Disclaimer: No, Inuyasha's not mine...but my three elf hotties are and that's good enough for me!
Chapter 3
The moment they landed in Tokyo, the four slayers scattered like leaves in the wind. It was time for some rest and relaxation before they would be summoned by their superiors. Hiro and Akira went out and splurged on some manga and video games. As usual, Yuki vanished into thin air, not telling anyone where he was going.
As for Kagome, she refused to completely relax. Her time was spent training with the local slayers who were star-struck when she arrived. A few zealous, cocky young men tried to challenge her to fighting matches. She beat them all, making them look like idiots in front of their peers, but gained their loyalty in the process.
But when she was alone at night, Kagome would stand on her balcony and if there happened to be an outside observer, it would have appeared to them that she was listening to something. There was something strangely familiar in the air, something that had bothered her since she returned to Tokyo. It was a feeling she hadn't had felt in years and for the life of her, she was unable to recall what it was.
ooo
A week after they'd returned home, the summons came. Hiro and Akira were speeding down the freeway in the former's hunter green BMW when they spotted Yuki coming up fast behind them. No helmet as usual, Hiro thought reproachfully. Akira sighed and shook his head, then resumed reading his manga.
Yuki came right up beside Hiro's car, looked over at his brother and gave him a saucy wink. Hiro frowned and pointed at his head, indicating his lack of helmet. Yuki gave Hiro the finger in return just as a black-clad, helmet-wearing figure sped past them on another motorcycle.
The bike looked familiar to Hiro. It was painted black with gold trim. Tiny pieces of glitter were mixed into the paint, making it sparkle. Kagome's bike! He grinned as she sped past them without a glance. Her motorcycle had just been cleaned and polished to within an inch of its life, he thought to himself, for it dazzled in the bright sunlight. Kagome loved her bike.
Over on his motorcycle, Yuki stared after her with admiration. Damn, she looked so hot on that bike, he thought as she left his own ride and Hiro's BMW in the dust.
ooo
Kagome rode furiously along the freeway. She did see her two favorite bakas signaling at each other, but she didn't have time to stop. She could sense that familiar something in the air again and she had to get to it, for it was calling to her.
She didn't stop until she reached downtown Tokyo. She parked in a nearby garage and walked to the front of the building and waited for her guys. The thing that was calling to her was high above her in the building. As soon as they arrived, she would go and find this it, whatever it was.
ooo
Yuki smiled when he saw Kagome standing in front of the office building, cigarette held delicately between her fingers. With her other hand, she was letting her long black hair down from a ponytail.
Her short black leather jacket was open, exposing a tight-fitting, white scoop-necked t-shirt with purple glittered lettering. Kagome's long, slim legs were encased in black leather pants. Her black leather boots shone to perfection.
Mirth twinkled in her eyes and her lips held a hint of a smile. "About time, you three. I might have to discipline you for your tardiness."
Akira and Hiro laughed and Yuki merely smirked. "Discipline, huh? Hmmm... sounds good to me, Sarge." He sidled over to her and reached for her backside.
The two younger Yamadera brothers and Kagome watched as he attempted to make his bold move. But Yuki's hand never made it to its destination due to Kagome's fist reaching his gut first, stopping him cold with a swift punch. While Yuki was bent over in pain, Kagome flicked her cigarette butt at Yuki, then turned on her heel and went inside the building. Akira trotted along silently behind her, his nose returning to its previous position in his book. Only Hiro stayed behind to wait patiently for his hentai brother to regain his breath before they went in too.
oooooooooooooooooo
While they were riding up in the elevator, it suddenly dawned on Kagome what she had been sensing this whole time. "A Shikon shard," she whispered, brown eyes huge in her face.
The elves looked over at her, the looks on their faces displayed varying degrees of interest. What was she talking about?
Kagome looked up at the story numbers above the elevator doors. Only three more stories...
But she sensed that the shard was actually two stories below the floor they had been told to go to and it gave her an uneasy feeling about this whole thing. Whoever brought them here, would know that she could sense the shard. Or would they? To hell with all this secrecy!
Just to be sure, the four of them got off the elevator and checked the floor they were supposed to report on. As she figured, there was nothing but empty office space on this floor.
"Fine. You guys wanna play? I'll fucking play," she hissed as she ran down the hallway, cracking her knuckles.
"Kagome, what are you thinking?" Hiro cried out, shocked. Akira, finally finding life outside his book more interesting, snapped it shut and tucked it into his breast coat pocket of his jacket.
Yuki stared admiringly at his leader. "Alright! I'm behind you, Sarge!" he cried as the three elves took off after her.
Kagome ran to the nearest stairwell and burst through the door. She ran down the two flights of stairs, following the aura of the single Shikon shard. They burst into a quiet office, scaring the life out of the secretary. "Hey, wait a minute, you need an appointment first!" she squeaked.
