Reluctant Bodyguard by Nicluv1787

The New Bodyguard

Title:  The New Bodyguard

 Author: Nicluv1787

Rating: T

Genre: Gen!fic

CU/AU: AU

Prompt: Second Thoughts

Characters: Sesshomaru, Kagome, some others…

Words: 2559

A five story brick faced building loomed before him. Sesshomaru glanced at the gold letters on the door. This was the place. He pushed open the door, and was met by a man with violet eyes, medium length black hair pulled back at the nape of the neck and wearing a crisp black suit.

“Can I help you?” He said looking Sesshomaru up and down like he was common street trash.

“I’m Sesshomaru Tashio; I’m here for the interview.” Sesshomaru said hoping his name still held some sway in this town.

The young man looked him up and down suspiciously, before turning away to speak into a head set. After a few minutes he turned back to Sesshomaru presumably receiving an answer from the person on the other end.

“They’re expecting you, head to the end of the hall ride the elevator to the bottom floor,” He instructed.

Sesshomaru nodded and then brushed past him. What he’d been expecting when he’d come to this job interview he wasn’t sure. He’d never held a job in his life. So he wasn’t sure what to expect. Until recently his father had paid for everything he could’ve wanted: clothes, cars, parties. That was until a few months ago.

His father had passed rather suddenly in a car accident. Fortunately there was a will; unfortunately Sesshomaru hadn’t been left a dime.

Sesshomaru stepped onto the elevator, pressing a button that would take him to the basement. His problems all started when he showed up. For his entire life Sesshomaru had been an only child. His father lavished him with gifts and anything and everything he wanted. He had a nanny, a private tutor, a private assistant, plus countless house staff at his disposal.

When his father had died, the will stated Sesshomaru wouldn’t be inheriting any of his father’s fortune, instead it would all be going to a brother he didn’t even know he had. It turned out his father had been keeping a second family on the side. He was outraged, how could his father do such a thing, not only embarrassing his mother, but himself. Obviously his mother had contested the will; demanding a paternity test. But In the end it turned out this Inuyasha was his half brother after all, and with it he inherited his father’s entire fortune.  His inheritance. The only bright spot in all this was if Sesshomaru could hold a job down for one year, he would inherit a savings his father had intended for him. According to his mother, who’d also been given enough to live comfortably on, he only needed to work and the lawyers would allow Sesshomaru to take over the savings his father intended for him.  

The elevator doors slid open to reveal a long stone hallway. Sesshomaru stepped into the cold walkway his footsteps echoing off the bare walls. At the end of the hallway was a large metal door. He stepped up and a peep hole slid open.

“Who is it?” the person on the other side gruffly.

“My name is Sesshomaru Tashio; I have an interview with… Mr. Hig-“

“Shh, you idiot, we don’t need you telling us who’s here. Wait there.”

Sesshomaru scowled as the man slammed shut the peephole. He didn’t appreciate being called an idiot. in his entire life he’d never once been spoken to like that. Then again he’d always been surrounded by staff before now. If he wasn’t desperate he would have marched right out of there and looked for employment elsewhere. But he was desperate.

The sound of bolts sliding and chains rattling could be heard from the other side of the door. With a metal creak the door swung open.

“Get in already,” a short, slightly balding, man said glaring up at Sesshomaru. He swept in with the grace of a prince. The door guard only shook his head. “The boss will see you in his office,” The guard thumbed towards double oak doors at the end of a carpeted hallway lined with paintings. Sesshomaru thought it was strange that they’d have their office facilities deep beneath ground behind a large -possibly bullet proof- door. He shrugged it off and headed towards the door.

Before he had a chance to knock a graveled voice called out.

“Come in.”

Sesshomaru pressed on the door; they were well maintained and swung open easily. A generous office with a large mahogany desk, two plush leather chairs in front of it opened before him. A smallish, older, man with gray hair and matching goatee sat at the desk, his shrewd eyes trained on Sesshomaru as he entered.

“Sesshomaru I presume?” He said kindly, but not without a hint of malice.

Sesshomaru nodded in response.

“Speak up boy. I don’t take kindly to people who consider themselves above answers to my questions.”

Sesshomaru suppressed a hard glare, he needed this job. “Yes sir,” he said crisply.

