Title: Nihonjin kanojo boshu-chu
Author: Hairann
Theme: Hairann's Weird-ified Challenge: Good enough for now
Genre: Comedy
AU/CU: AU
Rating: T
Warnings: Implied nudity (without adult situations), few swear words
Word Count: 29,873
Summary: Sesshoumaru decides to place a want ad to find a date for his brother's wedding.
I do not own the song Good enough for now, Weird Al does. I also do not own Windows, Microsoft does.
AN: This story actually came to mind when I was reading the tag of a shirt my hubby got for my birthday back in '10. What it translates to is 'Now accepting applications for a Japanese girlfriend'. Yes my hubby bought it for me lol. I've actually been working on this story since I finished my last piece for the contest, but it wasn't a top priority so it took a couple of years to finish.
...
“They can not be serious,” a man grumbled to himself in a deep, husky voice as he reread the invitation for the third time. He just could not believe they really expected him to follow their commands, his parents or not. “Do they really believe that I, Sesshoumaru, would bend to their will simply because they instructed me to?” he questioned the small slip of paper, not for a moment caring that it could not answer him.
“Mr. and Mrs. Konoe request the honor of your company at the marriage of their son, Inuyasha Konoe, to Kikyou Matsuki, on Thursday, the 11th of October, 20** at two o'clock in Tokyo. Reception to follow,” he read out loud to himself; skipping over the address of the shrine since he knew it by heart. His family had gone to it since the time of his grandfather. Now it wasn't the invitation itself that bothered him, he had been expecting it ever since he heard of his younger brother's engagement six months ago. It was not the day or time or even the place that annoyed him.
It was not even the fact that what he knew about the woman made her sound like a gold digging bore, that royally pissed him off. No, it was the hand written note at the bottom of the invitation from his mother, judging by the hand writing, that had put him in a foul mood. “If you come without an escort again, like you did at your cousin's wedding, I will set up a date for you. I believe that lovely girl, Yura Washio, is still available.”
Not about to let his mother set him up on another date, especially with Washio as she was more obsessed with his hair than he was, not to mention the disaster the reception of his cousin Miroku's wedding had turned into with the date she had set up, Sesshoumaru tossed the invitation aside and picked up the small card that came with it. Under the words 'repondez sil vous plait', he printed his name and wrote 'plus one' next to it.
Quickly putting it back in the return envelope provided, he filled out the information, stuck a stamp on it and placed it in his 'out' box for his assistant to mail out later. Grabbing a memo pad from his desk drawer, he wrote out what he would require in his 'date', his penmanship graceful and flawless. Double checking his schedule to make sure he did not have any appointments for a while, he placed his pen back in its holder and made his way out of his office.
Ignoring the greeting from his overly perky assistant as he passed, he headed toward the elevator, pressing the down button. Waiting patiently for it to arrive on his floor, he stepped into it after the door had dinged open. As it closed, he pressed the button for level three and ignored the soft, classical music playing in the background. Soon enough he was stepping off, making his way down the long hallway before him.
Stepping through the threshold, Sesshoumaru paid no attention to the sign announcing 'Layout Department', and quickly scanned the room for the person he had come to see. Spotting them, he made his way over, his target noticing him at the same moment. “Damn it, Sesshoumaru. What's wrong with the layout this time?” an exhausted voice demanded as its owner threw the stack of photographs, they had been arranging, over their shoulder.
“What? Nothing is wrong with the layout, Miroku. I have something I want you to add. It is pretty small so you should not have any problems fitting it in,” Sesshoumaru insisted as he finished closing the distance between them and headed over his hand written note. Heaving a sigh of relief, as his team had already been up all night rearranging the layout for this week's newspaper for the fifth time, Miroku accepted the note and quickly scanned it.
“It's in Japanese, we only print in English, Sesshoumaru. And is mine rusty or am I reading this right?” he questioned after reading it for the second time before glancing back up at his cousin. “As strange as it sounds, did you want me to translate it? And why do you want to run this? Can't get a date any other way?” he mocked giving him a smug look which quickly disappeared when Sesshoumaru glared at him.
“Print it as it, in Japanese. I have two weeks to get a date for Inuyasha's wedding and no time to search for one. This will have to do. Do not, under threat of death, print my name with it. Just the phone number listed, it is for my extra cell so no one knows it. And anymore wise cracks out of you and I will wallpaper this entire building in pictures of your bachelor party, cousin,” he threatened emotionlessly and knowing he was completely serious, Miroku wisely let the matter drop.
“Alright, I've got a place I can stick this; page sixteen. We had a personal pull out a little while ago so there's a free space. Did you need anything else? If not, I need to get back to this layout or I'll never get your changes done before the dead line,” he none too subtlety mentioned as he began gathering up the photos he had thrown, trying to remember the order they had been in before his fit.
“That is all,” Sesshoumaru dismissed him before turning and making his way back out of the layout room. Having no other work requiring his attention, and not really in the mood to deal with his chipper assistant, he opted instead to push the down button once he arrived at the elevator, rather than going back up to his office. Stepping inside, once the doors had dinged open, he completely ignored the blatant lusty smile from the woman exiting.
Closing his golden eyes so he wouldn't have to see her before the doors closed, as he knew she would turn back to get one last glance at him, they always did, Sesshoumaru let off a sigh of relief as the metal box began to descend. When it stopped, he stepped out into the parking garage and made his way over to his new, but cheap, four-door. Though he had enough money to buy a fancier car, he found that they attracted too much unwanted attention.
Climbing in, he started the engine, pulled out of his parking spot and made his way toward the exit. Nodding to the security guard that waved him through, he pulled out onto the road and began making the quick journey home. Living only five minutes away from work definitely had its perks as soon he was pulling up in front of the building and making his way up the flight of stairs that lead only to his apartment.
Opening his door, and locking it behind him, he made his way into his bedroom, and grabbed his suitcase from the top shelf of his closest. Though he still had two weeks until the wedding, he knew his parents would insist he arrive at least a week early since he didn't visit them nearly as often as they would like. Putting in enough clothes that he would only need to wash them once during his trip, he made his way into his bathroom and started running the bath before grabbing his extra toiletries.
Tossing them, the current foreign novel he was reading and the next one on his list into his suitcase, Sesshoumaru zipped it up and placed it beside his door before making his way back into the backroom. Seeing it was full enough, he shut off the water and began stripping out of his suit, hanging it up on the back of the door to prevent it from wrinkling. Stepping into the tub, he laid back with a content sigh, closing his eyes to allow the day to be erase from his body and mind.
Just as the hot, steamy water was beginning to relax his muscles, his cell phone began to ring, its tone informing him the call was coming from the main house back in Japan. Knowing it was most likely his mother, Sesshoumaru glared at the phone for a moment, contemplating ignoring it. Before he could make up his mind, the call ended and he sat back against the end of the tub, smirking in satisfaction. It was short lived, however, as a moment later the phone began to ring again.
Growling softly to himself, Sesshoumaru reached for the phone, answering it with his custom, “Speak.” On the other end, he could hear her speaking to someone in the background, his father by the sound of it, and fought the urge to remind her that it was rude to be speaking to someone else since she had in fact called him. After a moment, he decided it wouldn't be worth it as doing so would lead to one of two things.
Either he would get an earful from her about the proper way to treat one's mother or she would cry and he would get the same earful from his father. “Oh you answered,” she realized, apparently turning her attention back to the phone. “I don't know why you couldn't just pick it up the first time I rang, I know you always keep your cell on you, Sesshoumaru. If I didn't know any better, I would think you were avoiding my call.
“But that's not what I rang you up for, so I'll let it go for now,” she decided causing him to roll his golden eyes. Though he normally wouldn't stoop to such a childish gesture, it wasn't as if anyone was there to see him. “Did you get the invitation for your brother's wedding? It's in two weeks, but your father and I would like you to come up at least a week early. Knowing you, you'll take off back to New York the second your brother leaves for his honeymoon and give the rest of us no time to visit with you.
“By the way, do you have a date yet? I talked to Washio-san and she said that Yura-chan is available to be your escort for it. They were all invited anyways and poor Yura-chan doesn't have a date yet. Really I don't understand what fault you can find in her, she's a nice, respectable girl and she comes from a very well known family. And don't you dare treat her like you did that poor girl at your cousin's wedding.
“Whatever possessed you to push her into the fountain I will never know, but her parents still refuse to accept our apologizes. I swear your father and I raised you better than that, but I am getting off topic here. I'll let Yura-chan know to be available at least a few days before the ceremony so you can take her out and get to know her better. Oh, I can make you some reservations at this nice, little French restaurant that opened up. It's very quaint.”
“Mother, before you start planning our wedding, may I intervene?” Sesshoumaru inquired, worried that was where she was heading if he allowed her to go on for too much longer. After receiving a go ahead, he continued, “I have received the invitation and the RSVP card will be mailed out tomorrow. I do not need an escort, I already have one. I set it up when I first learned of Inuyasha's engagement and will not be needing the company of Washio-san.
“As far as the girl from Miroku's wedding goes, I dare not repeat what she said, but I assure you that you would have done the same as I had you heard her. And mother, I am quite capable of finding my own dates, I would very much appreciate if you did not try to set me up in the future. I do realize you have my interests at heart, however, we do not agree on preferences. And father is better off without her parents accepting an unnecessary apology as her father was embezzling money from his company.
“Surely if I have heard news of it out here in the States, you have as well. I also will not need you to set up places for me to go while there, though if you want to suggest some places, that is perfectly fine, however, I do not need my mother to set up reservations for me. I already have enough clothing packed to last me a week, having figured you would request my presence for longer than just the wedding.
“That is as long as I can take off since, as editor, I need to be back before the layout for the next addition goes to print so I can double check it. Oh and mother, I was not avoiding your call. I am in the bathtub. Now the water has grown cold and I need to get out before I get sick,” he fibbed, knowing a worry wort such as herself wouldn't dare take the chance. “Once I have my itinerary all settled, I will give you a call and let you know.”
“Very well Sesshoumaru, I look forward to seeing you again and meeting your girlfriend. Judging by your father's smile, so is he. By the way, you didn't say what her name was? What does she do for a living? Any talk of marriage yet? How long have you two known each other? Been dating? Does she need help picking out her dress for the wedding? Oh I could go shopping with her, I didn't get to help Kikyou-chan pick out her dress since she had her mother helping her.”
Rolling his eyes once again, Sesshoumaru fought the urge to groan. “Mother, I really must be going. I assure you, I will answer those and any other questions you have about her later. But for right now, you simply need to be patient. Tell father I said hello and I will speak to you again in a few days. Have a good night, mother,” Sesshoumaru bid her as he pulled the phone away from his ear and quickly searched for the off button.
“Oh alright, Sesshoumaru. I love...,” she began only to be cut off a moment later when Sesshoumaru hung up his phone. Glaring down at the offending object, he began to question his sanity for buying the thing in the first place before placing it on top of the clothes hamper and relaxing back in the still hot water. Closing his golden eyes, he allowed the water to wash away the stress from his day and his mother's call only to be interrupted once again.
Turning to glare at the ringing phone, Sesshoumaru, for just a moment, wished his mother was there so he could smack her. Then figured if he did that, he would have to hit himself for not thinking to turn it off in the first place. Taking a deep breath, he picked up his phone and hit the talk button, instantly wishing he hadn't. “That should have been enough time to get dressed, right? I remember something after we had hung up and I figured I would give you some time before I called back.
“Inuyasha wants you to be his best man and already has a tuxedo picked out for you. You'll need to do a fitting once you get here, but everything else will be taken care of for you. You will be walking Kikyou-chan's little sister, Kaede-chan down the isle, since she's the maid of honor. Oh, I forgot to tell you they were having a Western wedding, didn't I? As much as your father and I were really hoping for a traditional, they insisted on a Western style.
“Be ready for it when it's your turn to get married, I'm sure your father will insist his heir has a traditional wedding. Her family are traditionalists, right? Will her parents be coming to the wedding as well? If not, will we be able to meet them soon? Do they live out in the States with you or are they back here in Japan with us? I should get their number so I can give a greeting call and maybe set up a meeting if they are here in Japan. Do you have their number there with you now?”
Unable to comprehend how she had gone from informing him about being the best man to talking about his own wedding to a girl who doesn't even exist yet, Sesshoumaru stared down at his phone in silence for a moment before putting it back to his ear. “Mother, please stop trying to set up wedding plans when I am not even engaged yet. When and if the time comes, we can go over all of your questions, but for the moment, you are getting way ahead of yourself.
“I will make sure I set enough time aside to go in for a fitting during the beginning of my stay. Anything else we can go over in a few days when I call you back, but for right now, I really do not have time to talk, mother. Now I really must be going. I will talk to you again in a few days. Can you please put father on for a few moments?” he requested, figuring getting the aid of his father was probably his best bet for getting a break from her.
After a moment, he could hear his father getting on the line and breathed a sigh of relief that she didn't decide to protest. “Good evening, father, may I request you keep mother from calling me once more thirty seconds after hanging up again? I do not have any further answers to her questions and have already promised to call back in a few days. I have work to do and will be unable to get it done if she keeps calling. Not to mention, I will not be able to take time off if I can not get a head in my work.”
“I understand son, I will do as you have asked. Make sure you get everything done that you need to. Have a good evening, Sesshoumaru,” his father bid him before hanging up on his end. Making sure to turn off his phone this time, Sesshoumaru set it aside and leaned back into the tub, hoping to finally get the chance to relax only to find his bath water had gone cold. Growling softly under his breath, he sunk under the water, letting off a scream of frustration.
***
Monday morning's sunrise met Sesshoumaru as he was sitting down behind his desk, grabbing the messages left by his assistant. “Your mother called to ask if you had received the wedding invitation. Your mother called again to say she forgot to mention that your brother wanted you to be his best man. She called for the third time to say she forgot to mention they were having a Western wedding. She called for the fourth time to tell me that she would be trying your cell phone.
“Then the fifth time to inform me that she talked to you at home and that she had already given you all of this information. Miroku called to confirm the placement of your ad in Monday's paper. Your brother called to make sure you received the invitation and to let you know that he wanted you to be his best man,” Sesshoumaru read out loud to himself before tossing the slips of paper into his trash can. Grabbing today's addiction of their newspaper off of his desk, where his assistant left it, he sat back in his chair and opened to the personals.
Quickly skimming the ads, Sesshoumaru soon found the only one in Japanese and read through it to make sure Miroku had written it correctly. “Currently accepting applications for a Japanese girlfriend for a relationship that will last up to two weeks. Must speak Japanese fluently, have undyed hair, a natural body and come from a respectable family. Those seeking an interview, please call 1-212-XXX-XXXX.”
Satisfied, Sesshoumaru set the paper aside and booted up his computer. As he waited for Windows to finish loading, his phone began to ring and, reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out his extra cell phone. Relaxing back in his chair, he hit the talk button as he raised it to his ear and commanded, “Speak.” On the other end he could hear the high pitch giggles of someone trying far too hard to sound female. “Miroku, I do not have any objections to plastering the walls in those photos.
“I'm sure your co-workers, not to mention your wife, would love to hear how your stripper turned out to be a man, which you did not realize until you had taken him back to your hotel room. Bother me again and you will know that this is not an idle threat,” Sesshoumaru warned him before hanging up without bothering to wait for him to confirm his identity as it wasn't really needed. As the phone rang again, he answered with another, “Speak.”