But Kagome didn't listen. She stormed up to the office door and kicked it open with one very determined, booted foot. With Akira, Hiro and Yuki right behind her, she stalked across the floor and glared down at a little old man, who sat bug-eyed behind his desk. On the desk rested a small, familiar looking plastic bottle. In that bottle was a single Shikon shard.
"Where did you get that shard?" she demanded, dark eyes blazing.
The little man's face switched from being startled to happy. "Ah, Higurashi Kagome. Yamadera Yuki, Yamadera Hiro, Yamadera Akira. Welcome back to Tokyo. You don't know just how glad we are to see you." The little man had risen and bowed low to each of them. "We are appreciative that you three have agreed to help us." He indicated three chairs in front of his desk where they were to sit.
Kagome glared at the man. It was like she hadn't spoken at all. Rude little shit...
Hiro and Yuki frowned. What the hell was the shrimp talking about? They said nothing, however, for they knew that Kagome was about to give the man a piece of her mind. They sat down to wait for the storm to hit.
Kagome looked down at the audacious little man with contempt and crossed her arms over her chest. She refused to sit down. "You, sir, have been misinformed. We have not agreed to a damn thing. We were sent here as per your orders. That is all. There has been no agreement as to accepting any missions."
Yuki spoke from his chair. "Yeah. We've always been given the option to pick and choose our own assignments. No one will force us to accept anything." He leaned back, his green eyes glittering with defiance.
The little man stared hard at them from behind his black-rimmed glasses. "Well, you will take this one," he replied, confidently.
Kagome straightened her spine. She really wanted to throw this pompous fool out of one of the windows and watch him plummet to his well-deserved demise. "Oh, really. I'd like to see you try to make that happen. Come on, guys. We're leaving." She turned and began to walk back towards the door she had just kicked in.
Rising obediently, the elves watched with amusement as the tiny man raced around his desk, waving his hands. "Wait! This is really important! You can't just leave--"
"Watch us," Kagome threw back over her shoulder.
No one else in the room noticed the tall, silent man in the corner, who had witnessed the entire scene. He was instantly on his feet when Kagome was headed for the door.
"Miko." A deep, velvety smooth voice was suddenly in her ear. Kagome stopped and turned to look at the speaker.
He hadn't changed much since she had last seen him. His clothes were different of course, and his hair was pulled back into a low ponytail at the nape of his lily white neck. But the crescent moon and facial stripes were still in attendance. Her eyes drifted to his left side and saw that his arm was back in place. Not surprising; some youkai were known to possess regenerative powers. As for the look on his face, it was inscrutable. But then, it had always been inscrutable.
"What are you doing here, Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked rudely. "No, scratch that. What is that doing here?" She pointed to the jewel shard that sat on the desk. "And why are you even talking to me? You hated me, remember? Ningens are beneath you, right, Sesshoumaru-sama?"
Yuki instantly hated this guy named Sesshoumaru. "Hey, wait a sec. Kagome? How do you know this guy?" he asked, frowning. Yuki was worried. Just who was this tall, creepy white-haired freak? Why was he accosting Kagome? And why was he staring at her like starving dog eyeing a piece of meat?!
Sesshoumaru stared down interestedly at this new Kagome. She was so completely changed from the weak little girl she had once been. It was a nice change; he hadn't had much respect for her before. But now... "You must take this mission, Kagome. Only you can complete it."
Before Kagome could ask why, a figure in red burst in from a door to the right of her. He came to a halt and stared at her. Hiro and Yuki jumped to their feet and moved close to Kagome in a protective manner, while their younger brother only observed the whole scene in silent consternation.
"Kagome!" the red-clad figure breathed and made as if to move forward in her direction.
The person she wanted to see the least was now before her. Instead of the Robe of the Fire Rat, he wore a red track suit and baseball cap, but the Tetsusaiga still hung at his side. His face looked weary; his golden eyes, full of exhaustion.
Kagome couldn't help but look away for a moment. She did not want to see him. She never wanted to see him again. In the outer edges of her consciousness, she could sense Hiro and Yuki move away slowly. They knew what lay ahead.
From beneath her jacket, Kagome whipped out her matching Glocks. In one fluid motion, they were out, safeties off and aimed at Inuyasha's head. "You. You re-opened the goddamned well, didn't you?"
Inuyasha gulped hard. He'd heard stories from Sesshoumaru about how his little Kagome was now. "I h-had to, Kagome! We had no other choice! I had to come and bring you back. We really need you!"
Kagome sneered at him. "Why? I'm worthless, remember? Worthless and useless and, I believe you also said, a pathetic loser. Now why would you need someone like that, huh?"
"Kagome," he pleaded, eyes brimming with tears. "You don't understand. I... we were both tricked by Kikyo. She poisoned your body and then poisoned my mind against you. She used us, can't you see? She used us to get the jewel for herself!"
"Soooo, you aren't to blame for any of this?" Kagome snapped at him. "Oh, please."
"But I do take the blame for this. I allowed her to hurt you, Kagome. It was my job to protect you and I failed you miserably. There hasn't been a day that goes by when I haven't wanted to take it all back, to make things right. I'm so sorry, Kagome."
