as the dizziness abated by a small degree.

"I'm sorry."

"The package says a side affect is dizziness," He explained quietly. "I did not think it would come so soon, if at all."

Within minutes she felt a cramp begin near her stomach and moaned, immediately wishing that, like other girls, she had gotten cramps during her period to prepare her for what she was feeling now. Hot and cold warred in her body, cycling through so quickly it felt like she was being tortured.

"I never want to do this again," She groaned as a shiver wracked her body.

"There is still another pill to take," He reminded her. Immediately she wanted to cry, the idea of enduring her current state again more than enough to make her regret her impulsive lack of forethought.

"Never let me do that again," She muttered.

"Have sex?" He asked, smirking down at her. Feeling miserable enough for ten people, she tried to muster a glare, knew she didn't succeed when his brow arched. It was a look she had grown too familiar with and wanted desperately to wipe off of his face.

"Sure. Never again."

"I bought condoms as well."

"Arrogant," She muttered as another wave of nausea rolled through her.

"I could return them."

At the moment she didn't even want to think about sex. Didn't want to think at all. Even speaking was beginning to take it's toll. Her jaws clenched as she fought the urge to be ill, and her stomach rebelled, bile surging up in her throat.

"I'm sorry," He offered again.

"Me too," She muttered through clenched teeth. "If not for this it would have been perfect."

He was quiet after that, standing minutes later and leaving her to endure the side affects of the pill. When he returned she was shivering violently, and the cool cloth only made it worse. The sound of the bag being torn open didn't register, but when the comforter covered her, she gladly let him tuck it around her body.

"Thank you," She stuttered out through the tremors that wracked her body with tiny convulsions. He seemed not to understand her, and it took her three tries to stutter out an explanation. "For staying."

He nodded but said nothing, wiping her face periodically and watching her. Eternities passed as her body fought the foreign sensations. When fatigue crept over her, through the nausea and began pressing down on her, she closed her eyes and prayed for sleep.

When she fell asleep he leaned back, using his hand to support him before slowly letting it slide from beneath him. Now that the initial crisis had passed and she was asleep, he was able to fully step back from her panic and look at the hovering, tangled mass of his own.

What he had done was foolish, unforgivable. In minutes he had forgotten everything that was important and had acted on impulse, on emotion. And it had nearly ended in disaster. Surely he would have realized, quickly, that they had not used protection. But minutes mattered when using emergency escapes, and had it not been for his half brother, normally the king of impulsive decisions and thoughtless action, he might not have thought about it all day. He certainly doubted she would have.

And it could have ruined everything. Months of work and effort, infinite sacrifices. All of it could have been canceled out in a matter of seconds. It still could. He would stay with her, would make sure she took the second pill. He'd even stay for the duration of whatever side affects followed. But the truth remained. It was still possible she become pregnant. The pills could fail.

And what then?

He didn't want to think about those choices. None of them, absolutely none of them were good. Not only would they question morals he had never even considered before, but they would permanently affect the both of them.

Running a hand over his face he tried to remember what had been the moment, the exact second he had stopped being a rational, logical creature and had changed into an impulsive moron.

He hadn't been with a woman, with anyone on any level in almost a year, not since his father had exiled him. Since the first time they'd kissed he'd been aware of how long it had been, and perhaps the strangeness and events of the week before had set it off, finally culminating in a lapse in judgment.

It was a sound, logical explanation, and he needed logical. The abrupt crash into reality had left him off balance and listing strangely, the whole experience almost too much. He'd brushed against panic for the first time in memory. Not even when the paramedics had been peeling away the sleeve and taking flesh with it had he panicked.

He sat back up and watched Kagome, her face pale and lips slightly parted in sleep. Now that he had gotten it out of his system, things would go back to normal, wouldn't they? He grasped that idea, stalwartly held fast to it. Now that they had broken the sexual tension, things would go back to normal. He could focus on work and school and keeping the business going a little longer, and even help her build the beginning of a new life.

And then leave her to it.

Leaving. That thought brought back memories of the night before, memories he wasn't entirely comfortable with. The intensity of his want might have been from months of abstinence, but he'd be lying to himself if he said he'd ever wanted to mark someone completely, had escaped into the moment so thoroughly nothing else had mattered. It had started with him knowing he would leave, and it had ended with him vanishing somewhere in the sensations that had engulfed him. At some point between the two he had lost sight of the future.

He wanted to leave now, wanted to get some space between himself and the woman lying on the futon, miserable even in sleep. But she had thanked him for staying, and he was partially to blame for the situation. Mostly to blame. The night before she had been innocent and unaware. He could make no such claim.

Needing at least some physical distance, even if it was only a few more feet, he stood and grabbed the washcloth and walked back to the kitchen. Quietly washing out the rag wringing it out, he examined the changes of the past twenty four hours, glossing over what felt dangerously like the beginnings of attachment and focusing on how dynamics could change in the troupe, or if they would at all.

A knock sounded at the door. Curious, he walked over and opened it, surprised to see a teenager standing there, brows arched in surprise, mirroring his own.