“Yes, hello. I'm calling about the ad you put in this morning's paper. How about we jump right into the fees? What services are included? I don't mind a bit of making out, but if you plan on a full coarse I charge double. I will also require you to pay for all of my meals, lodging and clothing during the time we're together,” she rambled on and figuring if he didn't stop her soon she never would, Sesshoumaru decided hanging up on her was the best coarse of action.
Praying the next call wouldn't be as big a waste of time as the last two, Sesshoumaru answered as it began to ring again. “Hello, I'm responding to your ad in this morning's paper. I meet all of your requirements with one exception, I have had some work done. However, it was a reduction, not an implant. May I ask why you require someone to act as your girlfriend for two weeks?” she inquired politely and Sesshoumaru grinned at her intelligence for asking the right question.
“I have a wedding to go to and if I do not bring a respectable enough date, my mother will try to set me up with another moron. I will only be there for a week, but require about a week in advance to get to know each other as my family will no doubt bombard us with personal questions. The second week will take place in Japan, but all of your expenses will be paid,” Sesshoumaru informed her, thankful things looked like they would be easier than he had first thought.
“It's out of the country? Damn, I can't leave the country right now. I'm in a custody battle for my younger sister, Kanna. When our parents died a few years ago, she was put into foster care because I was only sixteen. I have a court date a little over a week from now and meetings before and after with CPS. I was thinking you needed someone on your arm for local dinner parties and such. I was really hoping to join you, I could really use the stress relief. I wish you much luck as I am sure you will probably get a few freaks calling you.”
“I suppose that can't be helped and good luck with your court case,” Sesshoumaru replied disappointed, as they said their goodbyes and hung up. Sighing, he leaned back in his chair, knowing it was going to be a long day. Hearing a knock on his door, he turned his attention away from the chances of him being able to get a respectable date this way in the short time he had, and called out, “Enter.” Watching as his assistant made her way over, laying papers down on his desk, he gave her a quick once over.
Wondering if he should just borrow her for the couple of weeks needed, he paid little mind to what she saying, knowing it was no doubt the same things she said every Monday morning. Deciding he would have to fire her if she ended up learning too much about his personal life, and whatever childhood stories his mother happened to tell her, he figured it wasn't worth it. As much as she was too hyper for his tastes, it was the lesser of the two evils when compared to having to train another.
Watching as she bid him goodbye before making her way out of the room, he waited until she had closed the door behind her before turning his attention to the papers she had just dropped off. Most just needed a quick once over and his signature before he was able to toss them into his 'out' box. The others he put aside to be dealt with later as his phone began to ring again. Dreading who might be on the other line this time, Sesshoumaru answered with a curt, “Speak.”
“Hello, my name is Kagome and I am calling about your ad in the paper. You're going out of the country during the two weeks, correct? That's why you need someone who speaks Japanese rather than English, am I right? If so, I guess the country you are going to is pretty obvious. Why do you need an escort and what sort of activities will be involved? Meaning like a party, a wedding or a family dinner. And tell me right now if you are planning anything nasty so I know to hang up on you.”
Stunned for a moment by how fast the girl on the other end was speaking, Sesshoumaru simply sat there in silence before finally regaining control of his voice and replying, “Greetings Kagome, yes the two weeks will include one in Japan and one here getting to know each other. My younger brother is getting married and I am in need of a date unless I wish to be set up by my mother. As I have not had time to search the old fashion way, I was forced to go this route.
“I can assure you that I have absolutely nothing 'nasty' planned. There is the wedding and of course the reception afterward. Most likely a dinner with my entire family every night that we are there. My mother will no doubt wish to take my date out shopping at least once in order to pump her for information, hence the reason I've set aside a week to get to know each other. All of the expenses will be paid for including your tickets, hotel fare and spending money while we are in Japan.”
“Hmm sounds interesting and I would like to make a trip back to Japan soon. But I would have to meet you first before making any decisions cause, no offence, but you could turn out to be a complete lunatic and I would hate to find that out after I had gotten on the plane. Any chance you are free for lunch today? I know this nice, quiet restaurant down town that would be perfect for a little meet and greet,” Kagome informed him and after Sesshoumaru agreed, she recited the address before they said their goodbyes and hung up.
***
After walking the few blocks from where he parked, due to the lunch time traffic clogging up both sides of the street, Sesshoumaru pushed open the glass door to the restaurant, ignoring the accompanying jingle of the bells that hung from it. Taking a quick glance around the small, diner like restaurant, and quickly deciding it was not an establishment that he would normally go to given the choice, Sesshoumaru soon spotted the only single woman in sight. Figuring she no doubt had to be the girl he was meeting, he began to make his way over to where she was seated at a two-person table.
“Kagome I presume?” he inquired getting her attention and seeing her nod her head in affirmative, Sesshoumaru continued, “It is a pleasure to meet you. Let us get down to business.” Taking his seat across from her, Sesshoumaru flagged down a nearby waiter and gestured for her to order first when he arrived at the table. After she declined ordering, he requested a coffee and turned his attention back to the girl in front of him.
“Before you begin,” she interrupted just as he was about to speak again, raising her hand as she stood up in her seat. “I'll go get the real Kagome now that I can see you aren't some psycho and are actually pretty cute,” the woman told him, a slight flirtation in her voice, before waving goodbye and making her way over to the counter. Resting her arms on the counter top, the woman stood on her tip toes as she leaned forward and peered over the edge. “It's safe, sugar.”
“Thanks, Ayame,” a soft voice replied, its owner giving a grateful smile as she stood up from behind the counter and dusted off her hands before turning to get her first glimpse of the man she was meeting with. Giving him a slightly apologetic smile, Kagome made her way around the counter and over to the table where she quickly sat down before gently biting her lower lip as she waited to see if he would get annoyed by her actions and leave. Seeing he seemed to be staying for now at least, she ventured, “Sorry about that, but you can never be sure of people nowadays.”
“Think nothing of it, it matters not to me. In fact, your intelligence for thinking of such a thing is rather refreshing. Unfortunately, most women I have met would not have had the foresight to insure their safety in this manner. A simple phone conversation is not an adept way to get to know someone to the point of trusting them. But that is partly what this next week will be about, providing you decide to be my date for the wedding. Not only do you need to be able to trust me, but I with you as well.
“I come from a very prestigious family and there are certain standards that I must uphold, at least while I am back home. I do not mean to say that my family are elitists or anything of the sort, but there are certain requirements they will look for when it comes to someone dating me. One of the major ones is speaking Japanese, which is why I not only requested it, but ran the ad in it. Another is that you come from a respectable family, it does not have to be anything extravagant, but obviously no criminals. My family can not be thought to be tied to crime of any kind.
“Also you must have a natural body, no cosmetic surgery at all. From head to toe, you must be exactly as you were made to be. And this is a personal preference of mine that my family knows well about. If you let it slip that you, let's say, dye your hair, our cover would be blown and my mother would not stop until she married me off to someone she picked. I love my mother, but she has horrible taste in women. And I should point out that I normally do not speak much, I am a very quiet man unless angry and I judge, by our conversation on the phone, that you are rather talkative, correct?”
Trying to process everything he had just told her, Kagome remained silence for an entire minute before finally nodding to his question. “Yes, I can be quiet when I need to be, but usually I'm not. I'm a talk show host, so I'm used to talking a lot. And pretty much nonstop. Let's see, to answer your questions... I was born and raised in Japan and only came here after college, so my Japanese is perfect. My family is very respectable and my paternal grandfather is the current head priest of the Higurashi shrine. Which has been in my direct family line since it was built in the 1500s.
“Other than my French manicure,” she paused to show her painted nails before continuing, “I'm completely natural. I have dyed my hair in the past, but not since high school and it grew out many years ago. If we both agree to this, have you decided what are back story is going to be? How we met? When we started dating? And I'm guessing, if she's anything like mine, your mother will probably want to meet my family and if so, can we tell them the same? My mother has been bugging me about dating more for years.”
“We were introduced through a mutual friend at one of the dinner parties hosted by my work. The party was nine months ago and we have been dating for seven. I'll have exact dates later. If pressed, we can simply explain that we did not say anything about our relationship for so long because we were not sure it would last. My mother will want to meet your family and has already asked me about setting up a meeting. I believe it would be best to tell them the same thing, just so no one slips.
“There will be one person at least that knows we are not really dating and that is my cousin, he works in the layout department and is the one that ran the ad for me. But I have blackmail on him so he will not cause any problems. I will work on fine tuning some of our back story tonight and we can meet here again tomorrow, if that works for you. I realize it is a bit of a rush, but I would like you to make your decision by then. If you decide not to be my escort, I will still need time to find another.
“Here is my business card,” he told her as he pulled it out of his breast pocket before handing it to her. “With that, you can check to make sure I am who I am and not, how did you put that, 'a complete lunatic'. If you decide to work with me, simply meet me here for lunch tomorrow, same time as today. If not, you can simply leave a message for me at the number on my card before then. Unfortunately we are out of time for now, I must be getting back to work.”
Placing a couple of dollars, way more than his bill was worth, on the table for his untouched cup of coffee, Sesshoumaru bid her goodbye before rising to his feet and making his way back out of the restaurant. As much as he wished to know right then whether she would help him or not, he knew she would need a bit of time to check up on him. Making his way back to where he parked, Sesshoumaru climbed into his car and headed back toward his office, hoping to help pass the time by burying himself in work.
Back in the restaurant, three pairs of curious eyes watched his retreating back until he disappeared, before turning around and sitting down at the table he had just vacated, the third pulling up an extra seat. Reaching across the table, the only male of the group grabbed the business card from Kagome's fingers before reading it over. “I vote he's a fraud,” he decided nonchalantly as he tossed the card onto the table in front of him. “I'm sure Mr. Sesshoumaru Konoe, editor of the York Daily News, would have no problem finding a date. Heck, he's probably dating two or three women already if he's real.”
“Does seem a bit off, but you saw him, Kouga,” Ayame pointed out as she waved her hand, as though she were gesturing to the man in question. “Did he look like the kind of guy that needed to make up some elaborate lie to get a date?” she demanded, stunning him into silence when he couldn't come up with a retort. “Exactly. Plus did you see his posture? I've seen statues that hunch more than that. Nope, I vote real deal.”
“Why do I always get stuck with the tie breaker?” Kagome groaned, drawing their attention back to her as she sighed and laid her head down on the table top. “I should be heading home. I'll look him up on the internet and make sure his name and face match up like they should. I'll give you two a call first thing tomorrow to let you know what I decide,” she assured them before standing and biding the two of them goodbye. As she opened the door, the bells chimed again marking her exit and glancing around, the others noticed they were called by a customer.
***
“Relax, Sesshoumaru. We have been over all of this already. I now know more about you, than I ever wanted to know about another human being. Besides, I am sure your mom is going to be too excited over the fact that you have a girlfriend to worry about grilling us to make sure our answers match. And since, I'm guessing the woman standing in that driveway waving is in fact your mother, you have officially run out of time to worry. Just act naturally and leave the rest to me,” Kagome assured him with a smile as she patted him gently on the hand just as their car was pulling into the driveway.
Though it went against what she preferred, Kagome properly waited in the car until he had gotten out himself and opened her door for her. Drawing in a deep breath, she steeled herself for the week to come and turned back to the woman, whom Sesshoumaru was now introducing as his mother. “Konoe-sama, it is a honour to meet you. Sesshoumaru-san speaks of you highly,” Kagome greeted as she bowed as deeply as she could to the older woman, switching to her mother tongue as he had done, only to find herself wrapped in a tight embrace a moment later.
“You just forget all about honorifics with me, why you're practically family,” she insisted as she half let her go and began leading her into the large house. “Be a dear Sesshoumaru and bring in her bags as well,” she called over her shoulder, not bothering to wait around long enough to hear his answer before ushering her over the threshold. “Rin! Rin, dear come down here!” she called out the moment they were inside, closing the door behind them as she lead the way into the den. Hearing the bouncy steps of a teenager coming up behind them, she sat them down on the couch before gesturing to the newer arrival in the room.
“This is my youngest, Rin and you can call me Fuu. Well tell us all about yourself, Sesshoumaru is so stingy with information. I could barely get a word out of him about your relationship, let alone about you. Where are you from? What does your family do? How did you two meet? Are there any plans on getting married yet? Are you guys planning on moving back home once you get married? I've never really liked Sesshoumaru being so far away, but I can not get him to move back. Maybe you can, if you tell him you want to move back.”
Stunned into silence for a long moment, Kagome simply sat there staring at her as Rin sat down next to her mother. Finally regaining control of herself, she drew in a deep breath before smiling and jumping right in. “I am actually from here. My family lives about 20 miles from your home. I'm the oldest child in the current generation of the Higurashi clan, the guardians of the shrine of the same name. My younger brother is learning how to take over for my grandfather when it's time.
“We met back in January of this year at a dinner party hosted by the paper. A mutual friend introduced us, he was doing an interview with me about my show. We've only actually been dating for about seven months, so there is still no talk about marriage yet. Right now, I want to focus on my career since when I do get married and start having children, I plan on being a stay at home mother, as mine was. So I want to get my desire to be outside the home out of the way first.
“We haven't spoken about where we want to live either, though I would like to move back home once I settle down. I miss being around my family and I know, that when I do have children, I'll be needing my mother's guidance. But for right now, we are really just focused on our careers and getting to know each other. I assure you, you'll be the first one to know when we do begin speaking of the future,” Kagome told her with a soft smile, figuring if the words work on her mother, as they usually did, they would work on his as well.
Judging by the bright smile she was rewarded with and the embrace that followed, she was correct. From just on the other side of the door, Sesshoumaru smirked in satisfaction to himself of the level of finesse, the woman he had picked, had shown in speaking to his mother. It was not easy to get her incessant questions to end, but she had done so in a way that not only pacified his mother, but helped create a bond between them as well.
Seeing Sesshoumaru give her a look of appreciation, Kagome graced him with a soft smile before turning her attention back to the older woman next to her. “Oh the children you two will have will be so beautiful,” Fuu decided as she grinned, a very motherly grin, from ear to ear. Unable to stop herself, Kagome felt her cheeks blush red at the suggestion. “Just wait until my husband meets you, I doubt he will let you leave after the wedding.”
Hoping she was joking, Kagome laughed with her before turning her attention to the younger girl, deciding to get the spot light off of herself for a while. “Sesshoumaru-san told me you were 16, right?” Kagome inquired, knowing she was correct but wanting to sound more realistic. Seeing her bob her head in agreement, she continued, “I remember when I was your age. Ah the joys of high school. What club are you a part of?”
“I'm captain of the tea ceremony club. I'm actually the first, first year to get the spot. My school has an escalator system so everyone already knew me from middle school and it allowed me to be voted as captain,” Rin explained, obviously taking great pride in her position. “What club did you take part in?” Rin inquired after a moment and Fuu quickly nodded her head in agreement, apparently wanting to know the answer as well.
“I was a member of the archery, the broad casting and the flower arranging clubs,” Kagome began only to be met with confused expressions. “I get that look whenever I tell people I was in three clubs during high school, it's not really done usually,” she replied with a chuckle. “Archery met in the mornings and was the only one that had competitions to worry about. Broad casting only met during lunch and flower arranging was after school. So all three fit with my schedule and was the only way for everyone to get what they wanted.
“My grandfather wanted me to learn archery as a part of my heritage, even though my brother would be taking his place. My mother believes all women should know how to arrange flowers. And I wanted to broad cast. I've known since I was a little girl that I wanted to be a talk show host and it gave me experience toward that end. By doing all three, they were happy and I got to do what I wanted,” Kagome finished with a smile, soon mimicked by the other two.
