Human Compensation

Kagome sat at the table picking at her food with her fork. She’d lost her appetite after three bites. She glanced up again for the third time. Sesshoumaru was still watching her though half closed lids. Kagome shivered again wanting nothing better than to get away from him as far as she could. He was glaring at her, and even though his face was perfectly calm, those golden eyes peered through her like knives. He’d heard her. It was the only explanation for his behavior.

“Kagome, whatever you said to Sesshoumaru, apologize so he can stop sulking,” Rin said with a tired sigh.

Sesshoumaru eyes turned in Rin’s direction. “I don’t sulk,” he said in an eerie, calm, voice.

‘I better make this good,’ Kagome thought. ‘I really don’t want to be on this guy's bad side while I’m here.’ “I’m sorry for calling you an arrogant dog, Sesshoumaru.”

She was distracted by Rin’s giggle. Sesshoumaru glared at Rin who covered her mouth.

“You were nice enough to take me into your home to protect me from Kikyo and all I did in return was insult you. It’ll never happen again. Please, forgive me,” Kagome said as sincerely as she could. She held her head down under his scrutiny.

“I find the situation to be fascinating,” he finally said.

Kagome turned to him. “You do?” She asked.

He gave her a slow nod. “You’re the first creature to insult me and live. There are two reasons why you’re still alive. One, you’re going to be my brother’s mate. Two, Rin is quite fond of you. However, if you try to insult my person again, I’ll be forced to retaliate by any means necessary to make you understand your place in my home. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes,” Kagome said, softly. “Excuse me.”

Rin watched her run from the table and glared at Sesshoumaru. “Why did you have to be so harsh with her? You are an arrogant dog!”

“Will I have to punish you too?” Sesshoumaru asked, pulling Rin out of her chair and into his lap. “I can think of many ways to hear you moaning in pleasure or pain underneath me.” Sesshoumaru growled, placing hot kisses on her neck.

“Sesshy, let me go. I have to see if Kagome is alright.”

“She’ll be fine. I need you.”

“But we just finished a few minutes ago,” Rin said. “Can you at least try to control yourself around our guest?”

"Rin, did you forget that this our home? I’ll do whatever I want and right now I want you.” Sesshoumaru said, picking her up in his arms as he stood up.

Rin glanced into the direction Kagome ran with a worried frown on her pretty face. Sesshoumaru had an insatiable appetite that wouldn’t be denied for anything. She was usually all for his amorous attentions, but now she wished he’d be reasonable and let her check on her friend.

Sesshoumaru noticed her distraction. It made him slightly jealous. Until Kagome came, it had always been him and her living in the mansion. Would he have to compete for his mate’s affections now?

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

Kagome angrily kicked a rock as she stood outside the mansion. Somehow, she’d ended up in a garden. She remembered running down the hallway and suddenly she found herself outside. She sat down on a bench by a water fountain. How could Inuyasha leave without telling her? She didn’t want to be left alone in this strange place. Rin was too in love to see Sesshoumaru’s dangerous side, he’d threatened to kill her, right in front of her and Rin had sat there and said nothing. Kagome wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.

“Kagome?” Someone asked from behind her.

She turned around and saw Shippou walking toward her.

He smiled, “I thought I smelled your scent when I got out of my car. What are you doing back here alone?” He stopped smiling when he stood in front of her. “Kagome, you’re crying. What’s wrong?” He sat beside her.

“I want to go home, Shippou,” Kagome said, sniffing.

Shippou looked at her sadly. “I’m sorry, Kagome, but you can’t go home. Your life is in danger, that’s why Inuyasha brought you here.”

“Living with Sesshoumaru is worse than dealing with Kikyo. At least she’s up-front about killing me. Here, I feel as if I constantly have to be on alert cause I never know when Sesshoumaru may change his mind and swipe me down with those long claws.”

“Did he threaten you?” Shippou asked angrily. “That overgrown mutt is worse than Inuyasha. Don’t worry, Kagome. Sesshoumaru will never lay a hand on you. He wouldn’t want to face Inuyasha’s fury.”

“Inuyasha brought me here to be safe, but I don’t feel safe,” Kagome said.

Shippou hesitated before he put his arm around Kagome. Inuyasha was going to be angry when he smelled him on her, but right now Kagome needed someone to comfort her in his absence. “Things will be better when Inuyasha come back. He’ll make sure Sesshoumaru never threatens you again. I was coming to tell you that you mother called for you at work. She heard about the explosion at your apartment on the news. I told her you were fine and that you were away with Inuyasha on a business trip for a month.”