She gave an unladylike snort. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't blow your head off," she remarked curtly.
Visibly shaken, Inuyasha took a step back. He didn't want to mess with Kagome. It was far too dangerous. Sesshoumaru had told him what she did for a living, not to mention the reputation she had garnered from having such a career. She was tough, strong... completely the opposite of what she had once been, back when they had been friends. Looking into her eyes now, he saw nothing but hate burning in her eyes and it was as though he was seeing an entirely different person; a total stranger. This was not the girl he used to know and love.
Sesshoumaru slipped in between Kagome's Glocks and his shell-shocked brother. "Kagome, you and your companions will accompany Inuyasha and I back through the well."
Kagome turned her fiery gaze on him. "Now wait just a damned minute here. There are a few things I'd like to know first. Like... how in the hell you came to be here, and what the hell is so damned bad over there that forced Inuyasha to abandon his precious little undead bitch to come get me, when it's clear as day that she could do a much better job than I ever could."
Seeing Inuyasha wince at her words made Sesshoumaru almost smile. Almost. He loved the way Kagome was really sticking it to Inuyasha. The hanyou truly deserved the torment she was putting him through. "The dead priestess is the cause of all this havoc in your time. Because of her interference back then, you are forced to fight these youkai now. You never should have left our time, Kagome. It was rather unfortunate that you departed when you did."
"Yeah, whatever." Kagome frowned and looked at the desk. The lone shard winked at her. "Where's the rest of the Shikon no Tama? I left it on the well that night," she muttered, replacing her Glocks back into their hidden holsters since she felt that Inuyasha was no longer a threat. Hell, he was practically cowering behind his big brother.
Inuyasha answered softly. "Kikyo... took it. In her hands, it became tainted. It took us a long time to get it back, but the jewel is still tainted. No one has been able to purify it."
Kagome stared at the shard. On impulse, she held out her hand. The jewel began to jump around excitedly in its little plastic prison before the entire thing rose into the air and shot into Kagome's outstretched palm.
Now in her presence, the little shard began to glow brilliantly, winking rapidly at her. Kagome realized with some amusement, that the shard was talking to her. She listened very closely at what it was telling her.
ooo
Everyone watched as Kagome stared at the shard in the bottle. She nodded every so often, as if she was listening to a conversation. "Well," she said finally, "that was interesting." She looked around the room.
Inuyasha stared at her curiously. "What did it tell you?" he asked.
Kagome tossed the bottled shard into the air and caught it. "Let's see. Sango married Lord Kuranoske because Miroku had to be a dumbass and attempt to purify the jewel himself. Now he's been frozen in time and your dead girlfriend has been whoring around with Naraku, who's gotten incredibly powerful. Is that about right?"
Sesshoumaru nodded. "You are correct. I believe this proves that Kagome truly is the Shikon's protector. Do you not agree, Inuyasha? I'm sure your beloved Kikyo could not hear the voice of the Shikon no Tama."
Inuyasha said nothing, only moving to the window and staring outside sightlessly.
Kagome cocked her head. "How did you manage to get the jewel back? I mean, from what I've just heard, it's tainted beyond recognition. How were you able to bring it back to Kaede's village? Hasn't it brought you bad luck? I'm sure the very aura of it draws youkai from everywhere."
Sesshoumaru cast a glance at Inuyasha, whose shoulders slumped with fatigue. "Inuyasha, Sango, Shippo and at times, I, have all had to take turns protecting the village from all of the attacks. Of course, the houshi is a statue, standing guard next to the jewel. He was frozen in the act of reaching out to it. Kikyo placed a spell on it, making it impossible for anyone to touch it, but Inuyasha is the only one able to go near it. The dead miko had hoped he would touch it and submit to her fully so that he would willingly go to hell with her. But fortunately, Inuyasha is somewhat smarter than he looks. He tricked her into carrying it back to the village for him. It has remained there ever since."
Kagome's gaze slid to Inuyasha, who watched her sadly over his shoulder. When their eyes met, he immediately turned back to the window.
"What of Miroku? Is there nothing you could do for him?" she asked, voiced tinged with concern. He may have been a filthy hentai, but he had been her friend.
This time Inuyasha spoke. "There's only one way to counteract the spell Kikyo placed on the jewel, and apparently, the spell on Miroku as well. The jewel needs to be completely cleansed." He looked steadily at her. "You are the only one who can do this, Kagome."
She sighed and reached up to rub her temples. This was just too much to digest at once. "Damn it." She turned and walked over to where the elves stood. "Excuse us, but my boys and I need to talk this over."
Sesshoumaru nodded and moved away to speak with the little man with the glasses. Inuyasha watched enviously as Kagome's sidekicks surrounded her. It was painfully obvious that the four of them were really close.
'That could have been us,' he thought, feeling his heart being ripped in two. 'Damn you, Kikyo.'
