A/N
Okay, I posted Chapter 14, make sure you read that too!
Read and Review?
~Smo
Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own any characters associated with InuYasha.
Chapter 15
Kagome hadn't felt more uncomfortable in a long while. Her hand cupped the warm mug of tea, hoping the warmth would melt away the ice in her body. She was frozen stiff at the situation.
Daitaro and Sesshomaru sat in a comfy couch on the other side of her and Christopher. A sleek black coffee table in the middle, the only thing separating them. "A formal thanks isn't necessary," she said for the umpteenth time. In fact, it was nauseating. A thanks from Daitaro over healing him was so foreign that she saw it as more of a betrayal. Why couldn't he just relax around her?
Christopher was watching the exchange through confused eyes. Kagome knew that he had researched her before putting his investments behind her. He knew that Daitaro had raised her as his own.
"Why such formalities, Daitaro? Is she not a friend of the family?" Christopher wondered, a glass of iced scotch being balanced in the palm of one of his large hands. His black hair had grown out since Kagome had meant him, slightly curly and completely wild, as if he'd just gotten out of bed.
"Of course," Daitaro retorted. Kagome saw through it though. It was strangely rehearsed, almost empty with its actual tone. She sighed, taking a small sip and hoping it would sooth the sudden sickness she felt in her stomach.
"Christopher, what he means is now I am a business friend. He talks to me in hopes of seeing what my plans are, and then plots against me behind me back. Isn't that how it works?" Kagome asked casually, a light innocence dancing in her blue eyes. Christopher barked out a laugh, setting a hand on her head to reward her by brushing his fingers through her hair. Vaguely, she felt like a puppy being rewarded for good behavior.
"Well done," Christopher got out around his laughter. "She has you there, Daitaro," he added, hissing out a breath when he took another sip of his scotch.
Kagome stood up, obviously dismissing herself. "Well, either way, I don't require a thank you. In fact, you can forget the whole thing ever happened if you cannot understand why I did it in the first place Daitaro. Even though you no longer see me as the girl you and Izayoi raised, I still see you as my guardian, although the image is beginning to blur a bit because of your recent … events."
Daitaro's golden eyes flickered, and she knew what she had said had affected him. A small gleam of triumph filtered in her eyes, and she could not resist the smirk to play across her lips. "I won't even use it as a favor."
"Sit down," Daitaro growled sternly, the same tone he would use when she was younger and not listening to him. She remembered the nights she refused to do homework or wanted to go out with friends and he would use those same two words. It was because of this, that she sat down. The words held conviction, memories, and she had missed those.
"It would seem that you have piqued Naraku's interest with your incessant need to ruin this family," Daitaro's tone was nothing more than a low rumble. Sesshomaru cringed at his rude words, but made no move to correct them. Kagome felt Christopher tense up from beside her. A laugh escaped her. Why did she keep falling for this? She was a fool to think Daitaro had cared for her all those years. He had just been protecting her powers, keeping them under control.
"Some thanks," she murmured, picking up her glass of red wine and taking a sip. "I do not care for Naraku's attention, but I do need money in order to support my incessant research. If he is willing to give us some, I will not refuse it. You, however, should not worry about my research. It is not intended to ruin your family. In fact, it may even help Inuyasha."
"I don't care if it helps or doesn't. It is just research and nothing has yet been proven. It is all just theories and leads from what I understand. What do I have to do, to get you to stop? If you continue this, god knows what Naraku will do?" Daitaro snarled. Christopher stood up, and Kagome had a nervous feeling that a fight was about to begin.
She shot up and grabbed the sleeve of Christopher's suit. His muscular bicep was tense between her fingers, flexed and ready for its target. "Please," Kagome whispered to him. Glaring at Daitaro, she felt her own powers threaten to break from the sphere that tickled her chest. "Who knows what Naraku will do? Hell, maybe he'll call off Sesshomaru's mating - which your son doesn't even want to do, Daitaro!" Kagome shouted, knowing it was not her place to say it. Yet, she was too angry to control her words. "But goddamnit Daitaro, I am enjoying my time! I'm not cast into your shadows. If your family isn't strong enough to handle a friend climbing the ladder, than you have more things to worry about than what Naraku is going to do... or what I will do!"
"Enough," Sesshoumaru groaned from his spot in the chair. He was rubbing his temples, almost looking mentally exhausted. Christopher sighed from beside her, pulling her back down to the couch. "This has gone on long enough. Father, she was once a part of our family."
"That changed when you started taking her to bed every night," Daitaro spat. Kagome flushed. He had never said it so bluntly, always tip-toeing around their relationship. He had known about it, but it had always been concern in his eyes for both parties. Now, Kagome knew why. He was concerned Sesshoumaru would not be able to break it. He was concerned that Kagome would emerge from his son's shadows. Boy, had it backfired. "Now look at what happened."
