DISCLAIMER: All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!
Empty Threats
By MissKatt
Fire and Poison
Kagome made it a point to not even glance in the direction of the Moon Bandits as the night moved on. She was upset at what Sesshoumaru had said to her, but even more embarrassed at herself. How foolish of her to think that he had actually enjoyed talking to her, to think that maybe he fancied her. She should have known otherwise. Now she had to cover the hollow ache in her chest with a fake smile.
She sighed as the doors screeched open, announcing the arrival of new customers. Couldn't this night just end already?
Emerald eyes moved to the saloon doors when they creaked open loudly. They flashed amber when he saw the sheriff and his two officers enter the crowded bar. He hunched down a little and looked at his father. "The sheriff is here; this complicates things."
"Indeed," The elder replied and kept his eyes down. "Let us just hope he does not recognize us."
"Welcome to Shikon!" Sango called and then smiled at the trio as she approached their table. "What brings yah in, Sheriff Kouga?"
The man grinned at her and removed his hat, dropping it down on the table. "We finally dun locked up those thieves Hiten and Maten, so we came in for a celebrating drink. Three shoots of whisky, Miss. Sango."
"Ah, that be great news! The town is once again safe thanks to y'all!" She cheered before leaving to get their order.
"Oi, Miss. Kagome!" Kouga called, ushering the girl over.
Kagome felt her stomach drop once the Sheriff and his fellow officers had walked in. How bad could her luck be at that moment? Why did the Moon Bandits, their prey, and the Sheriff have to be in same place at once? She glanced at Hakudoushi, who was glaring at the Taisho men, and then at Sesshoumaru, who turned away when she met his eyes. Glaring at him, she turned up her nose and walked over to the table. "Good evenin', Officers. How goes yer night?"
"Been a good night, Miss. Kagome. Did yah hear what I told Miss. Sango?" He asked, his blue eyes looking at her expectantly.
"Ah, I did indeed. Y'all are doin' real well on gettin' those criminals." She replied, giving him a sincere smile.
He grinned at her praise, his chest swelling in pride. "It be nothin' if it means keepin' a lovely lady like yerself safe."
She blushed a little at the compliment. "Yah flatter me, Sheriff Kouga."
"I only dun speak the truth," He countered, smirking. "Have yah thought about my proposal at all?"
She pushed a stray hair back into place as she fidgeted nervously. "Sheriff, I dun told yah already how I feel 'bout that…"
Kouga grasped her gloved hand in his. "Yah did, but that don't change how I feel. I want yah to be mine, Miss. Kagome."
The saloon girl could not stop her eyes as they glanced over at Sesshoumaru once again. His piercing green eyes were staring at her, his eyes blazing with an untold emotion. She imagined his real eye color looking like burning liquid suns.
Still hurt by what he said, she tore her eyes away from him and spoke a little louder so that Sesshoumaru would hear. "I'm sorry, Sheriff Kouga, but I can't accept. I'm forced to be a harlot. I'm used goods, and no man would ever want somethin' so broken. So, I shouldn't be talkin' to yah, let alone marryin' yah, Sheriff Kouga. Now, if y'all will excuse me."
"W-what? Miss. Kagome! Wait!" Kouga called, but she had already disappeared into the crowd. With a frown, he turned back to Ginta and Hakkaku who just shrugged at him in return.
Sesshoumaru's hand tightened around his mug at her words. Is that how his words had made her feel? Was he that careless with his choice of words?
Throughout the rest of the night, the Taisho men continued to subtly watch Hakudoushi. They waited for him to get up and leave the saloon, but figured he was stalling now that he knew what and who they were. He occasionally snagged glances at them, glaring at them with his black eyes. They watched as he fingered the pistol in the holster at his hip, but knew he dared not draw it with the sheriff there. When he finally scooted back from his chair and stood, Sesshoumaru made to follow him, but stopped when his father grabbed the back of his coat.
"Wait," His father demanded, "he is not headed towards the exit."
Sesshoumaru followed his father's gaze and glared when he saw the demon approach a startled Kagome at the bar. "What is he doing with her?"
Touga frowned, keeping a firm hold of his son so he did not blow their cover, as he watched the male signal Myouga to come closer. He watched the two exchange words and then looked at Kagome's face as it paled considerably. "It seems he is buying her for the night."
A growl rumbled in Sesshoumaru's throat. "He is doing this on purpose."
He watched as Hakudoushi smirked over at them. "So it seems."
He took in the scared and panicked look on his harlot's face as Hakudoushi pulled her up the stairs. "She does not want this."
"Of course she does not," Touga replied. "Most saloon girls are forced to work to pay off their families debt. You know this, Sesshoumaru."
"I will stop him," He stated, pulling out of his father's grip and standing.
"Do not be so brash, Sesshoumaru," His father hissed. "Charging up there and beating him dumb, how will that help our cause with the Sheriff here?"
Sesshoumaru considered his words for a moment before letting his eyes fall on the other saloon girl who was Kagome's friend. "I will take care of it." He left the table, leaving his father to curse at the table, and approached Sango. He gently took her by the elbow and pulled her off to the side. "I require your assistance." He spoke in a hushed tone.
Chocolate brown eyes widened in fear as she looked up at one of the Moon Bandits. "M-me?" She asked, trying to steel her nerves. "What can I do fer yah?"