As he continued to stare at them, the fair-haired man moved really close to Kagome. When Inuyasha growled low in his throat, the blond man turned his gaze on him and sent him a smug smile. Inuyasha could do nothing except glare at him.
oooooooooooooooooooooo
Akira, Kagome, Yuki and Hiro were deep in conversation for at least five minutes. Well, at least she, Akira and Hiro were. Yuki, on the other hand, was too busy trying to piss off Inuyasha to pay any attention to what was being said.
Kagome frowned and whacked Yuki in the abdomen. "Pay attention, baka. I suppose this means I'll have to deal with Inuyasha's bullshit, but I'm down for this if you guys are. It looks like they don't have any other choice... and the others were my friends," she finished softly.
"You can count me in, sarge," Hiro said with a nod and a grin.
"Me, too," Akira replied, his green eyes aglow with excitement. "It sounds like a great adventure, doesn't it? Going back to a time period before we were born, I mean." He shoved his spectacles up further onto the bridge of his perfect nose and turned to look over at the blonde bombshell, who was still engaged in a silent battle with the weird looking guy in the red getup. "Yuki? What do you say?" prompted Akira.
Yuki brought his attention back, but it was all directed at Kagome. Hiro and Kagome were staring hard at Yuki, who was now grinning like an idiot at Kagome. "I'd love to be in. Just say the word, sarge," Yuki replied huskily, an eyebrow cocked rakishly.
Kagome looked at Yuki, wondering just what he was implying. When she finally got what he meant, her eyes widened in surprise and disgust. She slapped him hard across the face. "You filthy hentai!" she hissed at him. "Can't you ever be serious?!"
Yuki merely put a hand up to his face, sighing happily, looking for the entire world like a golden haired Miroku. "Oh, Kagome! I love you more every time you hit me. Do it harder next time!" he purred ecstatically.
"Don't tempt me." Kagome rolled her eyes with exasperation and turned to other two sane members of her group. "So, it's agreed then?"
Hiro's eyes looked questioningly at his brother. "Well?" he asked, beginning to lose his patience.
Sporting his reddened cheek proudly, Yuki nodded. "Oh yeah. I'm in."
Kagome nodded and went over to Sesshoumaru, who had abruptly ended his conversation with the little man.
"Okay, we've decided to go back with you. I'll give you a list of items and supplies that we're going to need. After we get our supplies, just tell us when."
"Will you not need time to prepare?" Sesshoumaru asked. For some reason, he was glad that she had agreed. After the fateful night when she left, he had not been able to get her out of his mind. The way she looked that night... the way her pure scent was tainted with the dead miko's poison, the very sound of despair in her musical voice... all of it had imprinted itself on his mind. He had come to love that young girl without seeing her for seven long years. Why else would this proud Sesshoumaru have agreed to help his lowly half-brother? He would have done anything to see her again...
Kagome shook her head. "No, we're always prepared."
"That will be fine, Kagome. This gentleman here will get you everything you and your companions require."
She nodded as the little man handed her a business card. "When you know exactly what you will need, give me a call," he said with a low bow.
"Sure," Kagome said, studying the card before putting the card inside her jacket and zipping it up. She turned on her heel and walked to the doors leading out into the waiting area.
Stopping suddenly at the double doors she had kicked in, she regarded them silently for a moment. They were hanging off their hinges. "Sorry about the doors," she muttered. "Oh, and I'll be taking this." She held up the shard.
Without another word, she and the elves left.
oooooooooooooooooooo
Sesshoumaru watched her walk away. He tried, he really did try, but he just couldn't help but stare at her retreating figure. As far as ningens went, she had the best body he had ever seen.
And the way she had kicked in those doors! He longed to see her in a real fight. There were many stories about her in the slaying world of this era. At first he'd been doubtful, but now that he had seen her in action, he no longer doubted the stories.
Catching the scent of male arousal, Sesshoumaru looked over at Inuyasha. Obviously, he too, had been staring after Kagome. He frowned. He did not like this. Inuyasha had had his shot with her and he'd completely messed it up. His time was over, but this Sesshoumaru's time had not yet begun.
"Ahem," Sesshoumaru coughed politely.
"Huh?" Inuyasha managed to blink once and turned his head to look at his brother. "Yeah? What?"
"You were staring at her. It is very bad manners to stare," Sesshoumaru admonished.
Inuyasha snorted. "Keh! Oh please, you were doing the exact same thing a minute ago." Grumpily, he crossed his arms over his chest.
Sesshoumaru snorted and turned to face the little man, who had resumed his seat behind the desk. "Thank you for your assistance. I will be returning tonight. Kagome will have that list for you before nightfall."
The little man nodded and began writing. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha left his office.
"How could you possibly know what Kagome would do, Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha asked skeptically.
They were now out in the hallway and walking towards the elevators. "This new version of Kagome is efficient," Sesshoumaru replied. "She will not waste any time."
ooooooooooooooooooo
Later, Sesshoumaru discovered that Kagome did indeed let the little man have her list of supplies.