“And your grades? They did not suffer from the extra work load you placed on yourself?” Fuu inquired, continuing before Kagome had had the chance to answer her. “I suppose not if your family allowed you to continue all three. So I guess the better question is how you managed all of that? Rin's a very bright girl, but I worry about her grades considering her extra responsibilities as captain.” The older woman opted to ignore the slightly annoyed look her teenage daughter was giving her.
“My grades were never really a problem. The only subject I had problems in was math and my younger brother is a genius when it comes to math. In fact, he's actually just a few years older than you and I'm sure he would be happy to tutor you if you have any problems with math. He's pretty good in other subjects as well,” Kagome offered only to find herself second guessing the suggestion a moment later. Her and Sesshoumaru wouldn't be together for very long and she wasn't sure introducing the younger siblings was such a good idea.
Thankfully she was saved from saying anything further or hearing Rin's answer by Sesshoumaru entering the room. “Kagome-san, you should probably unpack now as things will probably get too busy once everyone starts coming home,” Sesshoumaru warned, earning a grateful smile from his 'girlfriend' as she stood and bowed to her hostess. “I will show you the way,” he offered, as he held his hand out for her and waited until she had taken it before leading her out of the room.
“Thanks,” she whispered softly after they had begun climbing the stairs and she was sure they were out of hearing range. “I just realized it probably wasn't a good idea to try and set Souta up as Rin's tutor all things considered,” Kagome explained before falling into silence as he nodded his head and lead her down a long hallway until coming to stop before a set of double doors. As he pulled them open, Kagome found herself staring into a large, expensively decorated room.
“This shall be your room for this week, mine is connected through that door,” he explained as he gestured to a door off to the left of the room. “To get to mine, you have to go through our shared bathroom, but there should be no reason for either of us to need to be in the other's room. Simply lock the inside door when you occupy the bathroom and unlock it when you leave. Any questions?” he wondered as he turned back toward her and found her already beginning to unpack.
Seeing her shake her head, Sesshoumaru continued, “Tonight is going to be a large family dinner and it will test your patience. You will be meeting my brother and his fiancé, a woman I have not even met yet. Though a lot of the pressure should be taken off of us and put on them, there will no doubt be questions aimed at us. Also you will remember I mentioned a cousin who would be here that knows the truth, he arrives tonight.
“Though he won't openly expose you, he may try to bait you. If so, simply fend him off with that interesting wit of yours and you will be fine. If anything goes wrong or you are asked something you do not remember the answer to, simply take a sip of your water and I will answer in your stead. And whatever you do, do not drink too much wine. I don't mean to say that you normally would, but that my family will push it on you.”
“Sesshoumaru relax,” Kagome teased as she stopped what she was doing and began making her way toward him. “I know,” she began only to pause for a split second when she noticed a shadow crossing the open doorway. Reaching up to gently caress his pale cheek, ignoring the raised eye brow he questioned her with, she started again, “I know you are nervous about me meeting your family for the first time, but you needn't worry so much, Sesshoumaru-san.
“Your family will love me just as you do and I am sure I will be able to handle meeting the others. Have faith in me.” Hearing the code for someone else being around, her adding a suffix to his name, Sesshoumaru quickly realized what she was doing and gave her a nod of understanding before leaning down to gently kiss her temple. “Now I am done unpacking and I believe I hear your mother calling us, why don't we head downstairs,” Kagome suggested as she turned, only to stop when she 'noticed' someone standing in the doorway. “Oh!”
Following her line of sight, Sesshoumaru spotted who had caused her to make the startled noise and gave him a slight bowing of his head. “Good evening, father. I was not expecting to see you until dinner. I trust your latest trip went well,” Sesshoumaru inquired of the older man that looked very similar to himself. Noticing his father had yet to take his golden eyes off of the girl at his side, he added, “Father may I introduce to you Higurashi Kagome-san. Kagome-san this is my father, Konoe Akio-sama.”
“It is a honor to meet you, Konoe-sama,” Kagome greeted as she bowed as deeply as she could before rising again and keeping her eyes trained on the floor in front of her. “Sesshoumaru-san has told me many great things about you and the work you do. I am graced by your presence,” she continued and had Sesshoumaru been one to laugh, he would have done so at that moment. He had warned her that his father's favourite thing was flattery. Apparently she had decided to lay it on as thick as she could.
“No need to be so formal my dear, as my lovely wife tells me, it should not be too long before we are family. Speaking of,” Akio began as he took his eyes off of her for a moment to glance over at his son before turning back to her and stepping into the room. “How about I escort you downstairs while you tell me all about how my son has been behaving in the States,” he suggested as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and began leading her out of the room before she could protest.
Rolling his eyes at his father's actions, Sesshoumaru followed closely behind in case she needed his assistance. “I do hope my son has learned some proper manners and has not been a complete bore while with you. He does tend to be all business and can be rather boring for someone trying to date him,” Akio insisted, shooting his son an annoyed look over his shoulder before turning his attention back to the girl he had his arm around.
“Oh no, Akio-san, Sesshoumaru-san has kept my interest quite well. Although I have seen him be all business around others, he does not treat me the same as those he employs. He is actually quite romantic and rather sweet when he wants to be,” Kagome assured him, glancing shyly at her 'boyfriend' before turning away to hide a blush that wasn't there. Completely taken in by the act, Akio grinned proudly at his son before leading Kagome into the dinning room where others were already beginning to sit around the table.
“Ah you have arrived. You made good time, son,” Akio commented, releasing Kagome and making his way to where his younger son was pulling out a chair for his fiancé. “I hope the trip was pleasant enough?” he prompted as he stopped before them, the two bowing before him before turning their attention simultaneously toward the two still standing in the doorway. Noticing their attention was no longer on him, Akio followed their gaze.
“Ah yes, time for introductions I see. Sesshoumaru, this is Kikyou-san, Inuyasha's fiancé. Sesshoumaru is my eldest son,” he explained to his future daughter-in-law before turning his gaze back to the doorway. “Inuyasha, Kikyou-san, this is Kagome-san, Sesshoumaru's girlfriend. Now then, let's all take our seats.” Deciding the introductions were over, Akio made his way to his seat at the head of the table and seated himself silently.
Used to his father's abrupt behaviour, Inuyasha gave it no more attention as he once more began pulling out the chair for his fiancé before taking the seat next to her. A bit out of sorts with what was going on, Kagome turned to Sesshoumaru for guidance and, with a gentle, barely there smile, he lead her to her seat and took his own next to her. Also around the table where Rin and Fuu, who had already been seated when the others arrived.
“So Inuyasha, how are the last minute wedding plans going? Have any problems arose since the last time we spoke?” Akio inquired as he turned his, and the entire tables', attention to the groom-to-be as he set his elbows on the table and rested his chin in his closed hands. After shaking his head no, Inuyasha turned to the rest of the table and explained to everyone that everything was going as planned and that the only thing left to do were a few last minute changes to the menu.
“Apparently there had been some mix up with the wine set to be served with the main course during the reception and we have to go down tomorrow to approve the new one that's been chosen. Thankfully Kikyou insisted on sampling the menu before the wedding or it would have been a disaster. One of Kikyou's relatives actually owns a winery in France and is very traditional when it comes to wines. He would have been outraged if things hadn't been corrected.”
“Which would have been understandable. The wrong wine can completely change the flavor of a meal and you would not want your wedding remembered for the food tasting horrible,” Akio insisted to his younger son before turning his attention back to his eldest once more. Sure he already knew what was coming, Sesshoumaru sat with perfect posture, his head slightly tilted up as if to dare his father to continue. “Speaking of weddings, will we be planning another soon?”
“It is far too early to think about marriage, father. Kagome-san and I have only been dating for seven months. That is hardly long enough to know if we wish to spend the rest of our lives together. You simply need be patient,” Sesshoumaru insisted, ignoring the annoyed expression that appeared on his father's face for a moment. Deciding it would be best to get their attention off of his nonexistent future wedding, Sesshoumaru turned toward the woman at his side.
“Kagome-san, how about you explain to them your job. I am sure my father will find it rather interesting.” Seeing the plea for help in his eyes, Kagome smiled reassuringly before turning her attention back to the rest of the family. Though he knew exactly what his eldest was doing, Akio decided to let the matter drop for now. There would be plenty of time during their stay to talk about future plans and he was interested in learning more about the girl who would hopefully one day become his daughter-in-law.
“As I mentioned earlier, Fuu-san,” Kagome began as she turned to her for a moment, before turning back to the other side of the table, “I am a talk show host. Our program is called 'Our cross to bear'. As you may have guessed from the name, it is a show about religions. Each week I speak to a leader of a religious order. For example, for the pre-taped episode that will air later this week, I interviewed a Rabbi from a synagogue in New York. The day after I return, I will be interviewing an Imam from a well known mosque out West.
“That interview is probably going to be one of the most interesting since I will actually be wearing a niqab and in fact will not be speaking directly to him. Since I am an unmarried woman, and doing so would break the rules of his faith, when he agreed to do the interview, it was only if we had a man speak to him for me. Basically I will ask the third party a question, he will turn and ask the Imam. The Imam will answer him and he will answer me.
“To make things more proper, I guess would be the right word, even though the Imam speaks English, he's going to speak Arabic since I do not and it will be obvious to any watching that we are not speaking directly to each other. As I said, it is going to be a very interesting interview,” Kagome repeated with a chuckle before turning to give Sesshoumaru a questioning look. A moment later he gave her the slightest of nods to let her know that he had approved.
“You don't find it insulting that you have to go through so much for a religion you don't even follow?” Inuyasha inquired, interrupting their silent exchange and drawing everyone's attention to himself. Seeing the disapproving look from his father, he quickly elaborated, “I don't mean that there is anything wrong with how they practice their religion. To each his own and all that, but to have to wear a veil and talk through a third person all because you are a woman. Doesn't that bother you?”
“Actually when I first started this show I was worried about problems like this coming up. There are many religions and cultures out there that expect their women to be, let's say, demure. And honestly I am not usually the 'sit quietly and look pretty' type, but at the same time, I can be when I need to be. My family are traditionalists and when I am at my family's shrine, I know that I must act the part. And I do so willingly and happily.
“Being a proper Japanese woman when I am here is a small price to pay for my grandfather's happiness, especially after all he has done for my family. When I am home in the States, I am free to be however, whoever I want to be. I see the show the same way. For those 30 minutes to an hour that I am interviewing someone, meeting their needs is worth the knowledge I get from spending time with them.
“And the moment the interview is over and I go home, I am free to be myself once more. So I do not actually find it to be a bother to have to fit in with their ways, but more like an honor that for the short amount of time, I get to walk in the shoes of so many different cultures that I could never begin to understand otherwise. Though, I believe it is one of those things you have to experience to really appreciate,” Kagome insisted upon seeing Inuyasha's still confused face.
“Have you ever had a Shinto priest in for an interview? That is the religion you follow, correct?” Akio inquired and though his tone reflected no hostility, Kagome remembered a warning Sesshoumaru had given her before their trip. His family was completely traditional, including the religion of Japan's history and believe that anyone claiming to be traditional had to be the same. Luckily for Kagome, this was one part of their story she didn't need to fabricate.
“As I mentioned a moment ago, Akio-san, my family are traditionalists and the shrine my grandfather runs is Shinto, but to answer your question; no. I have not had the chance to interview a member of the Shinto religion yet for two reasons. First we wanted to wait a while to do my own religion to make sure my viewers and critics knew me well enough to know I wasn't playing favourites and also the priest I want to interview is my grandfather, but so far he has refused me.”
“He refuses? Surely he would be honoured to be given the chance to teach others about his religion like that and with his own grand-daughter no less,” Fuu insisted keeping everyone's attention on Kagome even though she had been hoping the conversation would drop then, it was still a somewhat sore spot for her and judging by the slight glare she was receiving from the bride-to-be, she did not like someone else taking her spotlight.
Considering she was the only one of the two of them that would actually marry into the family, Kagome decided it was only fair that she get the spotlight she wanted. Now all she had to do was turn the conversation back to them. “I broke my grandfather's heart when I told him I didn't want to be a priestess and was instead moving to the States after college,” she explained before quickly turning her attention across the table before anyone could say anything more. “I have not heard, how did the two of you meet?”
Startled by the conversation suddenly switching to her, Kikyou seemed like a fish out of water for a moment before regaining control and giving Kagome a proper smile."We attend the same college and met during a sports meet that Inuyasha was participating in. He got thirsty during warm ups and bumped into me at the water fountain. After knocking the paint brush, I was carrying to the fountain to wash, out of my hands and onto my brand new dress, he offered to take me out for dinner to make up for it," Kikyou explained and Kagome couldn't help but smile.
That was the way you were supposed to meet someone; in such a way that it not only made a good story but was something you could never forget. "That is so sweet. What an amazing way to meet your future husband," Kagome honestly admired before quickly turning the conversation onto other things when she realized both of the parents looked like they were about to bring up a non-existent marriage again. "You mentioned a paint brush; are you an artist or was it for a school project?"
"I'm a painter. I do mostly landscapes and a few portraits. There is actually one I painted in the hallway upstairs if you would like me to show you after dinner," Kikyou offered and with a genuine smile, Kagome happily agreed. Before the conversation could go any further, they could hear the front door opening and people making their way into the dinning room.
"Ah Miroku, Sango-chan, how was your flight in? Not too long I hope," Akio greeted as all eyes turned toward the man and the, very, pregnant woman who has just walked in. As Kagome gave the woman named Sango a once over, she quickly decided there was no way she could have gotten on a flight; she was too far along.
"Remember Uncle? I told you a couple of weeks ago we had to come by boat and train because Sango is in her third trimester and can not fly. The only reason we were both able to make it was because she wants our baby to be born here where her mom can help her out," Miroku explained, not for the first time and he doubted it would be his last. His uncle had the tendency to have selective memory. If it wasn't about which ever child of his he was currently doting on, he wasn't likely to remember it.
"Right, right. I do remember you saying something to that effect," Akio assured him though none in the room believed for a moment that he had actually recalled that conversation. "Well don't just stand there; come and sit down," he instructed, gesturing to the only two seats that were still empty. As Miroku helped his wife to sit down before taking his own seat, Akio introduced, "Miroku, Sango-chan, this is Inuyasha's fiancé Kikyou and this is Sesshoumaru's girlfriend Kagome. Ladies, this is my nephew and his wife."
As a round of 'nice to meet you's began being passed around, Miroku turned his attention to Kagome with a smirk. "Actually Uncle, we have already met, haven't we Kagome-san?" he baited her, knowing full well that they had not had the opportunity to meet while they were still in the States. Unsure of how to respond, Kagome decided it would be best to take a sip of her water at that moment even though everyone was already looking at her and waiting for her response.
Easily noticing the predetermined signal, Sesshoumaru jumped in while she was unable to speak, "You sure you really want the family to know that she met you while you were dancing at an office party drunk?" As Miroku was well known for going passed his limit when it came to alcohol, Sesshoumaru knew that he didn't have to worry about them not believing him. And judging by the glare he was getting from his wife, even though she no doubt knew the truth, she was still not going to let him get away with it.
After a moment, Sesshoumaru figured it was probably for all of the times he had gotten away with his bad behaviour because she had yet to learn about it. Fortunately for Miroku, he was saved from any further questioning when the food was served. Shooting Sesshoumaru a glare over his plate, Miroku made a mental note to get back at him later.