Kagome had never thought her parents would find out about her apartment. She was glad Shippou was there to answer for her. “Thank you, Shippou. You’re such a good friend.” She smiled at him and laid her head on his shoulder.

Shippou gulped. His bushy tail twitched nervously. Ever since Inuyasha had claimed Kagome, he’d been trying to get over his feelings for her. It was one reason why he hadn’t visited her at Sango’s apartment after the explosion. She belonged to his best friend now and it wouldn’t do him any good to keep falling for her. But right now, she was making it very difficult for him to control his feelings for her. He allowed himself to breathe in her scent, there was no harm in that. As long as he didn’t touch her in an intimate, romantic way or kiss her or ... he let out a soft squeak...or let himself be turned on by her which was definitely happening now. He stiffened and moved around uncomfortably as Kagome rubbed her fingers through his bushy tail. He had to remind himself that Kagome knew nothing about youkai, especially youkai’s with sensitive tails. Every stroke she gave him made his arousal grow. He moved away from her and sat on the far side of the bench and crossed his legs.

Kagome watched him in confusion wondering why he’d jerked away from her so abruptly. His face had turned dark red. “Shippou? What’s the matter?” She asked.

“Nothing...I don’t want Inuyasha to smell me on you. You know how possessive he can get,” he said.

“Oh, yeah,” Kagome said. “It’s so ridiculous that I can’t even hug my own friends without him getting jealous.”

Shippou laughed nervously. “Yeah, ha,ha you know Inuyasha.” ‘I’m going to die...He’s going to kill me,’ he thought frantically. He’d gotten aroused while Kagome had been laying against him. Inuyasha’s canine nose was bound to recognize the change in his scent on Kagome. ‘I better get out of here before he comes back.’ “Kagome, I’ll see you later, okay?”

She gave him a look that made him want to ignore the danger he was in and stay with her.

“You’re leaving so soon? You just got here.” Kagome asked, standing up.

“You know me, work, work, work. I just dropped by to say hi and tell you about your parents.”

“Oh,” Kagome said, looking disappointed.

“Rin is here, she’ll keep you company.”

“Rin, it’s like she’s still the same, but different somehow,” Kagome said, thoughtfully. She looked up to see Shippou running away. “What’s gotten into him?”

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

Inuyasha came back that night carrying a huge bag. He stood in front of the door trying to locate Kagome’s scent before he entered the mansion. He did not want her to see what he was carrying. She was on the third floor with Rin. Good. He walked into the mansion, turned down a hallway that didn’t lead to the main rooms and entered a dark room. Walking into the middle of the room, he stopped in a certain spot and sat the bag on the floor. A bright light circled him and he disappeared.

Sesshoumaru was waiting for him when Inuyasha appeared in the underground basement. The room was huge with wall size screens, high-tech computers, video cameras and machines that were covered in millions of buttons.

“What took you so long?” He asked, turning around to face him in his huge leather chair.

“You try finding all fifteen brothers in one day!” Inuyasha said, throwing the bag at his feet.

Sesshoumaru reached into the bag bringing out a severed head. Blood oozed down from the neck onto his arms. He turned his head in distaste. “I’d forgotten how ugly they are. These won’t do for my collection. Throw them away.”

Inuyasha frowned. “You throw them away. I’m not your maid.” He said as he teleported out of the room.

Sesshoumaru pushed a button on his chair. “Jaken, I need you to dispose something for me.”

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

Inuyasha took a shower and changed clothes before he went to Kagome. He didn’t want her to see or smell the blood on him. He found her in a large living room with a fireplace playing some sort of game with Rin. Both girls were laying on the carpet across from each other propped up on their elbows and moving around figurines on a flat board.

“Ha you loose! You owe me $200!” Rin said, giddily.

“But I don’t have any money,” Kagome pouted.

“Then give me your car!” Rin said.

“Hey you can’t do that while I’m still in jail. You promised you’d bail me out and then I could earn the money to pay you back.”

“Oh okay, here’s $500 now how are you going to pay me back?”

“I’ll sale my house,” Kagome said.

“Where are you going to live?” Rin asked.

“I’ll move in with you!” Kagome said. They laughed.

Inuyasha smiled, curious to what kind of game they were playing. Rin was the first to look up and see him walking towards them.

“Inu! You’re back! Want to join us?” She smiled up at him.

“Some other time,” he said, watching Kagome who hadn’t bothered to look up.

Rin glanced at her, then stood up. “I’ll leave you two alone,” she said, walking out of the room and closing the door behind her.

Kagome closed the board game and put the objects back in the box, still ignoring Inuyasha. He frowned, not expecting this reaction to his return.