“Hmn, got bit of an attitude don’t you?” The older man said.

Sesshomaru clenched his fists at his side, never in his life had he been insulted so many times in one day. He was beginning to have second thoughts, and reevaluating how badly he really needed this job.

“I’ll let it go since you’re Touga’s boy.”

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at him.

“Don’t look at me like that boy, me and your father go way back. I wouldn’t have even asked you here if I didn’t feel like I owed it to him. God rest his soul. Stop standing there like a frigid lord and take a seat.” Hesitantly, he obeyed, though it chaffed at him to do so. “So you’re looking for work, from what I can see you don’t have much of a work history, but that’s okay we don’t need you to have a work history for what I need you for all I need you to do is to be there.”

“And what exactly is it you want me to be here for.” Sesshomaru said, unable to keep the disdain from his voice. He was really starting to despise this man.

“Your mother didn’t tell you when she sent you?” The older man said bemused.

“Mother has never been one to be straight forward,” Sesshomaru said bitterly.

The man chuckled. “You’re right she isn’t,” He laughed for a few more minutes while Sesshomaru stared at him. The man wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and locked a firm gaze on Sesshomaru. “I need you to be my granddaughter’s bodyguard.”

Sesshomaru leaned back in his chair. “So you want me to be an over glorified babysitter?”

“If you don’t want the job then there’s the door.” The old man said motioning to the door behind Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru clenched his teeth. He thought of his bastard brother living in his old home. Driving his sports cars, he couldn’t let this chance to take back what was his pass him up.

“Excuse me, maybe I’m misinformed of what is entailed in ‘body guarding’ your granddaughter, perhaps you could elaborate.” He said attempting to sound genuine.

“It’s pretty simple keep her out of trouble.”

“That’s it?”

“Anything else you’ll find out along the way.”

“I refuse to run errands for her, or do any other personal assistant tasks.”

“Of course not, you’re a body guard. She had personal assistants to handle those tasks.”

“Hn.”

“What do you say?”

What could he say? The idea of eating more of that disgusting top Ramen, in the filthy motel room he’d been forced to stay in, sent a shiver of dread down his spine, if anything he could at least make some money to buy decent food.

“Alright, when do I start?”

“Right now, and from now on you can call me Grandpa,” Grandpa gave him a disarming smile. Leaving Sesshomaru wondering what he’d just gotten himself into.

<<<<<<< 

Everything moved quickly after that. He was ushered out by a large bodyguard, Sesshomaru hadn’t learned his name, and led through a maze of underground tunnels.

“Eventually you’ll learn all these, but until you do make sure you’re with a senior guard when you’re on this level,” he instructed in a rumbling baritone.

Sesshomaru suppressed his impulse to scoff at him; as if he’d ask for someone else’s help. He had already committed to memory half the turns he made and if need be, he’d find his way when he was forced to come back down here. They entered a parlor of sorts with wooden floors and a couple of long couches in front of a fake fire place.

“This elevator takes you to the families’ part of the building, I’ll show you you’re entrance you’ll normally take but for now we’ll go this way.”

Sesshomaru nodded, but didn’t deem in necessary to reply. The pair of them stepped onto an elevator with wooden molding and a plush royal carpet; it seemed it wouldn’t be all bad. At least the family quarters were decorated in an opulent style he was used to. So it would almost be like being back at home. ‘As one of the servants’ he remind himself bitterly.

The elevator travelled a few floors, opening into another long hallway. The senior bodyguard walked purposefully down the door lined hall.

“This is the main floor you’ll be working. I’m going to introduce you into the granddaughter’s personal assistant, Sango, who will help you out from here.” He stopped at the end of the hall rapping on a wooden door.

A statuesque woman with long chestnut hair pulled back in a high ponytail answered the door.

“Yes?”

“Here’s the new bodyguard for the granddaughter.”

The woman looked him up and down appraisingly. Seeming satisfied she opened the door wider. “Fine, come in.”

More commands. Sesshomaru was starting to wonder how much longer before he’d storm out of there. 

The woman shut the door after he entered.