...
Later that night as Kagome was pulling her shirt over her head so she could get changed into her nightgown, she didn't realize anyone was entering her room until she heard his hurried apology. Turning around after quickly throwing on her nightgown, she found Sesshoumaru standing there staring at the closed door; making sure to keep his back to her. "It's safe to look now, but would you care to explain exactly why you are coming into my room without knocking?" Kagome demanded though there was no venom in her tone.
"My parents have decided to try and play match maker, it would seem. They waited until I was heading to bed to tell me that the guest rooms are full of stuff for the wedding and they supposedly forgot to leave a room open for Miroku and Sango. So we are stuck sharing, but do not worry, I will be sleeping on the couch." After having explained this, Sesshoumaru moved to the other side of the room and laid down on the couch without waiting for her consent.
Though Kagome wanted to kick him out as she preferred to have her own space, she knew he would not try anything and his parents might think something was up if she was unwilling to share a room with a man she was supposedly dating.Deciding it was best to just let it be, Kagome simply nodded her head before making her way over to turn off the light.
Once she saw that he had already laid down and had covered himself up, she turned it off and pulled back the covers before climbing into bed. As she drew the covers up to her chin, she could already hear Sesshoumaru beginning toss and turn on the couch. "You sure you don't want the bed? You are the taller one," Kagome pointed out as though he wasn't aware of his fact himself.
"I am perfectly fine here, this was your room and I do not wish to put my guest out by making them sleep on the couch. Just get some sleep, my mother plans to take you shopping tomorrow and it will prove to be a long day," Sesshoumaru warned her before rolling over and unknowingly mimicking her actions with his own blanket. Though Kagome knew his warning would no doubt prove to be true, she was finding it hard to fall asleep.
Not only was she in a strange home filled with people she barely knew, there was a man laying down only a few feet from her; in the same room. This was not something she was accustomed to and as she lay there awake staring at the ceiling, she wasn't sure she would ever be. Sighing Kagome rose from bed after a few minutes had passed, and she had grown bored, and made her was over to the window to look down over the back yard.
Feeling a chill coming from the cracks in the window, Kagome wrapped her arms around herself as she tried to stay warm. Completely lost watching the way the wind caused the branches to sway in the moon light, Kagome didn't notice another presence nearby until he started to speak. "Can't sleep?" Sesshoumaru inquired as he stopped right behind her.
More than slightly startled by the sudden noise so close, Kagome jumped clear off of the ground as she tried to spin around to face him only to lose her balance in the process. Fortunately for her, Sesshoumaru was quick to reach his arms out and caught her before she could hurt herself. "I apologize Kagome, it was not my intention to scare you," Sesshoumaru explained as he righted her; though he continued to hold onto her in case she lost her balance again.
"Sorry not used to there being another person in the room so I sort of forgot you were there for a minute and wasn't expecting anyone to come up behind me. I hope I am not keeping you up, I thought I was being quiet enough," Kagome insisted causing the man behind her to chuckle.
"You did not make a sound, Kagome. Much like with yourself, I am unaccustomed to having someone else in the room with me while I am sleeping. I suppose we should have tested it out back home so we would be more prepared for this as I truly should have seen this coming. I would not be surprised if the guestrooms aren't completely empty and my mother just used that as an excuse to try and push us closer together."
Since she didn't find such a thing all that hard to believe, and in fact was something her mother would do, Kagome ignored his comments about it being a set up and instead concentrated on his admission about himself. "You've never had anyone share your room? What about past girlfriends?"
"As I mentioned in the beginning, I have not had time to date. There has been no one to let stay over, but I could ask the same of you. Did you not have a past boyfriend stay the night?" Sesshoumaru countered, wanting to get the conversation off of his lack of a love life. He knew people thought it was strange that a man in his position wasn't dating, but he honestly didn't find it all that important.
"I haven't really dated since high school and really there is only one reason for a man to spend the night in his girlfriend's room and since that reason has never come up with my exes, it has never been an issue before. It may seem a bit old fashion, but I do not believe in, let's call it, 'spending the night' before marriage. And since I have never even been close to get married, none of this stuff ever really came up before."
"You know, I think you were the best woman to bring on this trip with me. You are a lot like me and it makes this whole thing much easier," Sesshoumaru told her as he turned her back around so they were both facing toward the window and laid his chin on top of her head as he wrapped his arms around to waist. Leaning intimately close to her ear just as she was about to demand to know what he was doing, he whispered, "My father is looking up at us from below. I am going to kiss your temple and go back to bed."
Just as he had said he would, Sesshoumaru placed a gentle kiss upon her temple before releasing her with a soft 'goodnight' and making his way back toward the couch. Wanting to give her heated face a chance to cool down, Kagome opted to stand at the window for a few moments more and out of curiously, she turned her glance down to the ground below, but could find no sign of his father. 'Guess he had already gone back in,' Kagome decided silently before finally turning away from the window and crawling back into bed.
...
Early the next morning, Kagome awoke with a loud yawn as she stretched out the kinks that had settled in her body during the night. The soft sound of rustling cloth reminded her that she was not alone and glanced over to the other side of the room to find Sesshoumaru still sound asleep; his blanket hanging halfway on the floor. Smiling softly to herself, she silently climbed out of bed and threw on her housecoat and slippers.
Certain no one else would be awake before dawn, she was a bit surprised to find Fuu already in the kitchen getting breakfast started. Noticing her arrival, the older woman couldn't help but smile, "No one else is ever up this early. Would you care to help me with breakfast?" Having nothing else to do besides sitting down somewhere by herself and waiting for Sesshoumaru to wake up, Kagome nodded her head before asking what she wanted her to do.
"If you wouldn't mind preparing the omelet rolls, it would really help me out," Fuu informed her, gesturing toward the bowl of eggs that was sitting in the counter beside her. Smiling softly at the gentle woman currently making miso soup, Kagome moved to stand next to her and began cracking eggs into another bowl. "So what are you doing up this early anyways?" she inquired, keeping her eyes trained on what she was doing.
"When I was growing up on the shrine, I always needed to wake up before dawn to help with the chores. Even though I've been living in the States for a while now, I still kept up the habit and usually clean my apartment in the early morning. I figured that when I come back to Japan to visit, my grandfather would be happier if I still wake up in the mornings to help," Kagome explained with a smile, mentally making a note to talk to Sesshoumaru about staying over at the shrine for one of the nights they were there.
"Such a filial child you are. Your mother and father must be so proud of you," Fuu commented and though Kagome knew it was genuine, she could also hear the unasked questions that it hinted toward. But as she thought about it, Kagome realized she didn't mind and was actually looking forward to talking about her family.
"Unfortunately my father died when I was really young and was unable to see the woman I became. To be honest, I never really knew him and do not miss him, but I think a lot of that has to do with how my mother raised my younger brother and I. She was both mother and father to us; teaching me about makeup and boys and teaching my brother about sports and how to treat girls.
"She saw to it that we didn't miss out on anything because our father was no longer with us and anything she couldn't show us, our grandfather did. I hope that when I become a mother one day, that I am at least half as good as she is," Kagome admitted honestly as she took over one of the burners in the stove and began cooking up the eggs.
"I must insist on meeting such a wonderful woman. Perhaps I could even take some pointers from her," Fuu half joked as she began transferring the food that was ready onto the plates on the counter behind them.
"I kind of doubt that, Fuu-san, from what I have seen, you have done an amazing job raising your three children. What could be left to learn?"
"Dear child, you will learn one day that a parent is never done learning how to be good at their job. The times are constantly changing and we are always learning something new about raising children. And what I learn now, even though I only have one teenager left to raise, I can teach to my daughter and future daughter-in-laws.
"Now let's get those omelet rolls on the plates since they are done and I think I hear the first ones starting to come downstairs," Fuu informed her before waiting until Kagome had dished up the omelet rolls and picked up as many plates as she could carry. Grabbing the remaining dishes, Kagome followed after her.
...
Having found a rare moment of peace in a crowded house, Kagome and Sesshoumaru were enjoying simply sitting together in the garden silently when someone calling for her quickly put an end to it. "It seems mother is ready for that shopping trip I had warned you about. Are you sure you will be okay answering her endless questions?" Sesshoumaru wondered, worried that their cover would be blown and his mother would insist on setting him up on another horrible date.
"I will be fine, Sesshoumaru. We have already been over every question she could possibly ask a hundred times. If she figures it out, it won't be from me," Kagome assured him before rising to her feet and starting to make her way back inside. When she realized his mother was already making her way over to them, she leaned down to kiss Sesshoumaru's cheek before glancing up and pretending to have just noticed her.
"Hello Fuu-san, were you calling me? I was just on my way inside to check," Kagome informed her with a bright smile before turning toward Sesshoumaru as he stood and greeted her as well.
"Yes I was, Kagome-chan, how do you feel about going shopping with me?" Fuu asked politely and though Kagome could tell she had the option of saying no, she knew by her tone of voice that she would be disappointed if she did.
"I would love to," Kagome assured her with a smile before turning back and gently kissing Sesshoumaru on the cheek once more. "I will see you later, Sesshoumaru-san," Kagome continued and after receiving a nod from him, she followed after his mother and she began making her way back inside. Not really sure if she was looking forward to the trip or not yet, Kagome said nothing as she followed her outside and into the waiting car.
Though she wasn't used to having a driver, Kagome found herself even more confused by Kikyou joining them at the last moment. It wasn't as though she minded her coming with them, and in fact might work out in her favour to have another person around for Fuu to question, she was simply caught off guard and was already looking forward to the time when she would be back home where everything tended to follow the schedule she had planned.
"I haven't had much time with Kikyou-chan since she has been busy with the wedding plans. I hope you do not mind me inviting her," Fuu questioned in such a way that Kagome knew she could not refuse, even if she wanted to, without sounding rude.
"Or course not, the more the merrier and I am sure Kikyou was looking for an opportunity to spend time with you as well. Far be it for me to try and take that away from her," Kagome insisted before turning to both of the women and smiling. Scooting over as far as she could in the back seat so there would be enough room for them to climb in and take their own seats, Kagome waited silently for them to do just that and for the driver to get in after closing the door behind them.
It was not long before he was starting the car and backing out of the driveway; leaving Kagome to wonder how long it would be before the endless list of questions started. Much to her surprise, she was actually able to travel the entire trip in relative silence as Fuu opted to speak quietly to Kikyou about the upcoming wedding. It wasn't until they had arrived at the mall and were already making their way through the first store that the attention was actually turned back to her.
"So Kagome dear, how are you enjoying your trip back home? Any plans to go see your family?" Fuu inquired as they began navigating their way through rows upon rows of summer dresses. Instead of giving her the chance to respond, Fuu pulled a seemingly random dress from the racks and held it up in front of her. "This would look perfect on you. My son just loves maroon," Fuu insisted, handing Kagome the dress and giving her no chance to refuse.
"It is nice to have the chance to come back for a visit. I don't get away from my job very often so I am unable to come back as much as I would have liked. And yes, Sesshoumaru-san and I are hoping to find some time to visit my mother," Kagome explained even as Fuu was holding up another dress in front of her and handing it over without asking her opinion on it. Deciding to just go with it for now, Kagome said nothing about the fact that the dress really wasn't in her taste.
"Tell me dear, what was your first impression of my son?" Fuu inquired, even as she continued to add dresses to both Kagome's and Kikyou's piles and the former found herself wondering just how many dresses she wanted them to try on. After a moment, Kagome realized she was staring at her, still waiting for her answer. As this wasn't one of the questions they rehearsed, Kagome decided it was best to tell her the truth.
"Honestly I found Sesshoumaru-san to be both breathtaking and intimidating. His mere presence demands respect from anyone around him and yet there is an underlying softness that most would overlook due to his usual stoic expressions. The first time I saw him, I was both frightened and intrigued. Kinda of like a moth drawn to the flame; there's always a chance that you will get burned, yet you just have to be close to something so beautiful even if it is only for a short time."
It wasn't until Kagome finished speaking and began glancing at the dresses in her hands that she finally realized the two had completely stopped shopping and were just staring at her in silence. "Did I say something strange?" Kagome wondered, a bit worried she might have said something that would blow their cover. Her fears were alleviated when Fuu smiled brightly at her and drew the startled girl into a hug.
"Oh dear, you have no idea how happy I am to hear to say that. Most women are frightened by his temperament and do not bother getting to know the man underneath. But to hear you speak so highly of him, I am so happy my son found a woman who loves him so much," Fuu insisted as she hugged her once more and Kagome found herself feeling more confused with every passing moment.
As she went over her words silently in her mind, Kagome couldn't figure out what part of them made the woman believe she was in love with her son, but more importantly than that, she couldn't let the woman's strange leap interfere with their plan. "Fuu-san, please do not say anything to Sesshoumaru-san, we are not to that stage in our relationship yet and due to his personality, he must be the one to say the L word first or he might feel trapped into saying something he doesn't mean and end things just to not feel obligated to say the same."
"Oh dear, I had not thought of that, but you are right. I can already see my son acting just as you have described. You can rest assured that I will not say anything to him. Now let's get you two to try on your dresses," Fuu insisted as she began leading them toward the dressing room. Though she had far more dresses in her hands than they usually allowed at once, the sales girl didn't seem to mind as she motioned both of them into separate changing rooms; apparently Fuu was a frequent shopper there.
...
The car ride home had gone smoothly for Kagome as the conversation had turned back to the wedding the moment they were all seated and on their way. Pretty much left on her own, Kagome turned her attention to the five dresses that filled the shopping bag at her feet. Even with as much as she had protested, Fuu had insisted that she buy her 'pretty things' for her time there; it was all Kagome could do to stop her from adding shoes or the other half a dozen dresses she had wanted to get her.
The bright side of things, however, was the fact that Kikyou seemed to be as uncomfortable as she was. In fact, if her relationship with Sesshoumaru had been real, Kagome was certain she would have found a kindred spirit in Kikyou. Both of them seem to have been thrown into a world they were not used to; or at least if she was used to having so much money, she did a great job at hiding the fact. But as the car stopped and the door was being opened for them, Kagome decided it didn't really matter one way or the other.
The relationship wasn't real and after the wedding, it was doubtful she would ever see the girl again. And now that they were back 'home', Kagome couldn't wait to get back to the safety and comfort of her room. But whatever plan to relax she had still been contemplating was soon for naught. Not even a full minute after she had arrived in her room and was beginning to hang up her dresses, Sesshoumaru walked in after knocking on her door. "My mother suggested I come see your new clothing," he informed her, his tone clearly stating his disinterest.
Sighing softly to herself, Kagome began pulling the dresses back out of the closet and held them up to him one by one. After a minute, Sesshoumaru gestured to a strapless dress with maroon and white flowers, "Wear that one. I've planned a 'date' for us tonight to get us out of the house for a while and you will win some points with my mother if you wear something she just bought for you," Sesshoumaru explained before making his way back out of the room before she had the chance to respond.
Sighing softly to herself once more, Kagome quickly undressed and threw the dress he had picked out over her head; settling it into place. Grabbing a pair of white sandals, she put them on before combing her fingers through her hair and sweeping it back into a high pony tail. A quick glance in the mirror and she was heading out of her room; finding a changed Sesshoumaru already waiting for her.
