Disclaimer: I don’t own any Inuyasha stuff at all. I do own this story.
A Real Good Man
By BittersweetLady
Sesshomaru burst through the lobby doors of his company, or rather his father’s company. Sesshomaru was reaching his thirtieth birthday AND he was over qualified to run, which by rights, what should be his company. The meeting that Sesshomaru’s father had called today was supposed to have been to announce Sesshomaru as his successor, but instead the old man had set standards for him to meet. The most prominent on the long list of things were that he find a wife and be responsible for his own family. Not that Sesshomaru wasn’t responsible, but it took a lot more responsibility and understanding to care for a family instead of just one’s self.
Needless to say Sesshomaru was furious with his Father. He had been training for years to take over Tashio Industries and the day he was supposed to take it over, his Father wasn’t ready to relinquish control. Sesshomaru had no need or want of a wife and he had enough family with his Father, Mother, his brother Inuyasha, his retainer Jaken and his baby sister, Rin. That was enough for him, he didn’t understand why it couldn’t be enough for his father. No matter, if his Father wanted for him to have a wife, than by God Sesshomaru was going to get himself one.
Kagome sat in the booth of the coffee shop, rocking her infant brother back and forth to quiet him. Her mother’s lawyer sat across form her and she was having difficulty understanding what he was telling her.
“What do you mean there isn’t anything left?” Kagome asked softly. At the exact moment that Mr. Mirimuko was about to answer her, the door of the coffee shop was thrown open and a tall, foreboding looking man with long silvery hair walked in. He strode to the only open booth, which was the one behind hers and sat down. Snapping his fingers, a waitress came running over to take his order. ‘The nerve of some people.’ Kagome thought as she turned her attention back to Mr. Mirimuko.
“Exactly that, Miss Higurashi. There is nothing left. The hospital and funerary costs have completely cleaned out your Mother’s account as well as your own trust fund. The bills are all paid in full, but there is nothing left.” Mr. Mirimuko. Of course she had known that there hadn’t been any money left in her mother’s account, but she had hoped that had been at least a little money left over in her trust fund.
“So, there’s nothing then. Nothing at all?” She asked softly. Mr. Mirimuko shook his head and Kagome lowered her eyes. Mr. Mirimuko’s face had took on a pitting look and she couldn’t look at him. Mr. Mirimuko really did feel sorry for the girl, but there was nothing her could do. He was already doing this for free, the girls father and he had been close friends and he had done what he could to help his friend’s daughter. Standing, he took out some money and laid it on the table.
“I am sorry, Kagome, but I’ve done all I can.” Mr. Mirimuko patted her head softly as he had done when she was a child and left her. Kagome couldn’t quiet grasp what was happening. There was no way she could afford the house, car, and take care of her baby brother. There was just no way. She was a librarian, also working part-time at a dinner in the seeder part of Tokyo, and her salary could barely afford to support herself. She sat dejected in the booth, fighting back tears, and trying to gather her courage to leave the shop. Placing Souta back in his car seat, Kagome began to strap him in . Just as she was about to leave, someone sat down in the seat across from her. Startled, Kagome’s head snapped up to see the man who had stormed into the coffee shop a while ago. Kagome smiled briefly at him and proceeded to leave, before his hand came down on hers holding her in place.
“Please stay. I’d like to talk to you.” His voice was smooth and deep. She had the brief thought that it should be outlawed.
“I am sorry, but I don’t even know you.” Kagome said. Souta started to cry and Kagome let out a soft groan and took him back out of the seat. She cradled him against her breast and tried her best to sooth him back to quiet. The man smirked and held out his hand to her.
“I am Sesshomaru Tashio. And you are?” The man asked. Kagome took his hand in her free one and felt the gentle squeeze he gave her hand. She was sure that those hands were capable of a lot of power, if the rest of his body was anything to go from. Resolutely, Kagome tore her thoughts back on track and answered the man.
“Kagome Higurashi and this is my brother, Souta.” She said rocking the baby softly. Kagome cooed softly to him and Sesshomaru felt something tug inside him at the soft sound.