Sesshoumaru was pleased. He knew that Kagome had turned from a ditzy, giggling girl to a no-nonsense, take-no-bullshit kind of woman.
He felt ridiculously proud of her for no reason at all. But a small part of him felt saddened when he found out just what she had become. For some reason, Sesshoumaru felt that this new Kagome was completely wrong. She was not born to be this cruel.
ooooooooooooooo
Kagome drove home after telling the elves to expect a phone call from her later that night. She knew that Hiro would faithfully wait for her call. He was dependable like that and she fully appreciated it. Akira would be stuck in a book somewhere or on his computer, but he'd call back quickly enough so that it didn't cause her undue annoyance or Hiro would let him know, since they lived together.
Yuki, on the other hand, would be out clubbing and most likely try to persuade a couple of women to have a threesome on his motorcycle, or at least at the nearest hotel.
Kagome frowned and leaned down further on her own motorcycle. Yuki was such a little man-whore! If he wasn't such a damn good slayer, she'd request that he be discharged and sent back into the civilian ranks. His sexual escapades would only bring shame to the uniform that he so proudly wore if he kept it up. At one time, she had actually agreed to go out with him, so convinced was she that she actually thought he liked only her. It did not take long for her to realize how ridiculous she was being because less than an hour later, she found him asking another female slayer out.
A unflattering picture of Miroku had flashed in her mind then and she marched right up to him to tell him that she had changed her mind. Hiro had asked her out and she decided to go with him instead. The look of surprise on Yuki's handsome face had been classic. She had guessed correctly that he was not used to being turned down in favor of his brother.
The next day, she and the female slayer that Yuki had asked out were forced to fight a match in front of the entire slayer camp. The girl, Saru, boasted about how easily she would beat Kagome and then turn around to go on a date with Yuki without a scratch on her body.
In response, Kagome rolled her eyes.
The fight didn't last long because Saru was more interested in preening for the crowd and Kagome figured out that her boasting was all talk. As soon as the fight began, Kagome slugged the girl in the eye, then on the jaw before giving her a swift kick in the stomach. The girl lay on the mat at Kagome's feet, unmoving.
A few weeks later, she learned that Saru had been killed by a bear youkai in the Ural Mountains. She hadn't been paying attention to her surroundings, some said. Kagome had shaken her head. Saru had been such a stupid girl. She hadn't been at all strong... and not worthy enough to don a slayer's uniform.
This had taken place nearly two years after she had sealed the well and towards the end of basic slayer boot camp. Ever since Kagome rejected him, Yuki had been after Kagome. Whenever he tried to ask her out or at least, feel her up, she would slap, punch or kick him. Once, after a particularly annoying session of him begging her to go out with him, she sauntered up to him seductively then proceeded to rub her body against him. He moaned and shut his eyes in bliss... that is, until she viciously kneed him in the groin. While he was writhing on the ground in agony, he managed to gasp out between gritted teeth that he was in love with her.
Kagome, feeling the urge to speed even faster on the bike, pushed it harder and her mind returned to its previous train of thought.
She had never actually gone out with Hiro, though. Sure, her Baby Bear was sweet and oh-so-handsome, but there was just something about him that made her want to mother him. It was his gentle disposition perhaps, or the way he would gaze at her so trustingly. Those huge brown eyes were so expressive and his heart was so open; she was afraid that one day she'd say something wrong and those enormous eyes would fill with tears. That was something she dreaded, for if that were to happen, she'd drop everything and run to him, scoop him up into her arms and let words of comfort pour from her lips. There was just no way she could see him as a lover.
Now, Akira could be... if he ever pulled his nose out of his beloved books long enough to hold a conversation. He was gentle and sweet like Hiro, with a soft voice and a tender smile... oh, she could just go and on about him! Like his two brothers, Akira possessed powers to aid him, but his were different than those of the other two.
Yuki could control the elements of earth and fire; Hiro commanded air and water... but Akira's gifts were by far the most dangerous. He had the ability to control things with his mind and could, if he chose, enter a person's mind and mess with them... get them to see whatever he wanted them to see or hear whatever he wished them to hear.
She'd seen it happen once... sort of. At the beginning of their friendship, she'd been out on leave in the neighboring town with Hiro and Akira. While their attentions were distracted elsewhere, a man came up to her and began flirting with her, asking her if she'd ever consider going out with an American guy. Politely, Kagome told him that she wasn't interested, but that she was flattered by his attention. The man persisted, telling her that she was hot and that he could show her a good time. When she realized that he refused to leave her alone after repeatedly asking him to go away, she shoved him away from her. The man backhanded her, then grabbed her by the throat and demanded to know what her fucking problem was.
After making certain her companions were occupied, he began to drag her away towards a dark alley way, getting her away from the elves. He'd just managed to get a hand down her panties when his head jerked back. His mouth opened as though he would scream, but nothing came out. Instead, he brought his hands up to cover his ears as though he heard something earsplitting.