“Something wrong, Kagome?” He asked, sitting beside her and crossing his legs.

She looked at him long enough to give him a good glare before she continued.

Inuyasha stared at her in confusion. He scratched his head wondering what he’d done wrong this time. “Kagome, why are you angry at me?”

Kagome put the cover over the box, stood up, and sat it on top of a shelf. She felt Inuyasha’s strong arms wrap around her waist and pull her back to him. She landed in his lap.

“Hey, I’m talking to you! Answer me,” he demanded, staring into her face.

“Why did you leave me? How could you leave me alone in this strange place with Sesshoumaru? You could have at least said good-bye.”

“I was coming back, Kagome,” Inuyasha said, smiling a little.

“It was still rude! This is my first time in a place like this. I thought you’d stay with me for a while.”

Inuyasha breathe in her scent. She felt so good in his arms. He frowned when he smelt the light scent of salt on her cheeks. “Have you been crying?” He asked in disbelief.

Kagome struggled to get out of his lap. He held her in place and sniffed her again. There was another smell on her that wasn’t hers. It was Shippou’s...He pressed his nose against her chest.

“Inuyasha!” Kagome protested trying to push him off.

“What the fuck!!!” Inuyasha yelled in outrage at Shippou’s aroused scent on her clothes.

Kagome suddenly found herself on her back with Inuyasha hovering over her. She looked at him in disbelief as he sniffed her loudly from head to toe. “Inuyasha, what...what are you doing?”

“Did he hurt you! Did he force himself on you? I swear I’ll kill that runt,” Inuyasha growled menacingly.

“Who are you talking about?” Kagome asked.

“Shippou. His scent is all over you. He wanted to mate with you.”

“No, he didn’t,” Kagome said.

“I can smell his arousal!” Inuyasha yelled, causing her bangs to fly back.

Kagome saw his eyes slowly turn red. ‘He’s really angry. I have to calm him down or no telling what he will do.’

“Inuyasha, Shippou found me in the gardens. He saw I was upset over something and he tried to comfort me that’s it.”

“How? How did he try to comfort you?”

“He put his arms around me and I laid my head on his shoulders. That’s all that happened.”

“Are you sure? You’re lying!”

“How dare you accuse me of lying!” Kagome said, angrily.

“You’re protecting him. You tell me everything before I find him and rip him to pieces!”

“Okay!” Kagome told him everything from insulting Sesshoumaru to Shippou’s abrupt departure.

Inuyasha stopped leaning over her and sat back. Kagome quickly sat up and moved away from him. “You felt him up,” he said.

“I did not!” Kagome gasped.

“Yes, you did. Kagome, you don’t go around rubbing on youkai tails. Their tails are very sensitive if you know what I mean. You might as well have been giving him a hand job.”

Kagome’s felt her face burning. “Oh my gosh! No wonder he left in such a hurry. I didn’t know!” She said in horror.

“He probably ran away so he could wank off, fucking little pervert,” Inuyasha said.

“Inuyasha! Shut up! Please!” Kagome said, not wanting to think about Shippou that way. “He’s like a little brother to me.”

Inuyasha chuckled. “Oh yeah, he’d love to hear that.”

“It’s not funny at all! I’ll never be able to face him again!”

“Don’t worry about it. He knew you didn’t know what you were doing,” Inuyasha said getting up. “I’m going to have a talk with Sesshoumaru.”

Kagome eyes widen. She jumped up and grabbed his arm. “Don’t please,” she said.

“Why not? I don’t care if you did insult him no one threatens you like that.”

“Just let it go, Inuyasha. As long as I’m staying here, I don’t want any trouble. He was right to be angry.”

“He frightened you and made you cry. I can’t forgive him for that.”

Kagome’s annoyance at his behavior earlier was forgotten over his anger for her feelings. She smiled. “I’m okay, really. Stay here with me.”

Inuyasha’s anger disappeared at the sweet smile she gave him. “It’s pretty late, Kagome. Let’s go to bed.” He said, taking her hand pulling her with him.

“Inuyasha what am I going to do about work?” Kagome asked as they walked down the hall.

“You’re not going back,” he said

“So I don’t have a job anymore?”

“You don’t need one. Things have changed, I’ll take care of you.”

“I didn’t come here for you to take care of me. I came here to take care of myself. I want my job back.”

Inuyasha looked at her as if she was crazy. “Do you really want to go back after getting thrown off the tenth floor by Kikyo?”

“I can work in your office that way we can be together,” Kagome said.

“No,” Inuyasha said. “You’ll stay here with Rin. Sesshoumaru doesn’t want her to work there either. You can keep each other company.”