"Are you Sesshoumaru?" The boy blurted. He nodded once, not understanding how the boy could have known him or why he had come to Kagome's apartment and not his own.

"My sister, Kagome. The woman from the foundation told me she lived here."

Izayoi again. He mentally cursed her meddling, understanding immediately what his stepmother had been trying to do. Understanding it was not accepting however, and he doubted Kagome would appreciate her little brother being in such a run down part of town.

"She's sick."

"Please, I need to talk to her."

"She's ill," He tried again, but the boy was shoving past him, as rude and ignorant of courtesy as his sister. He closed the door and followed, watching the teenager head straight for the bedroom. It crossed his mind to stop the boy, but it would only cause noise and wake Kagome anyway. At least at this point there was a chance he would see her and walk back out, letting her sleep.

And he did. The bedroom door opened and then closed less than a minute later, the boy turning to him, eyes narrowed angrily.

"What did you do to her?"

"Nothing," He replied in the coolest tone he could muster. "Except try to keep her comfortable. Why are you here?"

"What's wrong with her? She looks awful."

"A stomach virus. It will pass within a day or two. Why are you here?" Because if they boy led her mother to the apartment, he wasn't entirely sure what he would do. The idea of the woman coming, the actual possibility finally confronting him, scraped against already raw nerves. Despite his surprise at his anger, it did not lessen by any degree.

"Kagome just disappeared. She's my sister-"

"Who is trying to create a life for herself."

"I know that," The boy snapped angrily. "I'm not an idiot, I've seen what mom's done to her. I just needed to make sure she was alright. She's my sister. I don't care what mom says."

Which begged the question of just what his mother was saying. It was not his concern, and he had to force himself to remember that, to not ask. If he did, the strange anger that had sparked at the boy's arrival would only get worse. As inexplicable as it was, he didn't want her mother near her, didn't want her to have to deal with that sort of frustration on top of everything else.

"Souta?"

They both turned back to the bedroom door, where Kagome stood. She looked miserable and awful and uncertain.

"Kagome, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout," Souta, as he now knew him, mumbled apologetically. "Sesshoumaru said you were sick. I didn't mean to just-"

"How did you find me?" Kagome asked, walking further into the hall, looking ill but not weaving as she had before.

"The woman from the foundation. I mean, I found her card in your room and I figured you would check in with her to let her know what was going on. I hoped- She was really helpful, by the way," He finished lamely.

"Does mom-"

"No! No," He added more quietly. "I won't tell mom. She's sort of- mad right now anyway."

"I'll grab something for us to drink," She started, walking further down the hall.

"I'll get it. Go back to bed," Sesshoumaru said, finally interrupting the strangely distant reunion. "I'll bring them back to you."

She looked ready to protest, but her younger brother seemed oblivious, walking down the hall and ushering her back into her room. Thankful for a moment to think without their presence, he walked back into the kitchen and opened the door, scanning for sodas. Izayoi, ever the health nut, had only stocked bottles of water. Figuring it would at least be easier on her stomach, he grabbed two and closed the door.

A brother.

Well, at least he wasn't the only one that had to deal with a nosy sibling. Walking back to her room, he was surprised to see her sitting down, leaning against the wall while her brother made her bed, putting the sheet on the futon and pillowcases on the pillow.

"Thanks," She mumbled, accepting the bottle of water.

"I'm going back to my apartment for a little while, but you can send your brother if you need anything. If not, I'll be back within an hour or two."

She nodded, seeming to understand his intentions. As much as he wanted to keep her safe, he doubted her brother was a danger, not after the succinct explanation he had given. It would be better for the two of them to discuss what had happened without his presence.

Breathing freely as he stepped out onto the hallway and walked over to the stairs, forging the elevator completely. Taking them two at a time, he made it to his apartment fairly quickly. When he opened the door, he saw his brother still sitting at the table, eyes pinned on him the moment he stepped in.

"Why are you here?" Inu Yasha snapped.

"I live here," He it out, knowing that he wanted a shower, and to be away from his brother, more than he had ever wanted anything before.

"You should be with Kagome."

"She's with her little brother."

"Her-"

"It's fine. He won't tell their mother."

"Does he-"

"He thinks she has a simple stomach virus."

There was a long moment of silence and he began walking for his room again when his brother's hand fell on his shoulder. Unused to the contact, he stiffened and throttled the urge to throw a punch. The last thing he needed was to kill his half brother, no matter how unwelcome the touch was.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," He snapped, shrugging his shoulder away and walking for his room.

"You need to tell her. This just proves it."

He ignored his brother's words.

He did not need to tell her anything. It proved nothing.

A/N: Do you guys know how absolutely proud I am of ALL OF YOU for seeing the no condom bit? I can't tell you how much I love you for it. Also. This story will be updated on Tuesdays. I'm currently working on the next chapter. From now on this will not be ignored. The chapters might be slightly shorter because I'm trying to revive everything at the same time, but it will not go back on hiatus unless something major happens. Like I get hit by a bus or . See ya Tuesday!