Assassination

A/N: Hmmph. So, World Cup is over, and I no longer have an excuse-urm, I mean REASON- not to update. Well, except for the most bitching case of block ever. Anyhows, Enjoy this chapter, duckies.
I must admit, I enjoy torturing Inuyasha. He deserves the ass shaken out of his attitude.
Does this make me baaad?
I hope so...

DISCLAIMER: Uh...I don't?


CHAPTER TWELVE: A KISS IS JUST A KISS...

“Holy shit, sis, you look hot! You need to go change, right now!” Kagome laughed delightedly at Souta’s gasped statement, before pinning him with a glare.

“Watch that language, boy, or I’ll take away the allowance and car.”

“Sorry, but damn! You are not going out like that, for every straight man to be staring at you!” he exclaimed.

Kagome again laughed, enormously flattered.

“Shippo! Get in here and help!” Souta bawled, heralding scampering feet and a panting Shippo at the door.

Shippo’s gaze swept the room, and his green eyes bugged out of his head.

“Mothers are not supposed to look like that. Oh, my eyes!” he screamed, clapping his hands to his eyes and staggering dramatically onto the bed.

“You ass, we’re supposed to be stopping her!” Souta groaned, slapping at his nephew-brother.

“Now, now, boys. I will take this opportunity to remind you that I am a grown woman, not to mention the distributor of all of your funds. Please, refrain from trying to tell me what to do, or I will be forced to smack you.”

Kagome twirled in front of her mirror, the skirt of her dress swirling around her knees in a flurry of white.
She grabbed her silver heels, the height alone had her wincing, and slipped them on, scooping up her matching purse and leveling her best ‘mom’ look at her two boys.

“No parties, no prank calls. Pizza and video games are acceptable. No, and I repeat, no mess.”

“Yes, mom. Have fun.” Shippo called from his position on the bed.

“Have fun? Have fun? Have you lost your everloving mind, Shippo?” Souta’s haranguing followed Kagome out of her room, all the way down the stairs and into the front hall. By the time she opened the door, Shippo’s voice had joined the noise, and she shut the heavy wooden door to seal the bickering.

On time, Sesshomaru’s sleek black car idled in the driveway, Sesshomaru himself a tall vision in a black suit, a single red rose in his hands.

He straightened up from his leaning on the car, eyes wide.

Kagome grinned maniacally in her mind, her face a study in casual elegance and composure. She tightened the wispy shawl around her shoulders, and walked over to her date.

Her date!

“Hello, Sesshomaru.” She said softly.

“Hello, Kagome. This is for you.” As he proffered the rose, Kagome speculated that the good five seconds it took for him to register her greeting was his version of jaw-dropped surprise.

She really liked this dress too. It had looked so glorious on her in the store; she had bought it without even glancing at the price. The halter dress wrapped sinuously around her curves, sliding over her breasts, waist and hips before waving to a halt at her knees, where the gentle folds fluttered constantly, as if in a soft breeze. Ostensibly white, it was shot through with threads of silver and blue, which shimmered in any light, brightening her eyes and making her hair look deeper black.
It was a killer dress, and she couldn’t resist it for her date with Sesshomaru, one of the most gorgeous men she had ever known.

“Thank you. I hope that I’m not overdressed.” She said, bringing the nose up to inhale its scent gently.

“No, you’re perfect. Shall we?” he asked, opening the door for her courteously.

As she entered the car, she had the absolutely gratifying feeling that he had been ogling her ass.

*******************

Sesshomaru concentrated on the road, zipping past slow-moving cars too lazy to hurry up to get where they needed to go. And he definitely needed to reach the restaurant. If not, he would spend the entire drive staring at Kagome, who had frankly knocked him flat on his ass.

He had expected her to look presentable, but she had appeared in a dress that seemed to make her glow, accentuating curves and colouring.

It had been a task not to act like Inuyasha and pant.

And considering the fact that Sesshomaru had never once felt the inclination to debase himself and emulate Inuyasha,

Sesshomaru was honestly worried.

Strangely, he had never before noticed Kagome as a desirable female. Not because of her humanity; no, he had gotten over that particular prejudice centuries ago. Perhaps it was due to her past interaction with Inuyasha, and resemblance to Inuyasha’s intended mate.

Whatever the reasoning, whenever Sesshomaru had looked at Kagome, he had seen another of the parade of humans in his life, transient as the fragile humans inevitably were.