Off to the side, at the end of the alley, Kagome saw a tall, dark figure of a man. When the figure moved, she caught the glint of metal from the glasses he wore. It was Akira and he was murmuring something in a strange language. He moved towards Kagome, his hand outstretched for her to come to him. She did immediately and when she reached him, she was caught in a very powerful, yet comforting, embrace.
"Don't look," he'd whispered to her and gently tucked her head against his shoulder so that her face was pressed against his chest.
To her horror, Kagome heard something that sounded like twigs being snapped, but it was a rather muffled sound thanks to the position of his arm against her head. Akira's jumble of words ceased then and he led her quickly away from the alley and back onto the street.
Later that night as he walked her to her barracks, Kagome asked him what had happened to that man in the alley. Akira stood quite still for a long time, then with a trace of hesitation, told her he had caused the man to hear high pitched screeching sounds in his head before breaking both his leg bones and rendering him unconscious.
That was when he explained to her about his powers and why he preferred to keep to himself. Should someone anger him, he may not be able to stop himself from doing something harmful to them. Once, when he was just an elfling, he'd told her, there had been an instance where he'd accidentally killed a person before he'd learned how to control his mind. The person had made him angry and Akira had screamed at him and didn't stop until blood came gushing out of the man's ears and nose.
"But in this case, I felt my intervention was necessary. I did not like him touching you, Kagome. It angered me greatly," Akira said his eyes warm and soft behind his bookish glasses. "You are... so very dear to me. I hope you will forgive me for not keeping a better watch over you." With that, he kissed her cheek and opened the barrack door for her. He ushered her inside and shut it behind her when she was safely inside.
As she watched him through the door's little glass window walking away into the darkness, she knew that he knew she would never speak to anyone of what she had seen him do that night. While he had stood debating with him if he should impart such an extraordinary piece of information to her, she came to the conclusion that it was most likely a secret he preferred to keep from everyone. Later she discovered that very few people knew. Only his brothers and the higher command knew of his mental gifts. Others suspected them and as a result, Akira was regarded as someone to be feared. No one other than Kagome and Akira's two brothers would work with him.
But he adored her, that much was obvious. Akira was not the best conversationalist and he didn't do well at social functions, (he preferred to run off and find a quiet place to sit and read) but he was ever the gentleman with her and was always looking out for her. He still felt guilt over that night she had been molested, even though she had told him time and again that it hadn't been his fault, and that there was nothing to forgive. Akira would bow and give her one of his super sexy smiles that he didn't even realize was sexy, and thank her for her kindness.
As for Yuki, well... that was a no-brainer. He was ill-suited for her, no questions asked. The fair elf was by far the prettiest of the brothers with his shining golden locks, laughing emerald green eyes and a body that angels would kill for, but he was also the worst mannered. He drank too much, he smoked too much, swore like a sailor and he slept around with any hot blond chick he could get his hands on. He was such a pig and his entire lifestyle disgusted her. How could he expect her to want her to date him was beyond her comprehension. Didn't he know she'd seen what he was like first hand? She had lost count of the times he had paraded his numerous women in front of her... Would she end up the way all those girls had? Just another notch in his belt? Another mark in his bedpost? No thank you.
When she finally arrived home, she was sufficiently angry enough to march straight to her homemade gym and start pummeling her punching bag viciously. For over an hour she did this, working off her rage. Her nasty, traitorous little mind had finally shut up after this impromptu workout and for that she was grateful.
After getting a bottle of water from the fridge, she headed upstairs to take a shower. Afterwards, she typed up her list. She called the man she had met earlier and he gave her his fax number. He told her that everything would be ready in the morning, so she and her team should be prepared to leave early.
Next, after she hung up with the beady-eyed little old man, she called Hiro, who answered immediately. He was such a dutiful little baby bear.
"Hiro, it looks like we're leaving tomorrow morning, early."
"Alright," Hiro said, smothering a yawn. "I'll tell Akira. He's holed up in his room again."
"How late is Yuki gonna be?" she asked him. She didn't want the blonde fool to stay out all night and make Hiro wait up for him like he'd done several times before.
"Oh, I don't know, sarge. I expect he'll go home when you kick him out," Hiro replied.
"Huh? What are you talking about, Hiro?" she asked suspiciously.
There was a sound of rustling. "He left here about twenty-five minutes ago. He should be at your place any minute now."
Kagome began to pace. "Why on earth is he coming here?" she demanded. This did not bode well. The last thing she wanted deal with was him.
Hiro yawned again. She could almost see her sweet Baby Bear, dark, curly hair tousled, rumpled flannel sleep pants, white tee that hugged his torso, sitting cross-legged in the middle of his huge downy bed. "I'm not sure, sarge, although he did say that he was coming over to ask you something."
"Oh no, that doesn't sound good," she remarked, uneasiness clawing at her vitals. Funny, she could face down any youkai, in any form, completely calm and collected. But when it came to this golden-haired hentai elf, she was always knocked off balance.