“So what am I suppose to do here? Prance around the mansion all day and wait for your return?”

“Yes,” Inuyasha said. “And make sure you wear those pretty clothes my human counterpart bought you.”

Kagome glared at him. She stopped him in front of her door. “Good night,” she said.

“You should wait until we get into bed first to say that,” Inuyasha said.

“You’re sleeping in your own room. This is my room.”

“What?” Inuyasha asked in shock.

“You can’t keep making a habit of sleeping with me. Especially, since we’re guests in someone else’s home. I can’t runaway because I don’t have anywhere to run. I’m not hurt so you don’t have to hover over me. And, I’m in a safe place, so you don’t have to be near me to protect me. So, there’s no excuse for you to share my bed. Besides, all of my clothes are in this room. Yours must be in somewhere else.”

Inuyasha stood in shock as she quickly opened her door and slammed it in his face. He snapped out of his daze when he heard her lock the door. “Hey bitch! You open this door right now before I rip it off!”

“You’ll do no such thing Inuyasha, now go to bed.”

“Kagome,” he said in a tone that sounded like a whine. “Let me in.”

“Good night, Inuyasha,” Kagome said from behind the closed door.

She heard him mumble a few curse words as he stomped away.

She sighed and prepared for bed.

Sesshoumaru was about to get in bed with Rin when Inuyasha banged on his door. Rin looked at him in surprise. “Stay here,” he told her. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He asked in a foul mood for being disturbed.

“You threatened my Kagome,” Inuyasha said.

“Your Kagome needs to learn respect.”

“You will not make her feel threatened or frightened or uncomfortable in any way while she’s staying here, Sesshoumaru. I told you Kagome needs peaceful days and I’m going to give them to her!”

“Your love for your bitch has gone to your head. I’ll forgive you this time little brother, but never confront me over such pettiness again or I’ll throw you both out and let you deal with Naraku on your own.”

They heard Rin gasp behind the door. She’d been eavesdropping ever since he went outside.

Inuyasha smirked. “You wouldn’t dare, Rin would never forgive you.”

Sesshoumaru grabbed Inuyasha by his neck and lifted him from the floor. “I think I’ve been quite good to you for the past few years. Don’t push your luck, you only have half my blood. I’ll only feel half guilty about killing you.”

Inuyasha struggled to breathe as he tried to pull his hand away. Sesshoumaru had always been stronger, faster, and maturer than him. Mostly because of his older age, experience and the proper way he was brought up. And of course there was the fact that he was a full youkai. Unlike Inuyasha, he’d attended the best schools, college, and was taught proper etiquette by the family his father had paid to raise him. He was thirty-six years old but still had the body and sometimes attitude of a twenty year old. He’d taught Inuyasha everything he needed to know about how to run a business and was still teaching him. Sometimes Inuyasha looked up to him, other times, like now, he wanted to murder him. He knew Sesshoumaru was bluffing about killing him. He’d done it a million times in the short time they’d known each other. Inuyasha knew he was the only family Sesshoumaru had that carried his bloodline. Still, his bluffs pissed him off.

Sesshoumaru let him go. Inuyasha fell to the floor. “Go back to your woman Inuyasha and take your frustrations out on her. I’m sure you’ll feel much better in the morning.” He smirked cynically before going back in his room.

Inuyasha stood up rubbing his neck. One day he was going to be better than Sesshoumaru in every way. His skills improved every year. Then he’ll show Sesshoumaru he was his equal and couldn’t be bossed around anymore.

Later that night Inuyasha moved around restlessly under his sheets. It was cold in his room. He wondered if Kagome was okay. He got up and walked to his window to let it down when he smelled her scent drifting into his room. Her window was opened. He jumped on his window sill and stared at the slightly cracked window beside his. Making an effortless leap, he landed in the window and turned to her sleeping figure. She sneezed in her sleep and shivered. “Stupid girl doesn’t have enough sense to close her window at night,” he mumbled as he hopped into her room and gently closed the window, careful not to wake her. He stood beside her bed for a minute staring down at her. Then glanced at the fireplace. There wasn’t any wood to light a fire. He smirked slightly. “Guess I have no choice but to warm her. Can’t let her freeze to death,” he said as he got in bed with her.

Kagome reflexively turned to the heat her body sensed in her sleep. Inuyasha smiled as he took her in his arms and settled his body against hers. She snuggled against him with a peaceful sigh. He chuckled. “You can lock me out of your room as much as you like, Kagome, but even your body knows you’re mine .” He whispered in her ear before wrapping his arms around her and closing his eyes.