Disclaimer: I do not own any Inuyasha stuff. Y’all should know that by now.
Cold
By: Bittersweetlady
They had been fighting ever since he came home from work. Kagome Tashio wanted to throw something very heavy at her husband’s head. He was never home and really didn’t pay her much attention when he was anyway. So, she didn’t see what his problem was about her going and visiting her mother for a week or two. Megumi Higurashi lived on the other side of Japan, in Tokyo. Kagome lived in the Western Lands with her Husband, Sesshomaru Tashio, the Tiayouki and ruler of the Western part of Japan.
“You are not going, so drop the issue before I get angry.” Sesshomaru said in an emotionless voice. He was like that now. He didn’t show affection like he used to. They had been married for three years yesterday and Sesshomaru hadn’t even mentioned anything to her. Hadn’t so much as kissed her, hell he hadn’t even come home. The last time Sesshomaru had touched her, Kagome counted backward in her head, was almost a month ago! And it was much longer than that before.
“Before you get angry!? I haven’t seen my mother in months, Sesshomaru! My brother is turning eighteen and I want to be there. Grandfather is getting old and isn’t going to be here for much longer! I am going. And you are not going to stop me.” Kagome yelled at her husband. The dog demon looked at his wife and mate. He really didn’t understand why they were fighting. Eight months ago he would have given her anything she wanted. Now he didn’t understand what had happened to them. It was her, he thought. She wanted to go everywhere and do everything. Why couldn’t she just stay home?
“You are not going, so drop it.” Sesshomaru looked pointedly at her as he took another bite of his steak. They were eating dinner in the dining room. No one was there but them. The servants had learned to stay out of the way until their Lord left. Their Lady was always distressed when they had finished fighting and she cried many nights alone in what had come to be known as ‘her’ room. When they fought, the Lady Mistress usually slept in a room separate from her Lord. No matter how much he hurt her, Kagome would never allow him to see her cry. Even if it was his fault, almost all the time, that she did cry. Kagome stood up so fast that the legs of her chair squealed against the floor in protest.
“I am going and you cannot stop me. You are never here and would not miss should you actually come home!” Kagome yelled. She could feel the tears starting to cloud her eyes. She had to get out of there before the feel down her anger flushed cheeks. Kagome turned to leave the room and her uneaten meal. She had no appitite, hadn’t had much of one for a while now. She was just so stressed and her recent sickness didn’t make her feel much better. Just as she reached the sliding doors, two strong hands clamped down on her upper arms. Ripping her around to face her very furious demon husband.
“What is that supposed to mean!?” The enraged Tiayouki yelled. Sesshomaru very rarely lost his temper, even when they had fought before, he had always been calm and emotionaless. Which had royally pisses Kagome off, trying to get a point across and practically being told that it didn’t matter. “I am home often enough. What more do you want?” The dog demon gave his mate a small shake and heard her soft gasp. He had never put his hands on her before. She had never believed he would do such a thing.
“It means, Sesshomaru”, Kagome said shaking in his grip, “that being home three or four times in a month is not being home often. I worry whether or not to call and make sure you are alive. And what more could I want? I want what every woman on the face of this planet has wanted since the beginning of time. I want a husband who loves me! Not one who place’s me on a shelf and only pull me out and dust me off for special occasions, even few of those.” Kagome looked at Sesshomaru as she told him exactly what she thought. She had managed to keep the tears from falling, even though there were so many now, that she was almost blinded by them. But she refused to let them fall in front of him. “This isn’t the Feudal Era. A woman can’t go away with the man she marries and never see her family again. I can’t do it. I…” She was interrupted by Inuyasha sticking his head through the oak door at the other end of the dining room.
“Hey, Sesshoamru Dad wanted me to see if…what the hell Sesshomaru!?” Inuyasha stopped as he saw Kagome in his elder brother’s hands, about to cry her eyes out. He knew they were having some problems in their marriage, but he never would have thought that his brother would put his hands on Kagome. Not because of the threats of what all her friends and all who knew her would do to him if he ever hurt her. But because Inuyasha could see that his brother loved his best friend very much. Kagome gave a small, sad smirk.
“Duty calls.” She whispered sadly and then pushed herself from Sesshomaru’s grasp. The two brothers watched as she walked out of the dining room and up the grand stair case. The heard the faint closing of the bedroom door as she closed it.
“This had better be important, Inuyasha.” Sesshoamru glowered at his brother.
“Why? You don’t have anything better to do that fight with you wife. Dad just wanted the signed papers for the Yamakata deal.” Inuyasha still looked up the stairs.
“Come so I can get you out of my house. They are in my office. Wait I’ll them.” Sesshomaru disappeared through the same oak door that Inuyasha had just come. A moment later he appeared again holding a thick manila folder. “Tell Father that the youngest son has still not aggrees to sign over his assests. If we want a good deal we will have to convinse him.”
“Right, thanks.” Inuyasha began to leave, then stoped. “Will you be alright?” Sesshomaru rolled his eyes and gave his trade mark ‘hn’.
“I am the eldest son of the Inu No Tashio. A Tiayouki. What have I to worry about?” Sesshomaru asked in all his glorifying arrogance.
“I wasn’t talking about you Ice Prince. Iwas worried about Kagome. You ain’t the best at relationships.” Inuyasha jested.
“And you are any better? I believe Kikyou had to kick your pathetic dirrieere to the curbe a few times.” Smirked the dog demon.
“Yeah, well at least I learned my lesson. Which is more than I can say for you.” The young half-breed smiled and cast a fleeting glance up the stairs again. He had no doubt that Kagome was crying herself to sleep know. He could smell the salt in the sir. Her tears had always been his undoing. He couldn’t understand why they weren’t Sesshomaru’s too.
“You have the papers you came for, now get out Cretin before I call Kikyou. I doubt you tolled her that you were working this lat. You know she would kill you.” Sesshomaru spoke in his usual emotionaless tone to his half brother. He almost smiled at the fleeting look of fear that passed over his half brothers face.
“You wouldn’t.” INuyasah started inching towards the door. His brother smiled. Which was a bit scarey, since he never, never smiled.
“I would. Now get.” Sesshomaru said slowly.
“Alright. I am going. But, Sesshoamru, maybe you should apologize to her. What ever it was you did, it can’t have been that bad to where she wouldn’t intantly forgive you.” Inuyasha then left his brother standing there in his overly huge dining room. The remants of a tense dinner on the table, the servants edging out to see if the coast was clear to go back to work. Sesshomaru in haled deeply and then went up the stairs.
Sesshomaru could smell the salt form her tears. Hed smelt them down stairs, but he had been too angry to care. Now though he felt guilty as sin for causing them. He placed a hand on the handle and braced himself to dunck in case her temper had gotten as far as to actually throw something at him. She had only done it once, but that vase had been particularly heavy. He tried to twist the handle, but found the door locked. Surpried, for the first time in a long time, Sesshomaru used a little of his demon power to break the lock. Quietly he pushed open the door to their room. And stoped just in side. Watching his wife move about the room.
When she stoped and looked at him, he could see that her small nose was red from crying and her ice blue eyes were red rimmied. She stared at him coldly for a moment before she began to move about aagain, completely ignoring him. Sesshomaru didn’t like the feeling and steped forward to stop her chaotic movements about the room.
“Kagome..”