Hiro's low, sleepy chuckle rumbled softly in her ear. "Face it; he's mad for you, Kagome. Maybe you should just give him a chance. Hell, just throw the poor guy a bone. It'll get him off my back for the time being, at any rate. You know, he suspects that you have a secret boyfriend stashed away somewhere and that's why you won't go out with him."
She was about to make a biting comment when her doorbell chimed. "Oh, holy hell," she muttered. Hiro laughed. "It's not funny! Agh, go to bed, Baby Bear. I'll deal with your ass tomorrow."
He laughed again and they hung up.
Slowly, Kagome went downstairs. The doorbell rang again and she looked through the peephole. Shit! She wasn't expecting him!
Unlocking the door, Kagome opened it cautiously. Sesshoumaru stood without, as cold and beautiful as ever. Wordlessly, she stepped back to allow him entrance. Closing the door, she turned slowly to face him. "What brings you here?" she asked, going into her living room and sitting on a sofa. He did the same.
"We will be leaving tomorrow," he responded quietly. "In the morning. Early."
Kagome nodded, but her mind was on other thing; namely, the fact that his impressive body was clad in a plain white t-shirt and low-slung blue jeans. Her eyes moved of their own accord all over his hard physique sitting just across from her. Damn he was hot! For a moment, she wanted to force him to the ground and take him right there.
"Kagome," he began in that smooth velvety voice, startling her out of her dirty thoughts.
"Hmm?" She had to force her gaze to his face. She stared at him, wide-eyed.
He opened his mouth to speak, but the doorbell rang yet again. This had to be Yuki. 'Shit!' she thought with frustration as she got up and went again to the front door. Sure enough, Yuki was standing outside, fidgeting with something in his hands and looking more nervous than she'd ever thought possible.
Kagome sighed and opened the door. No sooner had she opened it than Yuki rushed in, gathering her in his arms and claimed her mouth with his own. He pinned her to the nearest wall with his body and she could feel his erection prodding her abdomen.
"Mmmm!" she mumbled against his mouth. She tried unsuccessfully to pull her mouth away from his. Damn, he was strong!
She was just about to knee him in the crotch when he was snatched away from her. She slid to the floor, gasping for breath. Looking up, she saw Sesshoumaru holding Yuki by the neck.
"Do not disrespect this woman," Sesshoumaru intoned ominously.
Yuki wrenched himself away from Sesshoumaru's steel-like fingers. "Disrespect? I love this woman! I was just about to ask her to marry me when you butted in!" He bowed his golden head and fumbled with a little black box that rested in his hand. "I fully realize that you may not believe me, Kagome, but I'm in love with you." He lifted his green eyes to her face. She had never seen him so solemn before.
He continued quietly. "I know I don't always act right or behave properly in public, but I know how I feel. When I'm with you, everything in my life is better. You've tamed me down, trained me to be almost as good as you... You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, Kagome."
Kagome was struck speechless for a moment, but then shook her head. "Oh, come off it, Yuki. Joke's over. You've had your fun, now go home and get to bed." She walked away into her living room.
Yuki went after her and grabbed her arm. "Look at me!" He whirled her around to face him. "This isn't a joke!" Shoving his face in hers, Kagome saw his features harden and his lips thin, but only for a moment. His face relaxed and he reached up to cup her face in his hands. "Marry me, Kagome," he whispered urgently. "Marry me and I promise I'll make you so happy. Please, just think about it at least."
Kagome was now officially stunned. Could he actually be serious for once in his life?
On his end, Sesshoumaru was furious. How dare this little upstart push himself on Kagome like that! He wasn't worthy of Kagome. No one was. If anyone was going to wed Kagome, it would be himself, for she was his and only his. He knew and accepted this without hesitation or reservation. "Remove yourself from her person," he hissed furiously. It was all he could do to not take the man's blond head off with his claws. Of course, he knew he couldn't touch a hair on the elf's head. Kagome cared far too deeply for the elf brothers. She would never forgive him if he should kill one of them.
Ignoring the tall, creepy-looking silver-haired guy, Yuki handed her the black velvet box. When she tried to give it back to him, he pushed her hands back. "Open it," he commanded gently.
With shaking fingers, Kagome opened the little box. Inside, nestled against black velvet, was a huge amethyst, surrounded by tiny diamonds. The fiery little gems sparkled and twinkled merrily up at her.
"Y-yuki!" she breathed, still staring down at the massive gemstone with its tiny diamond attendants. "It's incredible!"
He nodded, his gaze softening on her face. "I know how much you love amethysts, so I knew this one would be perfect for you," Yuki told her with a tender smile.
"It's just so... beautiful! But I can't... right now..." She turned her head away and closed the box. "Please understand."
Sesshoumaru took the box from her and handed it back to Yuki. "She doesn't want you. You had best leave before I make you leave."
"Wait... what?" Kagome turned on Sesshoumaru angrily. "Now hold on just a damned minute! Who are you to say who I want or don't want?"
