The Ties that Bind Us

The Color of Things

by: Ryoko (Naraku's Dark Soul)

It was one of those days. Hot, cloudless, and without any hope for change according to the local forecaster. Sighing, Kagome picked up a notebook and fanned herself. It was true she could have turned the AC down--she wasn’t the one paying for it, after all--but she hated to run up the bill for her grandfather. The need to be useful, productive in some way, had stuck with her through her teenage years and into her twenties. Kagome was more than glad to be of help to others, even if it was just saving someone money.

Deciding it was better to get ready now than later, she walked into her bedroom and opened her closet. She and Naraku had…well, she was hesitant to call it anything other than an appointment… In any case, he had asked her to meet him at one of the most popular French restaurants in the city. And by that, he meant he would be picking her up and dropping her off. Kagome did not know how to feel about this new development, but she had been unable to say no to him. He was fast becoming some kind of addiction, bringing momentary relief to the tedium of her life, but with consequences. Perhaps it was the fact that no one had ever shown her so much interest before, or the fact that he seemed to be the only one left from the past where she had felt the most alive. Either way, she was hooked.

Frowning at the clothes in her closet, Kagome selected a long, black skirt and matching, dark blue blouse and set them on the bed. After closing the doors, she crossed the bedroom and went into the bathroom. There was no way she was leaving without being clean.

A few hours and one shower later, Kagome was nervously checking the time, shifting from foot to foot and clutching her small, black purse as she waited for Naraku to arrive. She had no idea what kind of car he was going to be driving, and found herself jumping a little each time one slowed down for the nearby stop sign. She still did not know how he had gotten her phone number, or how he knew her address, and resolved to find out over dinner.

Running her fingers through her hair, Kagome almost missed it when a limousine pulled up to the curb. She started at the sound of a car door and was unsure whether she should approach as the driver who had stepped out was an older man she did not recognize. Still, she considered the fact it might be one of Naraku’s disguises and did approach the car in the end. With a smile that did not quite reach his eyes, the old man opened the rear door, gesturing for her to enter. “Miss Higurashi, if you please,” he said, tone formal but devoid of any warmth. Kagome hesitated again, but folded herself into the car nonetheless.

The inside was comparatively so dark, it took her a moment to register she was not alone. Sitting across from her, perfectly at ease, was Naraku. He was in his usual suit, this time dark blue, almost purple. It reminded her of what he had worn in the past and she wondered if these were his favorite colors. She wondered if hanyou even had any, only to realize a second later how silly her musing was. Of course they did.

“What is your favorite color?” she asked, almost as if to make up for her thought.

Naraku’s eyebrows twitched upwards, but he did not show any other sign he had heard her. Finally, as his chauffer closed the door, he slid forward until their knees were almost touching. “You never cease to surprise me,” he said, chuckling and brushing his fingers over the hem of her skirt. She could not tell if Naraku was mocking or complimenting her. As her cheeks heated up for the first of what was sure to be many times, she decided it did not matter. He was there. He had not forgotten, abandoned, or used her. He was still interested in her. Undoubtedly, Naraku had changed. Or perhaps, as she had thought many times since meeting him again, she had never really known him.

“We match,” he said, running the fabric of her skirt through his thumb and forefinger. Kagome thought perhaps this was an answer to her earlier query, but it did not satisfy her curiosity. Still, she supposed she would not get much more out of him. Naraku seemed to like being an enigma.

“How did you get my phone number and my address, anyway?” she asked, abandoning her earlier question as the vehicle rumbled to life. His hand stilled on her knee for a moment, and she knew she had caught him off guard. She had been meaning to wait, but somehow it just slipped out. Perhaps he had thought she would wait as well. Or maybe he was thrown off by her lack of a greeting. Did he expect one? Of course. She was being rude. Kagome slumped, ever so slightly, in her seat.

“I’m sorry. Here I am asking all these other questions when I haven’t even asked how you are.” The hand that had stilled on her knee rose to her arm and grasped her, fingers encircling and tightening around her arm.

Naraku pulled her to her feet and settled her in his lap before she had drawn a breath to object. His lips crushed against hers, again cutting off any protest she might have had. His hand then moved to the back of her head, threading through her hair and holding her against him, although he need not have done so. She had been kissing him back almost since his lips touched hers, hadn’t she? Not that she objected to his touch, either. It was, perhaps, the first time she had had someone act this possessive of her. The feeling was thrilling.

Her thoughts became muddled as the kiss deepened, as Naraku ran a hand down her side to grasp at her free arm. As suddenly as it had began, the kiss was over, Naraku pulling back to leave her disheveled and wanting more.

“If you must know,” he hesitated, “I have several.” His voice was tranquil, his breathing calm. His features, too, were relaxed--quite the contrast to Kagome, whose hair was mussed and lipstick smeared. Breathless, she fought to regain composure. She was not sure how he did it, going from passionate to stoic in the space of a few moments. She couldn’t remember him doing such in the past, not that she had been around him much.

As usual, Kagome was so lost in her musings she almost did not register what he had said. As his words sank in, it occurred to her she really had to work on her absentmindedness. It wasn’t a trait she had been born with, rather one she had grown into.

“What…?” She didn’t know what he was talking about, but then she remembered her first question. “Oh.“ Kagome beamed, shifting in his lap. Naraku may have evaded her question at first, but he had answered it. The enigma himself was fraying at the edges! “What would those be?” she asked, wanting even more specific detail.

He chuckled, the sound sliding down her spine to pool in her groin. “You mean to tell me you don’t have a guess? I thought it would be obvious.” He leaned in as if to kiss her again, but whispered in her ear instead. “Purple and blue.” Kagome shivered, then laughed it off.

“Ah, I should have known.” It was obvious now that he had told her. She hadn’t seen Naraku in anything but purple or blue, after all.

“Very observant of you,” he agreed, his hair tickling her cheek as he righted himself. He was smiling, and it was knowing.

Kagome opened her mouth to voice some retort, but the car came to a sudden stop. A moment later and the chauffer was there, helping them out.

Naraku snaked an arm around her waist as he led her inside the restaurant. Kagome tried to resist the urge to blush. She had all evening to be embarrassed.

First, I deeply apologize for the boring last chapter. It's somewhat of an embarrassment to me with the unnecessary blow-by-blow of everything. Sorry! I will work harder in the future and will edit it when I have the time. First draft is the exploration draft, and while that may not be as true of fanfiction, I am still getting to know the characters.

Now on to the good stuff. I cut this short because I had the motivation to take it this far and I figured everyone would like an update. My muse is a fickle beast, but I hope to progress a lot farther with the story this year. Hopefully everyone's interest is renewed with the new anime. Thank you all for the reviews. It means a lot to me. Onwards, and upwards! o7