However, her inherent strength that she had amply displayed over the trying months since Kikyo was murdered had him revising his opinion.

She was definitely not fragile, or negligible.

Her quiet confidence and grace, as well as her fearsome intellect and holy powers, made her to be a dangerously intriguing woman.

She now sat quietly beside him, the rose still at her nose, its velvety petals tickling her lips and cheeks as she absently rolled it between her fingers.

Intriguing he had expected her to be, however, Sesshomaru did not count on her being this attractive. To top it all off, her scent and aura were so innocent. She was a walking contradiction that confused him even more.

Any hopes of ridding himself of the confusion she stirred in one night were now dashed completely.

Sesshomaru slid a look her way, then sucked in a breath, one she could actually hear, as the rose rolled slowly, sinuously, over her moist, pink lips.

This was going to be a long night.

***************

Inuyasha lay on his expansive bed, staring straight up at the ceiling, and torturing himself with images of his brother and Kagome locked in a passionate embrace.

His imagination, vivid as it was, supplied him with vibrant images, so much so that he started to feel sick, ‘seeing’ Kagome pull off her clothes and attack Sesshomaru’s.

“Oh, gods.” He moaned, flipping onto his stomach and pressing his face into the pillows.

Kikyo’s scent had long since faded from the sheets and the room, so he no longer tried to smell her in this place. Instead, he tried to suffocate himself in the sharp soapy scents assaulting his sensitive nose.

Ever since Sesshomaru had told him about his date with Kagome, Inuyasha had been in a towering rage, snapping at Miroku and Sango, glaring at his niece, and even ignoring his father.

The last one had earned him a sharp smack upside the head.

He still refused to leave his foul mood behind, spending outrageous amounts of time agonizing over his godsdamned brother and Kagome’s possible interactions.

Disturbingly, almost all of his thoughts centred on sexual encounters.

Inuyasha could not shake the anger and hurt at the thought, and the subsequent anger at himself for being angry and hurt.
An unbidden image of Sesshomaru’s bed shaking violently, his brother and Kagome’s voices mingled in shared passion flew through his head, causing him to moan in agony and, frankly, disgust.

Inuyasha sat up, pressing his palms to his ears to muffle the images, muttering curses profusely under his breath.

A ‘squeak’ at the door had his head shooting up to glare at whoever would be so bold as to enter his room without his permission. The glare softened into a scowl as Kaede and Rin crept in quietly.

“What do you two want?” he growled, folding his arms over his chest and tilting his head away from them.

“Uncle Yasha, we’re just worried about you is all.” Rin started slowly, at a poke from Kaede.

“Well, don’t be. Did the monk send you in?” he asked, vowing to disembowel Miroku anyway, out of sheer principle.

“No, Uncle Miroku didn’t. Or Aunt Sango. We’re here on our own.” Rin stated.

“Feh.” Was Inuyasha’s intelligent contribution.

“Well, no one knows why. I even called Souta to ask him, but he doesn’t have a clue. And I would’ve asked Daddy, but he’s off to somewhere mysterious.”

“Somewhere mysterious?” why didn’t Sesshomaru tell his daughter about his date?

“I asked him, and he told me, really snobbishly too, that every waking minute of his life was not my business to know.
Probably some boring meeting with a roomful of old farts. And he’s just being mean, trying to sound interesting.” Rin speculated, huffing out an insulted breath.

“Inasmuch as it is frighteningly fascinating to know Sesshomaru’s nocturnal habits, I must ask as to why you would assume that I care.” Inuyasha said dryly.

“See? That right there is the exact same tone that Daddy used on me!” Rin said, pointing an accusing finger.

Inuyasha released one long, very put-upon sigh.

“What, precisely, will it take for you to stop pestering me?” Inuyasha inquired wearily.

“Duh, all you have to do is come with us so we can beat the pants off of Grandpa in Soul Caliber. He’s completely decimating us, and I’m sure he’s cheating.”

Inuyasha smiled at that one, before hopping off his bed and following his niece, who chattered nonstop, and Kaede, who said not a word, all the way down to the arcade, where Inutaisho sat cross-legged on the floor with a game controller in his hands, eyes fixed firmly on graphic violence, an unholy grin on his face.

The sight almost drove all thoughts of Sesshomaru and Kagome out of his mind.