Ignoring Kagome, Sesshoumaru frowned delicately and crossed his arms over his chest. "Leave us, elf," he said quietly, "Before you are unable to join us tomorrow."
Yuki straightened to his full height and he eyed Sesshoumaru squarely. "You can't scare me, youkai. We kill beasts like you every day. You are nothing to me." His upper lip curled in an impressive sneer, Kagome noted with some pride.
Now this was one man who could give the high and mighty Sesshoumaru a run for his money, she thought with a smirk, but then froze. Wait a sec! Did he just compare Sesshoumaru to a beast?' she thought uneasily. 'Damn it...'
When Sesshoumaru's golden eyes narrowed into his infamous killing stare, Kagome's heart froze. Upon reflection, Yuki's remark had not been a very wise thing to say to Sesshoumaru. 'Damn it Yuki,' she thought again, her body tensing as if readying herself for battle. She was terrified for her handsome elf. He had no idea of just how powerful or dangerous the taiyoukai could be.
Sesshoumaru's arms dropped to his sides, fists clenched and Kagome rushed in between them, her back to Yuki to shield him from what could become a very nasty demise at Sesshoumaru's poison claws.
"Hey! Come on you two! Get a grip, alright? Just... not on each other's throats," she cried, quickly amending her statement. "Okay?"
"I will back off... once he leaves," Sesshoumaru said, his eyes never leaving Yuki's face.
Yuki surged forward slightly, but was blocked by Kagome's body. "Well, I'm not leaving either! I came here to see sar--, I mean Kagome, and that's exactly what I'm gonna do!"
The second those words left Yuki's mouth room began to shake slightly. Kagome and Yuki started. "What the hell is that?" Yuki asked, looking around. "An earthquake?"
Kagome, who was pretty much sandwiched between to the two males, stared straight at Sesshoumaru's broad expanse of chest. Frowning, she moved away from Yuki and placed her ear to Sesshoumaru's torso. To her surprise, she found that he was growling and she began to grin. 'When he growls, it's so intense it makes the ground shake. Very cool...'
The growling stopped at last and she poked at his ribcage as if that would start the fascinating noises again. "Hey, you stopped! Do it again," she muttered, still staring at his chest. She looked up at his surprised face. "How do you do that? It's neat."
Sesshoumaru stared down at her with amusement. So, his growling chest intrigued her? Well, then he would find other things on his body with which to capture her attention. He began reaching out to her...
Yuki yanked Kagome back towards him. "Don't even think about it, youkai," he ground out between clenched teeth. "I saw what you were thinking. If anyone's gonna think perverted thoughts around here, it's gonna be me!"
Kagome blinked and moved quickly away from both men. What the hell was she thinking? "Look, you guys are acting like idiots. By the way, why are you two even here?" When no one answered, she scowled. "Oh yeah, Yuki came to ask me to marry him and Sesshoumaru came to tell me something I already know." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Anything else? Perhaps Inuyasha will come waltzing in right now and try to apologize for all the shit he put me through."
Now thoroughly irritated, she left the living room and went into the kitchen, heading straight for the fridge. Kagome grabbed a beer and opened it, downing the cold beverage.
What more could go wrong today? She didn't want hurt Yuki's feelings, but really, him? Settle down? With her? Had he finally gone insane?
Yes, she thought miserably, Yuki certainly was insane. He knew as well as she did that she wasn't his type of woman, not to mention the general differences in the personalities. As for Sesshoumaru, he could have just called her on the phone. Or better yet, just called that weird little man with the glasses and talked to him instead. That way, he would've been informed that she already knew about tomorrow without bothering her.
No sounds came from the living room. That didn't bode well. Sighing, she rubbed the bottom half of the bottle against her temple. Great, now she was getting a headache.
Walking back out into her living room, she found the two men glaring daggers at each other. "How about you two take this staring contest outside? The deafening silence is giving me a headache."
Yuki was instantly at her side, forcing her to sit down on a one-seater chair. He went behind her and began massaging her neck and shoulders.
Even though she knew he was only doing this to piss off Sesshoumaru, Kagome closed her eyes in bliss and groaned happily. Yuki had magic hands when it came to rubs. She leaned into those warm, large, smooth hands and felt them soothe her muscles. He was really good with his hands and little wonder; he could play a guitar like nobody's business and had a voice to match.
But this little diversion gave her time to think of a way to get rid of her visitors. All she wanted was to go upstairs, play online and then go to bed. After about fifteen minutes of more silence, Kagome stood and shooed them towards the door. The direct method. It should work, she thought, mentally crossing her fingers.
Yuki, as expected, put up an argument on just why he should stay. Apparently, he wanted Kagome to know he would gladly massage her entire body. Kagome was extremely tempted and it must have shown in her eyes, for Sesshoumaru immediately objected to this. She managed to push them out of the front door, reminding them that they were leaving in the morning and she needed to rest.
Ignoring their protests, she shut the door behind her firmly, locked it, and sighed with relief. Smiling happily, she bounded upstairs.