“Miss Higurashi, I couldn’t help but over hear your current predicament and I feel that we can help each other.” He said, wasting no time on preliminaries. Kagome sat still and looked at him, not quite grasping what he was saying. It seemed she was doing a lot of that lately.
“Excuse me?’ Kagome asked, gently laying the sleeping baby back in the seat.
“I mean we both have a problem that I believe we can help each other fix.” Sesshomaru explained to the small woman sitting before him. And she was small. She was a petite woman with pale skin, long raven colored hair and unusual blue eyes. Sesshomaru granted that she was pretty enough and she seemed to be a very motherly sort. “Your’s seeming to be financial problems.” He added. Kagome huffed and rolled her eyes.
“And your’s would be what? Too many girlfriends?” She asked cynically. Sesshomaru restrained himself from lashing out. If he wanted this girl to help him, he would have to tread carefully for now. He forced a smile to his lips, which was rare for him, and looked at her.
“No, but if you could help me, that problem would go away as well. You see, I’ve been given a hard task to complete and to do this I need a wife.” Sesshomaru spoke slowly and looked in her eyes. Kagome tried to lower her eyes from the intense golden gaze, but his eyes were too compelling to look away. Kagome wasn’t sure she was hearing him right. Was he really asking her, a stranger, to marry him. The illustrious playboy son of the most powerful business owner in Japan.
“Um…I am not sure what you are asking here. Are you asking me to be your wife.” Kagome asked unbelieving.
“Yes. I need a wife for all intense and purposes and you need financial help, if I heard right.” Sesshomaru knew that if all else failed he could play on her fear for the baby. Normally, he would never do a thing like that, but time was running out and he couldn’t afford to go and search for someone else. His thirtieth birthday was three weeks away and that was his deadline to find a wife.
“Why me? I am sure you could find any number of really beautiful women who would love to be married to you. I mean you aren’t exactly exclusive. “ Kagome said. Sesshomaru had to smile at that. It was true, he wasn’t exactly picky about who he went out with, just as long as it paid off at the end of the night.
“You are right, I could, but then I would be settling for something that I really don’t need. I do have standards set for when I finally take a wife and believe me when I say that none of the women the press has ever seen me with has even one of those standards.” Sesshomaru explained. Kagome nodded and turned to tuck a downy blanket more securely against the baby.
“And I assume since you want me to marry you that I have some of these standards?” Kagome asked as she turned back to him.
“Yes, and I think that if you just agree with me, we could discuss what we need to do from here on out.” Sesshomaru told her, sounding so sure that she would agree with him. The baby began to fuse and Kagome turned to him. Sesshomaru watched her hands as she gently picked up the baby and dug around the seat for something. She pulled out a red and blue binki and placed it against the baby’s rooting mouth. Instantly the baby laced on to the rubber nub and the fussing stopped. He watched fascinated as Kagome’s small, delicate hands rubbed the boy’s back and patted his behind in time as she rocked him back and forth in her arms.
“I…I don’t know Mr. Tashio. I mean we barely know each other and even if we did, I don’t think you’d like a squalling baby to keep you up at night. I get enough complaints from my neighbors as it is.” Kagome said as she reached down to readjust the binki in the baby’s mouth.
“I know and I think you will find that I am used to having a squalling baby in the house. My mother had my sister two years ago, the crying never really bothered me.” Sesshomaru told her and Kagome was forced smile at him. Sesshomaru admitted that he liked her smile and the feeling that she absolutely needed to agree with him.
“Let me think about it. How could I get in touch with you if I say yes.” Kagome asked him as she laid Souta in his seat for the millionth time that day. Sesshomaru shook his head.
“I am sorry, but it is a now or never thing. I don’t have time to wait for you to make up your mind.” Sesshomaru explained. He watched her as she waged a silent war inside herself. Kagome looked down at her brother and thought of all the bills waiting for her at home, the eviction notice on her door, and the small amount of formula in the tin at home in the cupboard. You wouldn’t think that things could go from good to bad to worse in just the space of a few months. She only had a hundred and seventy dollars left in her wallet and that wouldn’t be nearly enough to make the eviction notice go away. Kagome took a deep breath and closed her eyes, stilling herself for what she was about to do. Turning back to Sesshomaru she nodded.