"I need to purchase you." He answered and watched as her face fell, tears springing in her eyes as she glanced at the musician. He gave her a little shake to pull her from her thoughts. "Calm yourself, I will not take you." He clarified.
She blinked away her tears and furrowed her brow at him. "Then…what do yah plan to do?"
"It is not of your concern as to why, but I must gain access upstairs." He stated, leading her to the bar to pay Myouga the price of the girl.
She blinked and lowered her voice as Myouga headed over to them. "Yah be the mystery to conversed with earlier, ain't yah?"
Sesshoumaru lifted a brow at her. The Harlot had called him a mystery? He found it amusing when he thought the same about her. "Indeed," He replied and then turned to Myouga. "I wish to have this woman."
Myouga eyed him for a moment, looking down at the pouch of coin he wore at his belt. "That'll cost yah twenty-five dollars."
He knew the man was over-pricing him, but he cared not at that moment. He pulled out the necessary amount and tossed it onto the bar before tugging the girl up the stairs. As soon as they reached the second story, he inhaled deeply and searched for Kagome's scent. As he moved towards the room where the two where, he felt a soft pressure on his arm stop him. He turned and looked at the saloon girl impatiently. "I told you I would not take you, so you are free to do as you wish."
"I dun heard yah," Sango replied softly. "I'll stay up in my room fer a while to make it seem like you did, but, I have a request for yah."
"What?" His patience was thinning. Every part of him wanted to go to the girl and stop her from rutting with the demon.
She fidgeted with the pink cloth of her dress. "Yah be comin' up 'ere to save 'er, right?" At his scowl, she quickly continued. "Well, she is gonna be punished tonight fer being out so late with yah."
"Punished?" He echoed, slightly startled.
She nodded. "Yeah, she is to get a lashin' when the saloon closes. I'm not sayin' to stop the Boss or anythin' because that'll just go and make it worse. But…well, shoot, I don't really know what I'm askin', but I just felt I had to tell yah."
She was to be whipped for staying out too late? Because she was talking to him? He had caused her to be late by talking to her? But, she did not seem to mind when they were together. "I see, thank you for telling me." He replied and then turned to head to the door. He suddenly stopped and spoke over his shoulder. "Whatever you may hear, do not come in and do not alert anyone. Do you understand?"
She paled a little, countless possibilities coming to her. Still, she nodded. "Yessir."
After hearing her confirmation, he moved to the door swarmed with Kagome's scent and put his hand on the door. He pushed, but felt it was latched shut. Glaring, he applied more pressure with his demon strength and felt the latch break from the other side. He stepped into the dark room and it took but a few seconds for his eyes to adjust. Once they adjusted, he spotted an unconscious Kagome on the bed. Anticipating the worst, he approached her and cupped her cheek, turning her limp head towards him.
"Kagome," He said softly, coaxing her to wake. It had the affect he desired, her eyelids fluttering open before widening with alarm.
"Behind yah!" She shouted.
He was taken off guard when a force slammed into the side of his head. The world went silent for a little as everything shook around him. Regaining his composure, he swiftly turned and lunged at Hakudoushi, grabbing him by the neck once again and slamming him back against the floor. His concealing spell fell away and he bared his fangs down at the demon. "You will not escape a second time. Where is Naraku?"
Hakudoushi growled and thrashed his hands around until flames appeared in his palms. He curled his hand into a fist and punched the dog demon in the side. "I'll never tell!"
Sesshoumaru ignored the pain from the burn and lifted his clawed hand, a green light surrounding his claws. He slashed them across the demon's chest and covered the man's mouth as he screamed out in pain. His poison fizzled in his wounds until it rendered the man unconscious. He sent out a pulse of his youki and then rose from the ground. He instantly went to the window and swung it open, peering down at the first story. He waited almost exactly three minutes before he saw his father and brother standing below the window. He lifted the man by his shirt and carried him to the window before dropping him down to others below.
"Yah be bleeding," Kagome said softly, now standing from the bed and heading towards him. "Are yah okay?"
He turned towards her, surprised to see the concern in her eyes. "Did that not frighten you?" He asked, referring to his green poison and the fire Hakudoushi had called upon.
She shook her head gently. "No, I'm just a lil' confused." She replied and lifted her gloved hand to touch the trail of blood making its way down the side of his face. She inhaled a little as the magenta stripes on his face seemed to darken from the blood. She looked up into his eyes, the moonlight making them look like a topaz stone. "I want to know more."
"That is a dangerous request." He answered, taking her hand and pulling it away from his face, despite how he enjoyed her touch. "I must go."
She nodded a little, disappointment filling her. With the disappointment she felt, she was instantly reminded of what he had said earlier. She quickly stepped back from him and pulled her hands to her chest. "Y-yea. That'd be best." She breathed. She did not meet his gaze, instead choosing to look at the floor.
He frowned at her sudden reaction to him. He glanced back down at his family as they looked up at him, impatience radiating off them. "I will be back," He stated. "And then we will talk."
"Be back…?" She blinked and looked up to question him, but he was already gone. She walked to the window and looked down, watching the figures retreat into the darkness of the night. Sighing deeply with confusion, she fixed her outfit and headed back downstairs to finish up the night.