Though she was a bit startled by his new look, she had to admit that the shorts, sandals and unbuttoned over-shirt matched her outfit quite well. Before she could ask if that was planned, Sesshoumaru had placed her hand on his arm and began leading them downstairs where his family was already waiting. "You look so beautiful, Kagome-chan," Fuu greeted and, unable to think of anything to say other than 'thank you', Kagome offered a quick one before flashing her brightest smile.
"We will be back later tonight. Do not wait up for us," Sesshoumaru insisted before heading out the door before anyone could say anything else; dragging Kagome along with him. Confused, but thankful to get out of the house for a while, that didn't involve getting a whole new wardrobe from a woman she was lying to, Kagome didn't resist as he pulled her toward a car and practically threw her in the passenger seat before climbing in behind the wheel.
Sensing something a bit off with him, Kagome decided it would be best to wait for him to speak; not wanting to cause his annoyance to turn to her. Much to her relief, it did not take long before he was filling her in. "I tired of their incessant questions; figured you could use a break as well. Tell me where to drop you off and I'll come back to pick you up in a few hours," Sesshoumaru informed her as he pulled out onto the highway.
"Do we have to separate? I only ask because I don't have any where to go at this time of night, but if you want a break away from me as well, you can just drop me off somewhere that'll still be open for a few hours," Kagome offered, not really wanting to be alone, but happy to just be out of the house.
"No my aim was not to be away from you; just thought I would offer. I am going to go for a drive. You are welcome to stay," Sesshoumaru replied before falling into silence once more and Kagome settled back into her seat for what she was sure would turn out to be a long ride. Almost an hour had passed, the two of them just driving down the highway with no destination in mind, before Kagome finally glanced over at him and realized he was not starting to relax yet.
"If you don't mind me asking, what questions were they asking that has you so stressed out? Your knuckles are making the rest of your pale skin looked severely tanned," Kagome informed him, gesturing to his extremely tight grip on the steering wheel. Instead of answering right away, Sesshoumaru took the next exit in silence and Kagome began to worry that she might have annoyed him by questioning what had happened.
Deciding against questioning his current actions, Kagome just waited in silence as he pulled off onto the side of the road and parked before getting out of the car. Uncertain if he wanted to be left alone or not, Kagome decided to risk it and she got out and followed after him; soon realizing they were at an empty beach. Glancing around, Kagome couldn't remember the last time she had ever seen the beach so quiet, but soon realized that she had never actually been to the beach at night.
Quickly removing her sandals, Kagome hooked her fingers in the straps and began walking barefoot through the sand. "You should take off your sandals. Walking barefoot in the sand has a calming effect; plus it exfoliates," Kagome explained with a smile as she sped up so she was in front of him before turning around so she was walking backward.
Though he didn't say anything, Sesshoumaru did as she suggested and was soon walking with his own sandals in his hands. Kagome had given up on ever getting an answer and was just enjoying their walk when Sesshoumaru finally started speaking. "My father has given me an ultimatum; I have one year to get married or he will arrange a marriage for me. He insists that I settle down and be ready to take over the 'family business' and that I will do better in politics if I have a family.
"He knows that I do not want to go into the Diet, but he has officially threatened to cut me out of his will if I do not. I do not care about his money; I only want that house," Sesshoumaru explained before noticing Kagome's confused expression. "Not the mansion they are living in. Three hundred years ago when my ancestors first settled in this part of Japan, they built this small house in the middle of no where. Over the years it was built upon until my grandfather joined the Diet and moved into the current house.
"That piece of property is all I want and my father knows it," Sesshoumaru explained before stopping at the shoreline to dig his toes into the sand and stare out into the water. For a long while, Kagome just watched him in silence trying to figure out what she would have done had she been in the position he was currently in.
How would she have reacted if her grandfather had tried to force her to become a priestess by threatening to take away something she really wanted? The more she thought of it, the more Kagome realized that there was nothing she could have wanted as badly as he seemed to want that house that her grandfather could have possibly taken away.
"Well, why don't you try giving him what he wants, or at least letting him think you did," Kagome suggested only to be met by the confused eyes of Sesshoumaru. "Basically do something like what we are doing now. Pretend to be engaged to someone or heck you could even pretend to have eloped. Your father will probably be upset that they didn't get to plan the huge wedding for you, but it might be enough to get him to give you what you want.
"You said he gave you a year right?" Kagome questioned, continuing after he had nodded his head, "Then that gives you plenty of time to start looking after we get back home and 'break up'. And I say to wait a month or so to break that news to your family. Wouldn't want them getting suspicious about the truth," Kagome insisted, having had already decided that a month was a good enough amount of time to stop her family from having any doubts.
"You do not want to be added to the list of possible fake fiancés? It would be easier to sell since they already believe we are dating," Sesshoumaru countered, thoroughly confused by her not wanting to be considered. Was she having such a horrible time already that he wasn't aware of? Was his family that hard to deal with or was it perhaps him that she had the problem with? Had things already gotten to the point of unbearable without him even noticing?
Unaware of his inner thoughts, Kagome just shook her head with a soft laugh. "Your mother knows who I am and where to find my family. It would be a lot harder to break off an engagement if she can get a hold of the girl and try to change her mind using guilt or whatever other motherly tools she has at her disposal. It's what my mother would do.
"What you need to do is find another girl that they have never heard of, preferably someone from the States so they couldn't just look her parents up. Actually," Kagome nearly shouted when a sudden streak of genius crossed her mind. "You don't even need to find another girl. Just make one up. They can't track down someone that doesn't exist," Kagome insisted with a smile.
"You do have a point. I will keep that in mind," Sesshoumaru assured her before turning back out toward the water; watching the moonlight's reflection dance in the current. Figuring that meant the conversation was over, Kagome mimicked his actions before shivering in the cool breeze. Before she could realize how cold it had gotten, Sesshoumaru was already putting his over shirt over her shoulders. "We should head back before you catch a cold," he insisted before leading her back toward the waiting car.
...
The next two days passed by quickly and without anyone bothering Kagome or Sesshoumaru too much. With the wedding taking place soon, they were all too busy concentrating on the only girl who was really going to marry one of their sons. Now that the day was upon them, the wedding set to start any minute, Kagome was grateful to find herself completely forgotten about. She had been seen to her seat, one way in the back away from the family seating area, by Sesshoumaru hours before.
And now the room was full of people, the organ player waiting for her signal to start the Wedding March, the groom tugging nervously at his sleeve while the best man fought the urge to roll his eyes at his antics. The signal apparently having been given, the organ music started to fill the room and everyone stood; turning toward the back of the church to watch her approach.
Unable to see anything over the seemingly giant people that just so happened to be seated to her right, Kagome just plastered a smile on her face as she tuned everything else out. It wasn't as though she didn't like weddings or anything, it was just that she couldn't really get excited about being there when she didn't really know any of them. And as far as she could figure, she would have probably felt the same way if she had really been Sesshoumaru's date.
Realizing everyone was starting to sit down, Kagome did the same before turning her attention back to the front. Apparently Kikyou's father had already given her away as she was standing next to her husband-to-be. Not that Kagome could actually see her, as the man in front of her completely obscured her view; though she could still make out the giant puff ball that was her dress.
Even with as little as she could see, Kagome was certain there was enough tulle and lace to fill up a fabric store on her dress alone. That wasn't counting the veil Inuyasha had yet to pull up or the seemingly endless train Kagome could just make out piled on the floor at Kikyou's feet. Kagome may not have known when she would be getting married or even who she would be getting married to, but there was one thing she knew; she was going far less traditional.
Maybe barefoot on the beach in a summer dress as the sun set behind them. Or standing in front of the Justice of the Peace with only two people in attendance as witnesses. Perhaps while bungee jumping or skydiving. Something small, but unique that prevents too many people from being there and makes the white wedding dress obsolete; along with the traditional one. Something she would actually be able to enjoy rather than just feeling as though it was an obligation.
Turning her attention back to the present and checking in on the wedding party, Kagome found them exchanging rings and was silently grateful as it meant this would be over soon. Glancing away from them, Kagome turned her eyes to Sesshoumaru and found him returning it. Giving him a quick smile, she spared the bride and groom a glance, finding him raising the veil for their first kiss as man and wife.
Getting her hands posed to clap as soon as it was time, Kagome glanced back toward Sesshoumaru to find him still watching her. She raised her eyebrows slightly in question and he responded by barely shaking his head. Fortunately, she was saved from any further confusion as others around her started clapping as they stood up. Joining in, Kagome did her best to stifle a yawn, but judging by the dirty look she was given by the man next to her, she had not done as good a job as she would have hoped.
Kagome waited patiently as the other guests started filling out of the rows one by one; doing her best to bite her tongue when two or more of them would decide to hold everyone up so they could chat. She was about ready to climb over the row in front of her, fancy dress and heels be damned, when she felt someone tugging on her arm. Whirling around, she was about to tell someone off when she realized just who was standing there. "What?" was all she was able to get out before he was pulling her back the way she had come.
Without a word, Sesshoumaru dragged her out a side exit, away from the ones the guest were using to head toward the reception, and continued that way until he was putting her in the passenger seat in his car. A moment later, he was sitting down behind the wheel and locking the car doors. Resting back in his seat, he sighed loudly before punching the steering wheel; causing Kagome to jump.
"Sorry, I did not mean to frighten you," Sesshoumaru assured her as he turned toward her upon hearing her startled 'eep'. "I just needed to get out of there. I should just skip the reception," he told her, though Kagome wasn't exactly sure which of them he was really speaking to.
"You did not frighten me, Sesshoumaru, merely startled me. And I can understand wanting to get out of there, I felt like I was drowning in the tulle and I could barely see her. I can't even imagine how bad it was to be standing in front of everyone for that long. But I am afraid you have to go to the reception; you're the best man. And if memory serves me, that means you have to give a speech."
"You know, if it wasn't for that speech, they probably wouldn't even realize I wasn't there," Sesshoumaru half joked, but Kagome could tell by his tone that he didn't believe it. They would probably want to ask him more questions, or hint toward his own wedding whenever the bride and groom were busy elsewhere. He would probably be lucky to go un-missed for five minutes.
"Tell you what," Kagome began, drawing his attention back to her, "Stay until after you give your toast and then we can split. You could even blame it on me not feeling well if you want an excuse." For a moment, Sesshoumaru just watched her in silence before finally nodding his head. "But in return, I get one dance," Kagome insisted and with a chuckle, Sesshoumaru nodded his head once more.
A few moments later they were heading out of the parking lot, making the short trip to where the reception was being held. Once they had found a spot to park, the two were once again heading inside, both silently hoping that the toasts came quickly. Showing Kagome to her seat, far away from the action once again, Sesshoumaru whispered, "Lucky you," before heading toward the front of the room and taking his seat next to the groom.
Unable to do anything else to help him, Kagome gave him a reassuring smile before glancing around the room. As per usual, there was a section set aside for dancing and for the band. All of the guest tables made a giant U in front of the wedding party's table. And coming from somewhere she could not see, Kagome was pretty sure she could smell roasted duck and some kind of steak. She could only tell that it was beef, but she doubted they would be serving hamburger meat at a wedding this fancy.
"May I?" Sesshoumaru inquired suddenly, starling her as she hadn't noticed his arrival back at her table. Confused, Kagome just look at him for a moment before she realizing he was holding out his hand for her and what that entailed. Smiling, Kagome nodded her head as she place her much smaller hand in his and allowed him to lead her toward the dance floor. "I hope you know how to dance," Sesshoumaru whispered but a moment before he twirled her out away from him without waiting for her response.
Giggling, Kagome gracefully twirled back to him before clasping her right hand with his left and gently placed her left hand on his hip. "I could probably dance circles around you," Kagome teased as she fell in step with him; the two gliding around the dance floor with ease. "You're not too bad yourself, I would have thought you were too stuffy for dancing," Kagome joked and was 'rewarded' for her jab by being dipped so low that the ends of her hair dragged along the floor for a moment.
"Did you not know that the stuffy excel at dancing? We have great posture," Sesshoumaru informed her before twirling both of them across the dance floor, causing her dress to flutter in the breeze they created, when he noticed his dancing parents were making their way toward them. No doubt they had more useless questions for him and Sesshoumaru wasn't about to give them the chance to ask.
Apparently understanding what was going on, Kagome effortlessly twirled her way back toward a more crowed spot on the floor; forcing Sesshoumaru to follow due to their still entangled fingers. Once he was certain there was too many people around them for his parents to follow, Sesshoumaru pulled her close once more and began dancing slowly as a waltz started playing. "You make a fine partner in all of this," Sesshoumaru whispered, his lips just beside her ear, causing her to shiver slightly and unconsciously pull closer to him.
Certain she was blushing without having to look, Kagome opted to just nod her head instead of answering as she turned her eyes back out into the crowd. Quickly glancing around to make sure they were still clear of his parents, she spotted them making their way toward the main table; trying to get Sesshoumaru's attention. "I do believe your parents are signalling that it's time for your toast. Just remember, we're gone as soon as you are done," Kagome promised before gently squeezing his hand and then stepping back so he could make his way up to the front of the room.
With all eyes facing front as someone began tapping on a wine glass to signal an incoming toast, Kagome made her way toward her table completely unnoticed. Grabbing her purse, she threw a couple of rolls in and started making her way to the back of the room as Sesshoumaru began speaking at the front. "It is no secret that my brother and I have our difficulties. We have had our share of squabbles, of sibling rivalries and have even had some fist fights.
"Growing up, we were almost always at odds with each other, never agreeing on anything if we could help it. Looking at my brother now, at the man he has become, I realize that I do not even know him. He's not the annoying little brother I have always known him to be. He is not following me around, wanting to do everything I am doing, fighting with me when I tell him no. Now he only sees one person and I am all but forgotten.
"It is not hard to figure out why. So I would like to toast Kikyou-san," Sesshoumaru paused as he raised his glass and almost everyone around the room did the same. "Thank you, Kikyou-san, for taking him off of my hands. May you have many happy years together and that you be the one he follows around."
...
Only a few minutes after Sesshoumaru had finished giving his toast, the two of them were already buckled in and heading toward the highway. They remained silent for a long while, neither of them feeling the need to speak and both enjoying the quiet.
It wasn't until Kagome began to realize that she didn't recognize the scenery anymore that she realized they weren't heading back toward his house. Not really concerned about their destination, merely curious, Kagome glanced toward him to voice such thoughts when Sesshoumaru began speaking.
"I do not wish to return to my parents home tonight. Without Inuyasha and his new bride there to take some of the spotlight, they will be concentrating entirely on us and that is far more parental attention than I can stand.
"My family has a small summer home on the beach a few hours from here. That is where we are going," Sesshoumaru informed her and she almost joked about herself apparently not having a choice in the matter, but decided against it at the last moment.
He had so much going on in his mind at the time, she doubted he was even fully aware that he was not alone. And besides, a night at the beach sounded much better than going back to his parents house without him.
And so without any real discussion on the matter, their plans for the night were settled and they continued the rest of the way to the cabin in silence. As they made their way out of the car, Sesshoumaru showed her up a large set of wooden stairs and into a dark, but spacious entry way.
A moment later he flipped on the light switch and Kagome was able to see just how big the room was. With her mouth opened in the shape of an 'o', Kagome glanced around the room in awe. "Like what you see?" Sesshoumaru inquired with a smirk when he noticed her expression, causing Kagome to blush.
"Considering this entryway is bigger than my whole apartment, how can I not?" Kagome shot back chuckling once she had gotten over her initial embarrassment. Realizing he was moving deeper into the house, Kagome followed after him while trying to take in the scenery around her.