“Yes.” Kagome breathed. Sesshomaru sat still for a moment and then he smiled. Reaching across the table to touch her hand, he spoke.
“It’s okay. I think it would be best if we got things over with a soon as possible. I think that we should go and get some things from your home and you come with me to mine.” Sesshomaru said as he turned and saw the waitress coming over to finally collect the money that Mr. Mirimuko had laid on the table when he left.
“Will that be all?” the woman asked. Sesshomaru nodded and the woman scooped up the money and walked off.
“I really don’t understand.” Kagome said as she watched Sesshomaru stand and offer her his hand.
“You and your brother will becoming to live with me. It would make things much easier and I don’t think that my mother will want to wait to start planning the wedding.” Sesshomaru explained as he took her hand and helped her up. Kagome nodded and bent over to pick up the dipper bag and Souta’s car seat. She slung the bag over he shoulder and sat the seat on the table to strap Souta in. She pulled the visor up and laid the downy blue blanket on the visor and pulled it down over the baby. She couldn’t tell him no, if only for the fear that he would tell her to forget it. She wasn’t afraid to lose the house, but she really didn’t want to go and stay with Sango and her husband Miroku. She loved her best friend dearly, but she didn’t want to impose on Sango. Maybe after she got used to being married to Miroku, maybe then Kagome would feel more comfortable around her friend again.
“Okay. “ Kagome smiled as she lifted the baby carriage and proceeded our of the coffee shop, Sesshomaru’s hand on the small of her back.
“Do you have a car?” Sesshomaru asked.
“Yes. Do you want to follow me or do you just want my address?” Kagome asked as she strode towards the parking lot. Sesshomaru steered her toward a luxurious black car parked at the curb.
“Why don’t you ride with me and I will send Jaken to my home with your car. Jaken!” Sesshomaru called. Instantly a small round man with a beaked nose scrambled around the black car and stood at attention in front of Sesshomaru.
“Yes, Sir?” Jaken’s high squeaky voice answered. Sesshomaru heaved a sigh and placed a hand on his hip as he spoke to the little man. Kagome couldn’t help but think the action sexy.
“I want you to take Miss Higurashi’s car to my home. I will drive Miss Higurashi and myself.” Sesshomaru turned to Kagome and quickly she dug her keys out of the pocket of her jeans. She took her house key off before she handed her keys to the little man.
“It’s the blue Grand Am around back.” Kagome explained. The little man took the keys and grumbled all the way to her car. Kagome went to the back door of the car and slid in. She strapped Souta in and sat the bag between her and the seat. She was about to get out when the door closed behind her. Sesshomaru was in the driver’s seat faster than she would have thought. The car was started and Sesshomaru pulled out on the street.
“So, where to?” He asked. Kagome turned her gaze to Sesshomaru’s through the rearview mirror.
“Um 415 West Lane A.” Kagome said and pulled the blanket aside to see Souta, still sleeping peacefully.
“Is there anyone I should be worried about?” Sesshomaru asked. Kagome knew what he was talking about.
“No, but it is a little late to ask about that. There has never been anyone.” Kagome replied. Sesshomaru was surprised at that. She was certainly pretty enough to attract a lot of men to her. But then he didn’t really like that.
“Never, not once?” He asked. Kagome shook her head. “How old are you?’ He added.
“I am twenty-four.” Kagome told him. Sesshomaru raised his brows at her.
“Twenty-four? I am thirty. But that really must be a record. Twenty-four and still a virgin.” Sesshomaru said. Kagome blushed. The soft hue gently coloring her cheeks and down her neck.
“I don’t really think it’s any of your business, but yes.” Kagome told him and then touched his shoulder to signal him to stop. She unsnapped the car seat and was surprised when Sesshomaru opened the door. Kagome thanked him and walked up the sidewalk to one of the two doors. She was a little embarrassed to be showing him into her home, but she pushed the thought away. Turning the lock, Kagome pushed open the door and let them in.