“Well, welcome to the ‘family’” The woman said dryly. “My name is Sango, I’m Miss Higurashsi’s or the ‘granddaughter’s’ personal assistant, you’ll be answering to me.”  If she noticed the flicker of displeasure that flashed across his face she chose to ignore it. “Your job is to protect Miss Higurashi, whether it’s here or when she’s out and about. Your room is right here next to hers, there’s a connecting door so if you hear anything suspicious in the middle of the night then you can have easy access.” He was surprised, no one had mentioned him moving in before, but this certainly was a step up from the hovel he’d been staying at. “When going out with Miss Higurashi, you must be discreet as possible, to not draw attention to her. “Sesshomaru raised a brow at Sango. “Grandpa prefers she keeps a low profile when she’s in public,” Sango explained.

“What is it that Miss Higurashi does?”

Sango stared at him for a hard moment, “She does what pleases her, and what keeps Grandpa happy,” Sango said with finality.

Sesshomaru had a strange feeling about this place, and once again he was having second thoughts about this job. But the prospect of living nearly the lifestyle he had before was very tempting; tempting enough to over ride his misgivings.

“If you have no more questions, I’ll take you in to meet her. She’s reading in her room at the moment.”

Sesshomaru nodded his assent, and Sango walked over to a pair of double doors at the far end of the receiving room. Sesshomaru watched as she took a key ring from her pocket and then proceeded to unlock the door. He was surprised they kept her under lock and key.

Sango pushed open the doors to a soft pink room, pink walls surrounded a pink canopy bed and frills were evident everywhere. At one end of the room was a young woman maybe in her early twenties wearing a short green skirt and yellow sweater was straddling the window sill hands wrapped around a sheet rope. The wind blowing from the open window picked up the curtains making a banner in the wind.

The young woman locked eyes with Sesshomaru before winking and sliding down the sheet rope.

“Damn!” Sango shouted, rushing over to the window too late. “She did it again!”

Sesshomaru didn’t have time to process what she was saying before Sango turned on him.

“What are you waiting for go after her!”

Sesshomaru, suppressed his anger at being told what to do, once again, and rushed out the room. He’d noticed a stairwell on his way down the hallway. Some unknown instinct told him that would be faster than waiting for the elevator.

He threw open the door to the stairwell, running down them with speed that surprised even himself. Apparently Sango had raised the alarm, because Sesshomaru noticed several bodyguards with ear pieces running around shouting commands. He pressed through them and out the front door.

He was back on the street where he had entered. Crowds bustled by about their business. Sesshomaru looked one way and then the other. He couldn’t see her in either direction. He looked up at the face of the building. Her curtains were blowing in the breeze, a sheet rope swing back and forth innocently just a short drop above the concrete.

“Where could she have gone?” he wondered aloud. Asking passersby wouldn’t help. His eyes raked up and down the street once more. He remembered a subway station he’d taken, grudgingly, to get here. Unless she’d planned ahead and had a ride she must have gone that way.

He loped off in that direction weaving in between pedestrians. It didn’t take long to reach the subway station. Standing at the top of the stairs, he noticed her bright yellow sweater as she moved casually through the crowd.

It didn’t take him long to catch up with her. Slipping past a rotund business man, he grabbed her by the wrist. She twisted around to meet him a surprised look in her eyes.

“I guess you caught me,” She said shrugging her shoulders. He gazed down at her; her brown eyes stared back up in amusement. “You were much quicker than the other body guard’s they usually didn’t catch me till I was around midtown. How’d you know I was going to take the subway?

“Call it intuition.” He said leading her out of the subway station.

She chuckled, “I guess I’ll have to try harder with you.”

“If you want to go out then why don’t you go out the normal way,” Sesshomaru said plainly, not letting go of his grip on her wrist.

“I can’t go out without Grandpa’s permission,” She said a hint of remorse.

“Overbearing,” Sesshomaru said, knowledgably he’d known more than a few debutants with father’s a little too protective of their daughter’s innocence.

“It’s more than that; he’s trying to keep me from getting killed.”

Sesshomaru faltered only for a second before picking up his pace. “Killed?”

“Yeah, didn’t they tell you? Grandpa’s head of the Higurashi syndicate.”

“You mean the mob?”

“Yep,” She said brightly.

Sesshomaru picked up his pace further; he needed to get this girl back and fast. It was one thing being the bodyguard to the granddaughter of an overprotective tycoon. It was another thing to be the bodyguard to a mob bosses only granddaughter. He decided he didn’t need his inheritance that badly.