On the left from the entryway was the living room; walls filled with family photos. Some of which were in black and white. A large fireplace sat in the middle of the far left wall. To the right was a large kitchen, almost the size of the one in his parents' house with a closed door leading to the cellar.
As they continued along, he showed her to the downstairs bathroom, the back door that led to the beach and then up a long, double wide staircase. At the top of which were many rooms; each including their own bathroom and balcony according to him. By the time he finally showed her into the room she would be sleeping in, explaining there was a new yukata in the closest that she could wear to bed and that his room was right next door, Kagome had become a bit overwhelmed by it all.
After bidding him goodnight, Kagome shut the door behind her and listened as his footsteps headed toward his own room. Once she was certain he was in for the night, she began changing into the yukata and quickly climbed into bed. The warm, inviting blankets quickly relaxed her and she fell asleep within minutes.
On the other side of the wall, Sesshoumaru wasn't having the same luck. As he laid down in his own bed and pulled the blankets up to his bare chest, his mind refused to relax enough so he could sleep. Too many things kept running through his mind; his father's ultimatum, work he would need to do as soon as he returned home, even the girl just on the other side of the wall crossed his mind once or twice.
He was grateful she had been willing to go along with the ruse, certain he would have stayed home if he had been unable to find anyone rather than allow his mother to set him up again. And her suggestion to pretend to get engaged so he could at least stall his father, was a good idea, but it would need more if he wanted to convince his father to give the house to him.
No, he was going to have to get married or at least pretend to be. Then he could get the house and pretend to divorce her or just tell his father the truth after that. Once that property was in his name, it didn't matter. His father couldn't take it away and it was all he wanted. And her suggestion to make the girl up would probably be his best bet.
She couldn't be someone he 'worked with' as his parents might try to get information about her out of Miroku. And he did not want to have to let his cousin in on the truth this time. No he would go away on vacation after they returned and broke up and he would meet her there. She would need to have a job that would keep her too busy and would inexplicably keep her out of town in case his parents sent Miroku over or Kami forbid try to come visit themselves.
Something like a flight attendant. Second generation Japanese American with no family still back in Japan. He couldn't risk them trying to look up her family even if he wasn't telling them about them. He might end up needing a picture of her or of both of them, but with all of the photo-shopping programs out there, he knew that wouldn't be too difficult.
Satisfied he had come up with enough back story for the non-existent girl for now, Sesshoumaru decided to try and put that problem from his kind for now and closed his eyes; hoping sleep would finally come. But as he lay there wide awake as the minutes ticked on by, he realized sleep would not be an option for a while.
Giving up for now, Sesshoumaru threw the blankets back and climbed out of bed, making his way over to the balcony. Deciding some fresh air would do him some good, he unlocked the doors and stepped out into the cool night air. Hearing a noise from beside him, he glanced over to find Kagome standing on her own balcony; smiling out into the water.
"How long have you been out here?" he questioned, startling her slightly as she had yet to notice his appearance. For a moment, Kagome could only stand there staring at him in silence as she tried to remember how long she had been standing there.
"A while, I guess," Kagome finally decided on before glancing back out over the water. "I fell right asleep, but I woke back up almost as quickly. It's so pretty out here; the water bathed in moonlight," she told him, apparently deciding to change the subject. He figured she had problems sleeping because she was in another strange place, but the truth was she had gotten used to hearing his breathing while she slept.
Without him in the room with her, Kagome felt the most alone she could remember ever feeling. Even back home in her apartment, she never really felt alone, just left alone, but now without him she found the darkness to be eerie, the silence too quiet. She knew she would eventually get used to being alone again once they headed back to the States, but for now she would just lose a little sleep.
"Have you ever gone swimming down there at night? I want to go down there, but I don't want to risk drowning by swimming alone," Kagome admitted as she watched the waves lapping at the shore; each one giving off a roar that was both loud and somehow quiet.
"The house does not have any swimsuits. We never seem to go swimming when we come out here," Sesshoumaru explained as he too turned out toward the water, mentally agreeing with her that a swim would feel great right now.
Laughing softly, Kagome turned back toward him with a smile. "Who needs a swimsuit? They're basically the same things as undergarments anyways. As long as you are not the kind of guy that likes to go commando, I think we'll be okay. I'll meet you downstairs," Kagome informed him before heading back inside without giving him the chance to respond.
She didn't want to hang around too long and risk him noticing the blush she was sporting at the idea of him going commando. Making her way quickly outside, Kagome sat down on a bench and waited for him to join her. It was not long before he had arrived, two towels thrown over his arm, and they began making their way down the beach.
Once they found the perfect spot, they laid out their towels and Kagome turned her back to him. "We'll face away from each other as we get undressed and just wait until you hear me splash before you head toward the water," Kagome instructed even as she started undressing without bothering to make sure he had turned around.
Soon enough she had stripped down to just her bra and panties and began running toward the waves; screeching a bit when her body hit the cold water. Giggling once her body began adjusting to the temperature, she called out, "Hurry up, the water's nice and cold!" as she glanced back toward the shore; able to just make out his well-toned chest in the moonlight.
As she turned back and began wading around in the water, she could hear Sesshoumaru splashing around at the shore as he made his way in. "Isn't the water perfect?" she called out to him over the sounds of the water as she started swimming toward him.
"No, actually the water is freezing. You, my dear, are crazy," Sesshoumaru insisted though he showed no sign of getting out of the water and instead swam out further. Giggling softly, Kagome waited until he was in range and then splashed him with a large wave of water.
"My insanity is irrelevant, sanity is over rated," she insisted with a smile before squealing as Sesshoumaru started swimming toward her. Sure he was out for revenge, Kagome swam away from him as fast as she could, but her speed was simply no match for his and he quickly caught up.
Grabbing onto her waist, Sesshoumaru lifted her as high as he could out of the water and then threw her back in. Even as she came up gasping for air, Kagome was laughing and splashing him again. Seeing him start to chase her once more, Kagome dived under water just before he could grab her and swam as fast as she could toward the shore.
With as dark as the water was, it was easy for her to stay out of his sight and managed to get to the show before he could find her. "You're going the wrong way!" she called out from the shoreline when she turned around and found Sesshoumaru still out in the water searching for her.
Hearing her voice, Sesshoumaru looked toward the shore to find her already wrapping herself in a towel. Diving under the water, he swam as fast as he could and arrived on the beach in only a few moments. "That is cheating," he insisted as he stepped onto the shore and made his way over to his own towel.
"All's fair in love and water fights," Kagome replies with a giggle as she picked up her clothing and started making her way back toward the cabin with Sesshoumaru following close behind. "Wow it's really cold once you get out of the water," Kagome realized a moment before she shiver; causing Sesshoumaru to laugh at her.
"You're the one that wanted to go swimming in the middle of the night," he reminded her as he opened the door and held it open for her. "Sit down in the living room. I'll get a fire going," Sesshoumaru told her as he disappeared down the hall. Slightly startled by his quick departure, Kagome shrugged her shoulders before heading into the front room.
Sitting down as close to the fireplace as she could without getting burned once it was going, Kagome pulled the towel tighter; hoping to warm up soon. Closing her eyes, she thought warm thoughts until she heard the sound of fire popping and opened them up again to find Sesshoumaru already had a fire going.
Without a word, Sesshoumaru sat down beside her and placed a blanket over both of them before setting a large bowl of popcorn in his lap. For a moment, Kagome just stared at the bowl in silence, a bit startled by the unexpected treat. "We do not keep much food here unless we are scheduled to come up," he explained as he grabbed a handful of popcorn and started munching on it.
Apparently getting over her shock, Kagome mimicked his actions and was soon enjoying the buttery goodness. Two hours later, the fire had died down to a few burning coals, the bowl had been emptied besides a bunch of unpopped kernels and the two of them had fallen asleep. At some point they had leaned toward each other; her head resting on his shoulder, his arm around her waist.
They remained that way, both having the best night's sleep they could remember having in a long time, until the sun began to rise the next morning; brightening up the room through the large windows that lined one of the walls. Fighting to remain asleep, Kagome tried to brush away the offending light but instead felt something soft in her fingers.
Her sleepy mind too groggy to figure out what it was on its own, Kagome was forced to open her eyes and give into wakefulness. A moment later when she realized the soft object had been strains of Sesshoumaru's long hair, she was both disappointed and thankful to be awake. As much as she wanted to keep on sleeping, not wanting to leave her comfortable position, it was embarrassing enough to wake up in his arms, the last thing she needed was for him to find out.
Planning to carefully get up and head back to her room, Kagome glanced up toward him only to realize she was looking into golden eyes instead of closed lids. "We fell asleep," Kagome informed him sheepishly, as though he was unable to make that deduction himself. Seeing the way she had started to turn red, Sesshoumaru couldn't help but smirk at her expense.
"There is no need to be embarrassed, we did not do anything inappropriate. We merely fell asleep; nothing more, nothing less," Sesshoumaru assured her as he pulled her tighter against him when she tried to get up. "Things will become uncomfortable between us if we let this become a bigger deal than it actually is."
Amused by his serious tone, Kagome couldn't help but laugh as she rested her head on his shoulder once again. "You needn't worry about me. I may not be 'experienced' but neither am I a prude. I get over embarrassment pretty quickly," Kagome assured him as she scooted closer to him and recovered her legs with the blanket.
"Of course you will still have to close your eyes when I get up. We never got redressed last night. But that's not embarrassment, just that only someone who's really in a relationship with me should see me in such a state of undress," she insisted with a smile as she looked back toward the fireplace.
"Yes, well the same could be said for you. We wouldn't want you to be too attracted to my form and forget that our relationship is fake," Sesshoumaru teased, causing Kagome to bust up laughing. "And what exactly do you find so funny?" Sesshoumaru questioned in mock annoyance.
"You are so cute," she giggled before her stomach decided to growl loudly and make its need for nourishment known. "I think that's our cue to get up and find something to eat," Kagome decided as she tried to get her laughter under control. Once she had managed to calm down, she stood up while wrapping the blanket around her body to keep herself covered.
"And just why do you get the blanket?" Sesshoumaru called after her as he grabbed his yukata from the floor beside him.
Turning back to him in the doorway with a smile, Kagome explained, "Because chivalry isn't dead and fake or not, I'm still the girl in this relationship." Disappearing around the corner, Kagome made her way back upstairs to put on her clothes from the night before. From his spot in front of the fireplace, Sesshoumaru watched her go long after she could no longer be seen. Almost two minutes had passed before he realized what he was doing and went to get dressed himself.
...
As soon as they had arrived back at his parents' house, they were bombarded with questions of where they had been all night and why they hadn't bothered to give them a call. Seeing Sesshoumaru was about ready to lose the calmness a night away from his parents had given him, Kagome had quickly taken a hold of his hand and apologized to his parents before he could say anything.
She explained that the wedding had been so romantic that she wanted to spend some time alone and that they drove up the coast to the beach. His parents were so happy, no doubt hearing wedding bells in her words, that they completely forgot they were upset with them. As his mother began dragging her off, asking a million questions about their night, his father offered him a drink as he led the way to the den.
Though they both knew what his parents must have thought they did while spending the night together, neither of them had any desire to inform them that they had literally slept together and nothing more. It worked to their advantage if his parents thought they were intimate; they didn't need to know that they were both still inexperience.
After what seemed like forever, Kagome was finally able to break away from his mother when she needed to get lunch started and suggested she go spend some time with Sesshoumaru. Deciding to head upstairs to change, as she was still in the clothes she wore to the wedding, Kagome was a bit surprised to find him already waiting in their room. "Wow, you got away from your father already? Only took an hour."
"And I see you have managed to get rid of my mother," Sesshoumaru countered as he grabbed his own change of clothing and headed into the bathroom. Taking that as her cue to get dressed while he was out of the room, Kagome did just that before calling out to him that she was decent.
"Apparently she needed to get lunch started and thought I should spend more time with you," Kagome explained when he returned donning a pair of shorts and a light t-shirt. "Isn't it a bit early to get lunch started? It's barely ten o'clock."
"It's a sign," Sesshoumaru explained as he sat down on the edge of the couch and put on his sandals. "When she starts this early it means that it is an important meal. Some of my relatives are probably stopping by. Probably Miroku's parents since him and his wife will probably be here too," he continued as he waited for her to put on her own sandals and then grabbed her hand as he headed out of the room.
Without a word of protest or inquiry, Kagome allowed herself to be dragged downstairs behind him. She was already used to such behavior and was certain she would be more comfortable wherever he was taking them than she would be if she stayed there without him. "We're going for a walk," Sesshoumaru called over his shoulder to his father, without bothering to slow down or wait for an answer, as they headed out the front door.
They had gotten over a block away before he finally slowed down; though he did not release her hand. Figuring he could probably use the comfort her hand provided and in no hurry to let his go, Kagome decided not to bring it to his attention and instead walked beside him in silence. "My father is becoming unbearable," Sesshoumaru finally told her.
"He is only just becoming? I would have thought he would become unbearable after about five minutes with his endless questioning," Kagome joked, hoping to lighten his mood a bit. Judging by his snort, she was having some effect on him. "But either way, I'm good for walking around as long as you need to. Just head back whenever you are ready."
"If we wait until I am ready, I am pretty sure we will have walked to the States," Sesshoumaru joked back, causing Kagome to chuckle. "He actually had the nerve to ask when I was going to make an honest woman out of you," he continued, causing Kagome to laugh even harder.
"Well your mother never asked me that, but she did practically ask me to bear your children," she informed him, causing Sesshoumaru to stop suddenly and turn toward her. "I believe her exact words were 'you must know how beautiful and well-bred your children would be. You could not ask for a better man to reproduce with'. It took everything I had not to bust up laughing. Are they really so desperate to marry you off?"
Instead of answering right away, Sesshoumaru started walking again once he had gotten over his initial shock; their fingers remaining intertwined. "I can not believe she said that to you," he finally mumbled, though Kagome doubted he was serious. It was exactly the kind of thing her mother would say so she wasn’t really surprised that his had.
"I can not wait until this trip is over. I will not be happy until I do not have to deal with them again for a long while," Sesshoumaru admitted as he turned and started leading them down a dirt path that seemed to circle back toward his parents' house about a mile downhill from them.
"Ah but once you are back in the comfort of your own home and an ocean away from your parents, you will no longer have the pleasure of my company. At least with me around, your whole trip isn't a complete waste," Kagome joked, a bit surprised when he finally released her hand only to wrap his arm around her waist; pulling her closer.
"Yes, your presence has made this trip more bearable. I would have stayed home if I did not have company through all of this. Thank you for agreeing to come with me," Sesshoumaru told her and Kagome couldn't help but smile. Even with as tough and unshakable as he seemed to be, he was still effected by the words of his parents.
"I'm glad I could help. And the parts with just you have been fun," Kagome admitted as she glanced up at him in the morning light; not for the first time noticing just how handsome he was. Realizing she was staring and starting to become attracted to him, Kagome quickly reminded herself that it was all pretend and looked away.
For the next hour, the two of them wandered around in silence before finally making their way back. The moment they walked in the door, they could hear conversation going on in the dinning room and decided to head directly there; hoping his parents would give the 20 questions a rest since they had company over.
But as Kagome stepped through the doorway into the dinning room, all thoughts of his parents fled her mind. "Momma?!" she questioned startled by her presence. Hearing her voice, everyone turned to her; including the equally startled Sesshoumaru upon learning who was there. "Momma, what are you doing here?" Kagome continued even as the woman rose from her seat and threw her arms around her.