*************************

Kagome perused the elegant menu in her hands, eyes skimming over the complicated names and simple explanations. She stared so carefully at the menu because she felt so very self-conscious.

Not because of the restaurant. As expected of Sesshomaru, the place he had chosen for them to eat was very beautiful, with muted conversation from the few other tables, courteous staff and excellent food and ambiance. Just the type of place she loved to be taken to.

Rather, she felt so self-conscious because Sesshomaru, elegant, refined Sesshomaru, was sitting right opposite her, at their table secluded from both other diners and the outside world due to its position on a patio.

She got the feeling that they were the only two people left on the earth, and she was clad in her best ‘come-and-get-me-boy’ dress.

It did not exactly make for comfort, especially when she had spent nearly the last year of her life being soundly rejected.
She sighed, coming to the conclusion that she deserved comprehensive rejection from Inuyasha, as she had done exactly the-

“Is something the matter, Kagome?” She snapped out of her depressing thoughts to lock eyes with Sesshomaru, who looked concerned.

His beautiful golden eyes froze her lungs for a second, and she was unable to both answer and breathe.

“Um, no. No, everything’s fine.” Kagome replied breathlessly, smiling weakly.

“Then, why did you sigh?” Kagome found herself wishing that Sesshomaru was not quite as willing to question her as he increasingly seemed to be these days.

“Just a really depressing thought. But enough about me. Are you going to tell me why you asked me out, or am I going to be left unsatisfied?” she asked, leaning forward.

To her complete surprise, Sesshomaru laughed, before his eyes narrowed slightly.

“Never let it be said that I left a lady unsatisfied.” He replied, voice husky.

Kagome realized, too late, just how her words had sounded, and she coloured bright red, before dropping her forehead to the table.

“Tell me that I didn’t say that.” She pleaded, lips moving against the silky tablecloth.

“I’m afraid not.” Kagome heard, just heard, the amusement in his tone and she groaned.

“Oh, gods. Life is just not fair.” She mumbled. Lucky for her, her date had supernatural hearing.

“Come now, everyone says embarrassing things once in a while.” He said, placating.

“Yeah, but not in front of you.” She muttered.

“And this is worse than just anyone?” he asked.

Kagome scowled, before lifting her head and glaring straight into his beautiful eyes.

“Hell yes! I mean, you’re always so perfect, and gorgeous and eloquent. In front of perfection, anyone can feel inadequate.
And then, making an idiot out of oneself in front of perfection makes an already sucky situation much worse.” She informed him frostily.

Again, Sesshomaru laughed.

“Glad you find my embarrassment so amusing.” She muttered.

“It isn’t that. It is…you are very interesting, Kagome.” He said slowly.

Kagome smiled at him, genuinely pleased.

“Thank you for that. I had started to believe that I was completely boring. And undesirable.” She told him, smiling.

“Never fear on either count.”

Kagome looked up in surprise, noting that his amazing eyes had darkened slightly.

“Are you ready to order?” the soft inquiry came from a handsome boy, a waiter’s pad at the ready.

As Sesshomaru ordered for them both, Kagome wondered just what the hell that last sentence and look was about.
The waiter wrote down the order, poured some wine for them, and disappeared, and once more Kagome was left with Sesshomaru, who sipped at his glass, eyes still on her.

As Kagome’s hand reached for her glass, she was surprised to see her fingers trembling slightly.
She jumped as Sesshomaru’s fingers closed gently over hers, his thumb softly stroking the tender skin of her palm.

“Did I make you uncomfortable?” he asked softly.

“No…it’s just…” she trailed off, distracted by the soothing motion of his thumb.

“Just, what, Kagome?” he asked quietly.

“I’ve spent the last year of my life without any kind of male attention, first because I was pining over Inuyasha, then because I locked myself away when he so obviously rejected me that day in the park. Unintended though it very well may be, it’s strange to hear things like that directed at me.” She confided softly, eyes on their intertwined fingers.

“I may have said this before, but I say it again. Inuyasha is an idiot.” His blunt statement pulled a startled laugh out of Kagome, whose tearful eyes lifted to his.
“Inuyasha’s an idiot who went through a very traumatic event. He needed time to heal, which you gave him. His pain was no excuse to make you feel so badly, though. You are very desirable, Kagome, and not just because you are physically beautiful. You are also loyal, kind, intelligent and caring. Inuyasha’s idiocy should not rob you of these simple facts.”