Christopher snorted. The grin he gave was ferocious, startling Kagome with the amount of hatred he suddenly showed. "Daitaro, playing kami has always been your dream, hasn't it? Never been quite good at it."
"You, I should have killed you when I had the chance." Daitaro's jaw tensed around the sentence, his teeth grinding against each other. "You've turned her against me, haven't you? With your memories..."
"Oh, my dear Daitaro, you did a good job on turning her against you all on your own. I'm merely the car to get her places now. Between you bringing in her birthmother and constantly threatening her place in the world, I am quite sure whatever I say will not change the way she thinks," he explained,
Kagome felt her curiosity spike. Whatever had happened between them had been serious, dangerous, and she had a feeling someone had died. Either way, it was not the time nor the place to ask about their past. "Is this all, Daitaro? You wished us to meet us in order to give your thanks and than try to persuade me to stop?" Kagome wondered, standing up as if ready to leave.
Her stomach was in knots over the conversation. Her thoughts traveled back to Sango, Rin, and Koga. All of them were waiting for her to return with smiles on her face. Friends, what she would give to have one there with her at that moment. Kagome sighed, almost longingly, and subconscious fisted the pant leg of her suit. She swallowed the lump of sadness in her throat, bowing low to Sesshoumaru and Daitaro. "Thank you for your time, but as I have repeated before I will not stop until I feel as if I should."
A scoff came from Daitaro. She straightened and released a smile. "I believe you should work on your persuasive skills, Daitaro. You seem to be losing it," she teased. Turning to Christopher, she nodded to him. "I will see you back at the room. Take your time," she spoke stoically. In fact, she felt as if she were a zombie while walking to the elevator. Hurt and betrayal flooded her veins.
She was the last priestess, and Daitaro had volunteered to raise her if only to keep her as a ploy in his back pocket. He wanted to control her, but the chance of doing it was ruined when she and Sesshoumaru began to meet at her apartment. Sesshoumaru, the mere thought of him made her angry. He had just sat there, like usual, and allowed his father to say whatever he wanted. Her research wasn't just theories or leads, they would help someone - Kagome vowed to make it happen.
The elevator doors opened. She practically fell in and leaned against the wall, repeatedly mashing the button to her floor. Something wet dripped along her cheek, and she reached up to brush at the tear that had fallen. "Stupid!" The curse slipped from her lips. Reprimanding herself was useless. She couldn't help the feelings, no matter how foolish they were. Nothing would go back to the way they were. She had to continue moving forward and risk sacrificing everything.
The hotel room was empty when she reached it. Lazily and slowly, she pulled off her clothes and donned a loose and baggy pajama shirt. Sliding under the covers, she willed herself to fall asleep. Unfortunately, the only thing that replayed in her mind was the previous conversation. Daitaro had always liked to control things.
Kagome's eyes almost popped out of her head with a sudden theory. The door opened and Christopher stepped in. He looked just as mentally fatigued as her, and she realized then that Christopher had stayed away from Daitaro to avoid such conversations. He was reopening past wounds. "I could not keep up with you and missed the elevator," he pouted as he stalked to his corner of the room.
Kagome dismissed his statement with a flick of her hand, sitting up in bed and wondering out loud. "How is Daitaro's company doing?" Kagome asked. "I mean, is it successful? Worry free?"
"With the exception of you, yes," Christopher returned, unbuttoning his shirt to reveal a chiseled chest. Kagome flushed and looked away, eyeing the wall beside her bed. Why did Daitaro feel the need to cater to Naraku then?
"Why is Sesshoumaru's mating so important?" Kagome pressed on.
"Jealous?" he teased. Kagome wanted to shoot him a glare, but remembered he was changing. When she heard him enter the bed across the room, she dared a glance. His eyes were closed, hair fanned out along the pillow.
"No, Daitaro seems to be … obeying Naraku as if he were on a leash. He's not worried about what my research does to the company, but what it does to Naraku. I just have a feeling that Naraku is holding something over him. He's being controlled, and its making him act out like this," Kagome explained, suddenly feeling as if she had pieced together a puzzle. "Naraku owns a shipping company, one that the Taisho company practically relies on to ship their goods internationally. Why would Daitaro be a pawn?"
"You are thinking far too much for this time of night," Christopher grumbled absently. Kagome huffed at him, trying to relax into the pillow. "Naraku is a wonderful manipulator, and he happens to specialize in dog demons. It would not surprise me if Daitaro had dug himself into a hole, again. I will have someone look into it in the morning. Will this shut you up so I can get some sleep?"
The teasing tone made Kagome laugh. His words comforted her. They would check it out and get to the bottom of it. Her head hit the pillow. Releasing a breath, she rolled her shoulders. "The party is tomorrow night..." she trailed off, but couldn't finish her sentence. Finally, exhaustion had kicked in again.