"It's so good to see you, Kagome. Fuu-san invited us over for lunch. She figured we wouldn't get many opportunities for all of us to get together with you two living in the States," she explained as she finally stepped back from the hug and took in her daughter's appearance before glancing over to Sesshoumaru. "And you must be the boyfriend we know nothing about."
"Us?" Kagome questioned as she glanced around and saw no one her mother could be referring to. Before she could respond, Kagome's grandfather came back into the room; smiling when he saw her. "Grandpa?" Kagome questioned even more shocked to see him there than she had been her mother. "Fuu-san? She invited you?"
"Yes, she called the shrine when you two didn't come home last night and they thought maybe you came to visit. Really Kagome, staying out all night with a man? Boyfriend or not, people will start to talk and think you're not a virgin anymore," her mother insisted, shaking her head.
"Mother!" Kagome practically shouted at her; unable to believe she had actually just said that in front of people she had just met.
"Virgin? Sesshoumaru!" Fuu-san called out as she tuned toward her son in shock. She couldn't believe her son would be having such a serious relationship with a girl before marriage when she hadn't been experienced yet.
"Mother, it's not what you think," Kagome tried to explain, but after hearing Fuu-san's tone of voice, it wasn't hard for her to put together the same idea they had and she refused to listen.
"Kagome, don't tell me you...?" she began as she looked between her and Sesshoumaru and Kagome could almost see the wheels turning in her head to complete the rest of that thought.
"Kagome-san and I have not consummated our relationship yet," Sesshoumaru assured them, causing all eyes to turn toward him as Kagome blushed beet red. "Not that it is any of your business even if we had," Sesshoumaru insisted, wanting to get the conversation changed before they managed to figure out there was no relationship to consummate.
"But you stayed out all night," his mother insisted, as if that alone was enough to prove something had happened.
"No, mother we did not stay out all night. We simply did not come back here. We went up to the beach house, went swimming and fell asleep in front of the fire. You simply chose to believe something else had happened," Sesshoumaru told her, wishing they were still at the beach house and not having to deal with this.
"Well what do you expect in this day and age? How was I supposed to know you found the one person still waiting for marriage?" Fuu insisted, finding such a thing to be rare when it wasn't an arranged marriage. Even Inuyasha hadn't waited; she had the unfortunate luck to walk in on them. Thankfully they had only been getting redressed at the time.
"She is not the only one mother," Sesshoumaru informed her and though he didn't actually mean to imply himself, judging from the sudden sparkle in her eyes, she had taken it that way.
Turning from her son to Kagome's mother, Fuu suggested, "Perhaps we should be thinking of an arranged marriage. These two are obviously perfect for each other and we may be waiting around forever if we wait on them."
Before she had the chance to respond, Sesshoumaru was answering for her before he even knew he was speaking. "You needn't bother. We are already engaged," he informed them, his eyes widening with shock and turning toward Kagome when he realized what he had said.
"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome shouted, unable to believe he had just said that. She knew he would have to pretend to get engaged and even married down the road, but not to her. To some imaginary girl that his parents could never track down. Seeing the looks she was getting from all three parents and figuring he was too shocked to answer judging by his expression, Kagome quickly covered. "He wasn't supposed to say anything. This trip was about Inuyasha and Kikyou's wedding; not us."
"When did you two get engaged?" "Where did he propose?" "When's the wedding?" all three parents seemed to ask at once and not knowing what to say, Kagome decided to give them some time to come up with the answers.
"We have been walking around for an hour. Why don't we go get cleaned up and we will discuss this over lunch," Kagome promised before grabbing Sesshoumaru's hand and leading him upstairs without waiting for their answer. Behind her, she could hear his mother's revelation.
"Oh dear, I put them in the same room." Shaking her head, Kagome made her way toward their room; dragging Sesshoumaru along behind her. When she finally released his hand after closing the door behind them, he braced himself for what was to come.
Spinning around to face him, Kagome drove right it. "Why did you say that?! You were supposed to wait until after we got back and broke up to find someone to get engaged to! This was not part of the deal! They know my family now. Do you have any idea how hard it will be to end all of this now?" Though she was speaking rather loud to him, she made sure it wasn't loud enough to carry through the door.
"I did not indent to say that. It just came out. Besides, they were about ready to start planning an arranged marriage; at least a fake engagement will be easier to get out of rather than a real one our parents set up," Sesshoumaru insisted even though he knew her argument was right.
"Our parents can't force us to get married, Sesshoumaru. What century do you live in?" Kagome demanded rhetorically. Closing her eyes, she took a couple of deep breathes to calm herself before speaking again. "Alright, let's hope you are quick on your feet because we need to get our stories straight and get back down there.
"Where did you propose? Here or back home before we came? Did you get down on one knee? And what about the ring? Do we have one yet and I am just not wearing it so people wouldn't know or do we still need to get one?" A bit surprised by the sudden shifting of the conversation, Sesshoumaru just stared at her for a moment.
"Here, it would be too complicated if it was before we came considering some of the conversations we have had with them. Last night actually; this way it was only this morning we didn't tell them rather than days. It was while we were on the beach and no I did not get down on one knee. It isn't my style.
"I walked up behind you, put my arms around your waist and proposed. The actual words we'll keep secret; just say that they are private. You hesitated and we stayed up late talking and fell asleep in front of the fire after you said yes. That will tie in our original story so we wouldn't have actually lied to them."
"Why did I hesitate?" Kagome inquired, legitimately wanting to know.
"We've only been dating for seven months and after the conversations about marriage we've had with my parents since we got here, my father would find it suspicious if you instantly said yes. He might go digging into your background to figure out why and find the truth," Sesshoumaru explained and Kagome couldn't believe she didn't get that before having to have him explain it to her. Besides, she was pretty sure she would have hesitated to accept any proposal even if it was real. Her life was too focused on her at the moment to think about settling down.
"Is there anything else we need to go over before we go down there? They're gonna start wondering about us soon," Kagome pointed out, realizing just how long they had been up there and knowing it shouldn't take that long to get cleaned up.
"There is one other thing," Sesshoumaru informed her and before she could ask what it was, he had closed the distance between them and pressed his lips firmly against hers. Shocked by the sudden and unexpected kiss, Kagome could only stand there instead of participating.
When he finally pulled back, Kagome was asking before she could stop herself, "What'd you do that for?"
"Judging by my mother's behavior at the wedding, it is possible she will insist we kiss. I did not think our first kiss should be done in front of them as it might be awkward and revealing," Sesshoumaru explained and although Kagome understood where he was coming from, she wished he would have given her a heads up.
"You're right, but I think our second kiss should be in private too. I wasn't ready," Kagome insisted as she closed the distance between them once more and pressed her lips to his. Not quite as shocked as she had been, Sesshoumaru was able to respond quickly to her kiss; pushing her back against the foot of the bed as he applied more pressure to the kiss.
When they finally pulled apart that time, both were short of breath and simply stood there staring at each other for a few moments in silence. "It really is too bad we're not really dating; you are a great kisser," Kagome told him with a smile as she straightened her clothes.
"Likewise," Sesshoumaru agreed before taking her hand and making his way back out of the room. Wanting to get everything over with as quickly as he could, Sesshoumaru wasted no time in getting downstairs and taking his seat after pulling out Kagome's for her. The moment they were both seated, the questions started up again.
Smiling softly to Sesshoumaru to let him know she would handle things, Kagome turned back to the group and started recounting the story they had come up with. "Sesshoumaru-san proposed to me last night on the beach.
"We ended up staying there all night because we stayed up too late to drive back. Sesshoumaru spent the night convincing me to say yes," Kagome told them before blushing and glancing over at him. It wasn't too hard to force herself to blush, she needed only think about him sitting beside her in nothing more than a pair of boxers and a shared blanket.
Seeing the looks of concern the two mothers were giving her, no doubt wondering why she needed to be convinced, she continued, "I was worried that getting engaged and married would put a hold on my career, but Sesshoumaru and I agreed that there was no reason to rush into a marriage. We're going to take some time and get to know each other better."
Though she was planning on stopping there, seeing both their mothers were about to object, she continued before they could. "It is better to take more time then rush into things and have one, if not both of us, regret it later. We are still young and have our whole lives ahead of us. If those lives are going to be spent together, than we need to build a stronger foundation.
"We know what our goal is now; we need only work toward it," Kagome assured them before turning toward Sesshoumaru with another smile; knowing it would help to sell her story. Sure enough, both mothers were 'awing' and talking about how sweet together they were. Fortunately, Kagome's stomach chose that moment to growl; drawing everyone's attention back to the meal they had yet to serve.
...
That night, Fuu had decided it was time for Sesshoumaru to go back to his old room since Miroku and Sango were currently staying at his own parents' house. The news came both as a relief and disappointment to Kagome, but she kept it hidden as she pretended to whisper something sweet in his ear before hiding them all a goodnight and heading upstairs.
In truth, she had merely said 'for appearances', but judging by the mothers' nagging questions about what she had said to him, they thought it must have been something good. For a brief moment, she felt bad for leaving him stranded like that, but soon enough she remembered that he was the reason they were in this mess to begin with. After forcing her to deal with the engagement slip, he got off easy.
Once she was in her room, Kagome quickly changed and climbed into bed after shutting off the light. As tired and worn out from the day as she was, she knew it would be a long while before she was able to fall asleep. The room was too quiet, too still without Sesshoumaru laying on the couch nearby. Reminding herself that she would have to get used to it when she went back home, Kagome fought the urge to get out of bed and go find him.
It wasn't a real relationship. She couldn't come dependent of his presence; no matter how comforting it might be. It would only make things that much harder when they returned home and never saw each other again. As much as she didn't want to lose the new friend she had made, she knew she was attracted to him and doubted she could go back to being just friends when they got home. It would simply hurt too much and would be far easier to just stay away.
And she was certain he would agree. Besides, if they were to stay in touch, it might be easier for their parents to try and get them 'back together'. Even as Kagome was thinking all of this, she realized she was really just trying to convince herself. Closing her eyes and praying sleep would be merciful and come quickly, she lay there for a long while before she heard the door to their shared bathroom opening.
Figuring he had just forgotten something and not wanting to deal with him right now, afraid she might make her feelings known and annoy him, she decided to feign sleep and kept her eyes closed. She waited in silence, barely breathing, for him to leave the way he had come, but soon realized he had other plans. Hoping he would see she was asleep and head out, Kagome was surprised to feel the bed dipping as he sat down beside her.
"I know you are not asleep, Kagome, you need not pretend to be. It is not your mother if that is what you are worried about," Sesshoumaru informed her and deciding it was best to not correct him, Kagome just opened her eyes with a smile as though she was relieved that it was him; instead of dreading that.
"What brings you to my room so late?" Kagome inquired as she sat up; careful to keep the blanket pulled up to her neck. Just because she was dressed this time, it didn't mean her fake fiancé needed to see her in her pj’s.
"It would seem that the room is too quiet without you in it. I can not sleep," Sesshoumaru admitted; unknowing voicing the same thought she had earlier. As much as she wanted to offer for him to sleep on the couch again, wanting him to be as close as he could be for as long as he could, Kagome knew it was a bad idea. They needed to try and distance themselves from each other while they were still here and could see each other during the day.
It would be far more difficult to try and stop cold turkey once they had gotten home. "It is strange, just as it was when we had to get used to each other being in the same room, but we will adjust. If they come in and find us sleeping in the same room when they have not forced us to, they might not be so inclined to agree to our waiting to get married now that that they know the truth about our inexperience.
"My mother will insist we marry immediately if only to save me and our family name from rumours," Kagome insisted, though she didn't actually think them sleeping in the same room would cause any problems, considering they had been doing it for days, she just knew it would cause her too many problems.
"I see your point. I suppose I can try opening the window. Perhaps the sound of the wind can lull me to sleep. Good night, Kagome," Sesshoumaru bid her before rising to his feet once more. Leaning over, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and made his way back to the bathroom. Once he was inside, he closed the door and leaned back against it; releasing the breath he didn't realize he had been holding.
He knew the kiss was a bad idea, even with as innocent as it was, but he simply couldn't help himself. The desire to kiss her once more, even if just on the forehead, won out against his better judgement and he had been left helpless to resist it. It would probably be the last time he got to kiss her since they would be returning home and parting ways soon.
Things were not going as he planned, Sesshoumaru decided as he made his way back into his childhood room and closed the second door behind him. This was supposed to be a simple pretend dating so he could get his mother off of his back. They were not supposed to be engaged, which he admitted was his own fault, and he wasn't supposed to have feelings for her.
He had known her for less than three weeks and he barely knew a thing about her, but what he did know was that he did too good a job at finding the perfect fake girlfriend. She really was everything he would actually look for; if he was seriously looking for a relationship. She was smart and funny. She was out spoken, but not rudely so.
She was occasionally spontaneous; her sudden desire to swim last night proved that. But she was also dependable. She wasn't a modern woman. She was traditional without being overly so. And her smile was actually able to capture his attention away from everything else. He forgot all of his problems when he was with her; as though the rest of the world ceased to exist.
But he wasn't looking for a relationship; didn't have time for one and neither did she. And no matter how much his feelings for her grew, when they returned home she would be gone from his life for good. It was what she no doubt wanted, what he was supposed to want. Things would get too complicated if they were to stay in touch after they broke up.
But no matter how much his logical side tried to tell him it did not make any sense and that he would only end up hurt in the end, it couldn't change his heart. Never in his life had he been so attracted to another person before. He had always found relationships to be a waste of time and energy.
He would rather keep his focus on work, but with her...Sesshoumaru realized he had not thought of work once in the entire time he was with her. Him, who always had work on his mind, completely forgot about it in her presence. This would not do, Sesshoumaru decided as he glanced back toward the door, that led to their shared bathroom, as though he would be able to see through it to her.
Feelings for her would only cause him problems as they were doomed to be unrequited. They only had a short time left together and he would see to it that they spent very little time together, and none alone, and hopefully that would be enough to get over his attraction to her and start moving on before they returned home.
Next time though, Sesshoumaru was just going to stay home when his parents invited him to something he didn't really want to attend. Not that he minded going to his brother's wedding; it was everything else that went with it that was more than he could handle. His mother's nagging about him having a date and asking a million questions about her.
His father's inability to understand that his life was his own and he was going to lead it as he saw fit. Even just being back in that house was a hassle. Back home he had the place all to himself, everything was where he wanted it to be and he never felt like he was a teenager again counting the days until he could leave the nest.
Deciding it was time to stop his mental rambling and get some sleep, Sesshoumaru climbed into bed and pulled the covers up to his chest; glancing toward the wall separating their rooms. Even as he closed his eyes, he knew he was not going to be getting much sleep with her so close and yet so far away.
...
The next day, Sesshoumaru was able to keep up with his plan to spend as little time with her as possible. Almost as if she knew of his plan, she had been keeping to herself all day; practically leaving the room whenever he entered.
She had done it so subtly, excusing herself to use the restroom or to get a drink and simply never coming back after he had been in the room for around five minutes, that Sesshoumaru never even noticed. His mother was another matter though. Perhaps it was female intuition, but she seemed to pick up on the rift between them.
"What did you do?" she questioned, catching Sesshoumaru off guard while he had been walking around the back yard. Seeing he didn't know what she was talking about, she asked again, "What did you do to Kagome-chan? Why is she mad at you?"