Kagome wiped at her teary eyes, before smiling at the glorious man before her.

She leant forward and impulsively pressed a kiss to his smooth cheek.

“Thank you, Sesshomaru. You are simply wonderful.” She said softly.

“I know.” He said, eliciting another laugh from her.

********************

Sesshomaru pulled up at Kagome’s door, switching the car off and turning towards her.

Kagome smiled at him, his rose tucked behind her ear.

As he got out, striding around the car to open her door for her, he marveled at the twists of fate. Instead of it being a purely unemotional study, the outing had been remarkably personal. After he had talked some sense into Kagome, the evening had gone well. Over some superb food, they talked easily, Kagome disclosing much of her experiences and how they had shaped her, and he had talked about his mother, something he very rarely did.

So now, he found himself on his way to walking this extraordinary woman up her stairs, and felt the urge to do something more. That he just could not leave the night unfinished.

He offered her his arm, and she rose out of the car gracefully, looping her arm in his, still smiling.
As he ushered her up the stairs, he wondered at the unfamiliar feelings curling now through his very marrow.
They soon found themselves at the door, and Kagome slowly untangled her arm from his, turning to face him.

“I had a wonderful time, Sesshomaru. Thank you for this.” She said softly, face tilted to look into his eyes.

Sesshomaru didn’t know when his emotions took him over, and really didn’t care.
He leant forward and brushed a soft kiss onto her surprised lips.
When he pulled back, staring deep into his eyes, he saw surprise, not disgust, and leant forward again, gathering her into his arms.

As his mouth closed on hers again, her arms rose to wrap around his neck, pulling him closer as they held onto each other, their feelings pouring through the intimate caress of lips and tongue, his breath ghosting over hers as she breathed into him.
An impulsive kiss soon turned passionate, Kagome clinging to his shoulders for support as he deepened the kiss, assaulting her senses just as her scent had been assaulting his all night. His tongue slid smoothly into her mouth, curling, caressing, tasting, trying to show her how he felt, something not even he knew completely.

Her sweet taste curled around his tongue, bewitching him and making him thirst for more of…this. Whatever this was, it felt so very right.
He pulled away finally, both gasping quietly for breath. Her forehead pressed against his chest as he rested his chin on the top of her head, the rose tickling the side of his neck as they caught their breath.
He felt her chest heaving over his, could feel her sucking in air as she trembled in his arms. He was hard-pressed not to do
the same, but regulated his breath carefully so she could, could feel the rise and fall of his chest and mimic it.

He finally loosened his arms, and she leant back into his loose hug, and smiled hesitantly up at him.
He leant forward and pressed one final kiss against her now-swollen lips, then released her.

“Thank you, Kagome. Goodnight.” He said softly.

She opened the door, hand on the knob as she turned towards him, her fingers lightly at her lips as she stared at him in that strange female way.

“Goodnight, Sesshomaru.” She finally said, entering her home, and closing the door softly.

Sesshomaru stared at the thick wooden barrier for a few seconds, before turning and getting into his car.
The fire he had felt while kissing her still coursed through his veins. It was not an unpleasant feeling.

***************

She sat back, fingers touching her lips in frank awe as she watched Sesshomaru Kingreaves go speeding away.
That kiss, so fiery, so passionate, so hesitant…so beautiful.
She started, unseeing, at the Higurashi mansion, feeling like an intruder into something personal and soul-stirring.
These people, these marks, they were so full of life, of all its joys and sorrows.
She wondered faintly if she could really manage to hurt these people again.

They had survived through hell.

Could she make them do it again?

Watching the beginning of what could shape up to be a beautiful love match, she felt so very empty. So very alone.

And so very tainted.

They, these people, did not deserve what she was being forced to do.
She straightened from her perch on the tree she had been stooped on for several hours.

It was about godsdamned time she took her life, what was left of it, into her own hands. That fucker was done with pulling her strings.

She was not going to kill Inuyasha Kingreaves.

She…she was going to help them survive.

Besides, she thought wryly, his brother’s romance with Kagome Higurashi could well finish Inuyasha off.


A/N: Oohdy oohdy ooooooh. I could not help myself, officer! I swear I couldn't...
Heeheehee...
Heat, baby, heat between them adds a l'il spice!
Sorry, I'm a little hopped up on a litre of Sprite and poprocks.

NEXT CHAPTER: TWISTS!!!