"Mother I have no idea what you are talking about. Kagome-san is not mad at me," Sesshoumaru insisted, annoyed his mother had to bring up the very person he was trying to not think about. He began walking around once more, expecting the conversation to be over, but wasn't very surprised when his mother followed after him.
"Take it from me, Sesshoumaru, she is mad at you. Or at least she is upset with you. She has not said two words to you all day and has barely looked at you. And she has not once looked at you the way she did before you announced your engagement yesterday. She is not still upset with you for breaking the news, is she?"
"Mother, you are reading into nothing. She is not upset with me for announcing our engagement or for anything else. And what do you mean the way she used to look at me? How was that?" Sesshoumaru asked as he stopped and turned back to her.
"Like a woman in love. Like I still find myself looking at your father. I have seen her watching you when you weren't looking and her feelings are as plain as day, but now? She doesn't hardly look at you and when she does, she seems almost sad. Whatever you did, you need to apologize.
"Whether you think you did anything wrong or not, apologize. There is no place for pride in a relationship. You will be hard pressed to find another girl as good as her if you lose her," she insisted, not letting him get a word in edgewise before continuing.
"I know, you can take her out tonight. A little wining and dining should make up for whatever you did; as long as it wasn't too bad, mind you. Take the car and go out somewhere fancy, where she can dress up and feel pampered. I'll let your father know it will just be us for dinner," she told him before heading inside before he could reject her suggestion.
Following after her to get the idea out of her mind before she could bring anyone else in on the crazy plan, he found himself already too late. Even as he walked back inside, he could hear her telling Kagome to go dress up since Sesshoumaru was taking her somewhere fancy. Unable to get out of it now, Sesshoumaru had turned toward her to give her an apologetic look when he noticed she was giving him one that almost seemed scared.
As quickly as it had appeared, it was gone and Sesshoumaru found himself wondering of he had imagined it. Deciding he would use their time out to make sure his mother really was seeing a problem that wasn't there, Sesshoumaru made his way upstairs to get changed.
It was not long before they were sitting in the car, him in a tailor made suit and her in a low cut evening gown that he was certain she did not pick out herself, and heading down the road to the restaurant. As much as he did not want to be going, dreading being alone with her for so long, he knew his mother had one point even if the rest was complete nonsense.
If they had really been dating, he would have taken her out for at least one night on the town while they were there. They should want to spend some time alone together, especially after getting engaged, and surely one night at the cabin would not be enough. He had simply not thought about that since they weren't really dating.
He had been so anxious to not spend that much time around her that he had let himself forget to keep up appearances. He would need to adjust his behavior for the short time they would still be there if he didn't want to blow their cover before they could leave. But it wouldn't be too hard, he merely needed to stop trying to force himself to not like her until they went home.
Knowing it was only a few days and he could manage, Sesshoumaru turned his attention back to the task at hand as the host led them to their table and he pulled out Kagome's chair for her. Her mumbled 'thank you' was barely heard and said more out of obligation than because she actually meant it and Sesshoumaru found himself wondering if perhaps his mother was correct.
Had he done something to upset or anger her without even realizing it himself? Was that the reason she had not spoken to him all day? Not because he himself had been keeping his distance? As he say down across from her, watching as she raised her menu without a word or a glance in his direction, Sesshoumaru decided it was time to get to the bottom of things.
"Kagome, have I done something to upset you? You have not spoken directly to me all day. You barely look at me. Even my mother noticed something was off and is why she insisted on this outing. I was certain she was imaging things and was going to say no to going out, but she spoke to you before I could. But now, I am starting to wonder if she had been correct," Sesshoumaru admitted, startling her.
In truth, she had been avoiding him for the very reason he had been avoiding her, but it wasn't like she could just tell him she was trying to stop being attracted to him. She had hoped he hasn't noticed her distance, but it seemed her prayers went unanswered. Doing her best to put on a real smile, Kagome assured him, "No Sesshoumaru, I am not upset with you.
"Or anyone for that matter. It has simply taken more energy out of me to keep up the illusion of us and I am worn out. Actually, I was thinking of spending some time at my family's shrine. I should spend more time with them while I'm here anyways and it will give both of us a break from keeping up appearances.
"If you wouldn't mind, could you drop me off after dinner?" Honestly she had just come up with the suggestion on the spot, but she couldn't figure out why she hadn't thought about it sooner. What better way to be able to avoid him for a long time than to be staying in two different places.
Though he hated the idea of them not at least being in the same house for the remainder of their time together, Sesshoumaru could see how worn out she was and felt bad that he had added to her problems. Things would have been just fine if he never opened his mouth about an engagement, but at the same time, he found he only regretted for her sake.
In his mind, he actually liked the idea of them being engaged, but he would simply add it to the list of things he needed to get over. Even of there had ever been the chance for their relationship to turn into something real, he had obviously ruined that by making things that much harder on her.
Realizing she was still waiting for an answer, Sesshoumaru smiled reassuringly. "I would be happy to. It is probably a good idea. Hopefully our parents will be less inclined to ask about our relationship and wedding plans if we are both not there." As the waiter approached and took their drink orders, Kagome went back to not looking at him, but he simply chalked it up to her being tired and thought nothing more of it.
But in all honestly, Kagome couldn't look at him right then. She found his tailored suit and fancier than normal look was more than she could handle. Sesshoumaru looked so handsome that night that she was afraid she wouldn't be able to resist the urge to kiss him if she looked at him too long.
It seemed, the more she began to realize her feelings for him, the more she noticed previously overlooked things about him. The way his golden eyes seemed to sparkle in the light; especially when said light was from a fire or candle. The way even the slightest of smiles was able to make him look even more handsome and leave her breathless.
The way she could still feel his lips pressed against here every time he spoke and she watched his lips move. And the way just the sound of his voice made her heart beat faster and made her feel things she had never really felt before. Even without the experience, she knew what such feelings represented, but she wasn't ready to acknowledge them when their relationship was fake.
It would only make leaving him that much harder when the time came and Kagome couldn't bear to make it any harder on herself. She wasn't sure she would be able to leave him if she did and didn't want to earn his ire by hanging around him long after he was ready to be done with her.
And so the two sat there in silence through out their entire dinner; both emotionally drained by the time the check arrived and was paid. Both wanting desperately to be as far away from the other as possible and yet wanting to be as close as they could. As he dropped her off in front of the steps to her family's shrine, certain she had old clothes there that she could wear, he informed her, "I will pick you up in two days around noon. We will head directly to the airport from there."
Nodding her head instead of answering, Kagome climbed out and quickly made her way up the steps; disappearing inside once she has reached the top. Making her way toward the kitchen, she explained why she was there to her mother and stayed up late into the night talking to her.
When she finally left her and went upstairs to her room, Kagome cried herself to sleep. The day had simply been too much for her. Between the fake engagement and the fact that he was sleeping just on the other side of the wall caused Kagome to dream about him. Only in the dream, the engagement was real.
Their relationship was real. And then she woke up and reality came crashing down on her and just when she was finally starting to get her emotions under control, he brings her out to a fancy, 'romantic' dinner. It was all just too much and if she was honest with herself, she was surprised she didn't just break down in front of him.
At the same time Kagome was entering the main house at the shrine earlier that night, Sesshoumaru headed off down the road once he could no longer see her. The trip back to his parents' house was as quiet as the trip to hers, but he actually felt less alone than when she had been in the car.
He didn't understand what had happened. Obviously something was wrong, something went wrong, but she refused to tell him what it was. They had an odd relationship for certain, but they had at least been friends; or at least well on their way to becoming. But now she was treating him like he used to treat those around him that he either did not know or did not like; as though he doesn't exist.
While he couldn't blame her if she was mad at him for saying they were engaged, he couldn't imagine that was enough to make her almost seem to hate him. But that was the only thing he could think of with her behavior; she refused to look him in the eye when they were speaking, said maybe a dozen words to him all day and she acted as though she could not wait to get as far away from him as possible.
But as Sesshoumaru pulled into the driveway, another thought crossed his mind. Had she realized he had feelings for her and was annoyed by it? Was she so turned off by the thought of actually dating him that she would rather stay over at her mother's than be near him?
He knew there was nothing wrong with spending some time visiting her family, but they would no doubt ask her a million questions about the engagement as well so of she just wanted to get away from the inquiring minds, he could have just taken her back to the cabin. No if she was willing to put up with her mother's questions, which would no doubt be more personal since she could talk freely with her own daughter, it had to be him she was wanting to get away from.
For the first time Sesshoumaru found himself grateful that she would be away from him for the rest of their time there and that their time together was almost up. He didn't think he could handle to be around her, liking her when she hated him. It would be too painful. It was bad enough when your feelings were simply unrequited, but to have the person you like actually hate you and find your feelings for them annoying at the very least would be unbearable to be around.
Deciding he might as well get things over with, Sesshoumaru finally headed inside; dreading the conversation with his mother when she realized he was alone. Unsurprisingly, she had waited up for him to return and was standing just inside the front door. Figuring she had heard his car pull up, Sesshoumaru wasn't going to pay her any mind until he saw the worried expression on her face.
"Whatever you are thinking, mother, it is not it. Her odd behavior today had nothing to do with me. She had simply realized how much she has missed her own mother with the visit yesterday. She is going to be spending the last couple of days with her own family. Now I am tired and I am going to bed. Goodnight mother," Sesshoumaru bid her, kissing her cheek before heading upstairs before she could respond.
With each step, it became clear to Sesshoumaru that, while he might have hated every time he had to lie to his parents before, this time it actually hurt. He was the reason she was not here; his unwanted feelings kept her away.
As Sesshoumaru climbed into bed, he found himself wishing he wouldn't wake up in the morning. It would be far better if he was able to sleep so long he missed his flight and had to take another one. That way, he would never see her again.
...
The day they were supposed to leave, the two met up at the airport; as he had gathered up all of her things so she wouldn't have to return. If he could, Sesshoumaru would have gotten their seats moved so she wouldn't be forced to sit next to him, but the flight was full. He checked.
After biding their families farewell at the gate, the two made their way further into the airport to wait for their plane to board. As Kagome took a seat, with plenty of open ones around her, she couldn't help but notice how he purposely chose to sit many seats over. It was enough to convince her that something was wrong.
At first she thought his silent, completely distant behavior was because he was upset with her for suddenly wanting to stay at the shrine. Thinking perhaps he had to cover for her if his mother still thought something was wrong. But now she was certain there was more to it than that.
Unless his mother had discovered their lie, which she obviously hadn't since she told Kagome she hoped they had their wedding there, she couldn't imagine that would be enough to cause this much of a problem with him. 'Unless...,' Kagome began to think, 'he knows.' glancing over at him and catching him quickly looking away, Kagome realized she was right.
He had figured out that she had feelings for him and he was so annoyed with her that he had chosen to not even speak to her in the little time left that they would see each other. Kagome found such a thing to be appalling. He didn't have to return her feelings, honestly she hadn't expected him to, but to be so turned off by the thought of her liking him that he behaved the way he did?
Maybe she wasn't his type, but it wasn't like she wouldn't be somebody's. She was a decent enough catch; nice enough to look at, came from a good family, had traditional values. He would be lucky to find someone like her. It wasn't as though she was full of herself or anything, but she had seen enough to know there were far worse women out there than she was.
Hearing the call for their plane to start boarding, Kagome grabbed her stuff and began heading toward the line; not bothering to make sure Sesshoumaru was coming or had even heard the announcement. If he was going to be so rude to her, she saw no reason not to do the same.
It wasn't long before she was making her way onto the plane and taking her seat after putting her bag in the overhead. Though she heard Sesshoumaru's offer to do it for her, as he had on the ride there, she pretended she hadn't. Resting back in her seat, Kagome buckled in and closed her eyes.
Knowing it would be a while still before they took off, she was hoping to be able to fall asleep beforehand so she wouldn't have to deal with him the entire trip. Sesshoumaru seemed to have other ideas as the moment he was buckled in he started speaking, "Have I done something to offend you?"
Startled by his confusion, Kagome opened her eyes and could only stare at him for a few moments. Seeing the slight look of concern in his eyes, Kagome realized he truly be unaware of why she was mad at him. Had she imagined the slight?
Had he simply been giving himself more room to stretch out? Was his mind on other things and that was why he was silent? Deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt, Kagome finally smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm just a bit out of it. I didn't get much sleep last night."
"I see," Sesshoumaru replied, a bit disappointed by her response. He had finally gotten up the courage to ask her, something he had been working on since they were driving here, figuring that neither of them would cause a scene on an airplane and it might be his only chance to confirm his suspicions about her sudden distance.
But it would seem to him that she was not ready to admit she was avoiding him because she figured out he had feelings for her. He would just have to wait for another opportunity to ask her as the flight attendant was already starting their how to announcement.
As he rested back in his seat, content to drown out the voice as he already knew what she would say, he was surprised to find Kagome staring so intently at her; hanging on every word she said. Simply sitting there watching her right then, Sesshoumaru couldn't believe he had ever thought she would merely be good enough for that moment. She was perfect for him, but apparently she didn't agree.
Deciding he needed to get her off of his mind before she drove him crazy, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and tuned out the noise around him. Without realizing it, he soon fell asleep; completely missing the plane taking off from the runway. It wasn't until the plane began to shake with a bit of turbulence sometime later that he was roused from his nap.
Feeling a strong grip on his fingers suddenly, he opened his eyes and glanced down to find Kagome holding his hand with one of her own while the other gripped her arm rest so tightly her knuckles had turned white. Apparently realizing what she was doing, Kagome went to pull her hand away, but Sesshoumaru tightened his grip before he could even realize what he was doing.
For a long moment, he could only stare at her in silence and wonder if he had made the right decision. As the plane began shaking once more from the turbulence, and Kagome's eyes began to give away her mounting fear, Sesshoumaru thought about what his regrets would be if this plane was to crash; not that he really thought there was any chance of that.
He would regret that the last time he saw his parents he was anxious to get away from them. That he would never get to see the woman his little sister would one day grow up to become. That his entire life had been about work. And more than anything, though perhaps simply because she was the one there at the moment, he would regret never telling her how he felt.
He was not a coward, but over the last few days, he had begun to feel like he was. Taking a deep breath and squeezing her fingers once more to make sure he had her attention, Sesshoumaru began, "You might hate me for saying this, but it can not go unsaid any longer."
...
Five years had passed since the trip back to Japan and Sesshoumaru couldn't believe he was finally stepping over the threshold into his ancestral home. For the first time since the property was moved into his name. "You can stop now you know," a woman's voice called out startling him.
"It's tradition," he insisted, as he smiled at her before glancing around at his new home. The woman waited a few moments patiently before sighing; getting his attention once more.
"It's not even a Japanese custom and we are over the threshold already. You can put me down now," she insisted in a slightly annoyed, yet playful tone.
"Very well, if you insist wife," Sesshoumaru told her with a smirk even as he set her down on her feet in front of the living room fireplace. "So what do you think of our new home?" he questioned as he watched her look around before wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on top of her head.
"It's beautiful, Sesshoumaru, just like you always described it. I'm just happy your father kept his word and gave it to you once we were married. I don't think you could fake going into the Diet," she joked as she rested back against his chest.
"It is made even more beautiful with your presence, Kagome and I am done with faking. I am just happy our engagement turned out to be not so fake after all. Life would not be the same, all of this would seem empty without you," Sesshoumaru insisted before turning her around and gently pressing his lips against hers; sharing their first of many kisses in their new home.