Playing with Fire

Chapter 3
The Beginnings of a Morning Routine?

This is not a very productive way to solve our problem.

'Of course it is.'

No, it is not. This Izumi does not understand why we cannot go -

Izumi immediately shut her beast from the conscious part of her mind, ignoring the brief burst of anger it sent her before settling back into her stance, calming her nerves until the smooth hilt of her weapon faded into the background. Fixing her eyes on an invisible opponent, she began her kata.

--|--|--|--|--

"Good morning, Lord Sesshomaru." The inu-lord briefly glanced at his human charge, then returned his gaze to the parchment in front of him, reading over it quickly before setting it aside. "My lord, Asama has sent word that he is going to host a feast for you and Lady Izumi." Sesshomaru looked up from his writing and found Rin looking at him expectantly. He watched her for a moment, waiting to see if she would say anything else, and when she was silent, he simply turned his gaze back to the desk.

"This Sesshomaru fails to see why the fox deems such a thing necessary."

He could feel Rin rolling her eyes. "He wants to honor you and your new mate."

"The Lord of the West does not have a mate." Again, Rin rolled her eyes, and a small sigh escaped her lips. But she did not speak, and Sesshomaru took it as a sign that she was finished. He stood. "Attend to any matters that arise."

"Of course."

He left without another word, striding from the main house and going toward the dojo, his senses picking up a slightly familiar aura. He slowed his pace, scenting the air and mentally sighing as he recognized who the aura belonged to: Izumi. Ignoring the peculiar jolt his beast gave him, he continued on his way, expanding his aura briefly to let it touch against hers; a surprised female inu with a weapon was not something he'd like to deal with, no matter how easily he could take care of the problem.

Momentarily, he allowed himself to wonder if the demoness was a formidable opponent, but quickly found out for himself as he rounded a corner and was forced to stop and recollect himself before allowing his mind to process the sight before him.

Izumi, who was going through the motions of what looked like a long and complex kata, and either didn't notice him or didn't care to acknowledge him, held two thin bladed sais in her small hands, her arms moving fluidly as she arched the weapons over her head before bringing them together behind her, the blades hidden in the tar-black tumbles of her unbound hair. She remained in the same position for what seemed like forever, then she moved, slowly at first, and then she abruptly broke into a fierce step, thrusting her weapons out of front of her before splitting her arms and twirling in a complete circle.

Sesshomaru watched, entranced, as she began to step again, her movements abrupt but not lacking any of the grace he had seen in the moments before her change in technique. Her fluidity mesmerized him without any hesitation, the flashing blades of her weapons and twirling strands of her hair glinting in the sunlight that streamed in through the doors behind him.

He watched her for what seemed like eons, and, in those eons, he noticed things about her that he had either neglected to acknowledge or simply hadn't noticed before. Her face, small but pleasing, was set in a determined expression, her large emerald eyes shimmering with a fierceness he had only glimpsed when she'd first arrived. Her lips were, at the moment, a thin line, but now that he saw them, he could remember the fullness of them, their pink color blending in with the creamy skin of her face. She spun again, and was now facing him, although her eyes didn't register shock but for a moment before she returned to her kata, ignoring him.

With her body in full view, he couldn't help but notice that her hakama hung low on her slightly rounded hips, her haori covering what skin he would have probably seen if it had been smaller. His eyes drifted over her constantly moving form, taking in her small, delicate feet and rediculously long legs - he noted with interest that she was perhaps a head shorter than he - and he wondered if her movements were as fluid in bed.

Abruptly, the demoness before him slowed her rapid steps and substituted them for easier, almost languid ones, as if having heard his thoughts. Her hips rolled with each step, and she turned on tiptoe, her feet sliding along the tatami mat. Her weapons were just extensions of her arms - arms that moved with a slow sensuality that the taiyoukai was positive she didn't know she was displaying. He gritted his teeth, and his beast let loose a rumbling growl that resounded in his head, rattling his thoughts as he battled for control, feeling the beginnings of what was sure to be a painful erection.

Making a quick decision, he tore his eyes away from the alluring beauty just a few feet away and looked instead toward the far corner of the dojo. He began to walk toward it, giving Izumi a wide berth and lowering himself into a sitting position when he reached his destination, crossing his legs and placing his hands on his knees. After gazing at the demoness for a moment longer, he closed his eyes and forced his mind clear of all thoughts, sinking into meditation with a little more difficulty than he would have cared to admit.

--|--|--|--|--

Twenty minutes after seeing Sesshomaru at the door of the dojo, Izumi finished her kata and glanced at him as she sheathed her sais. He was sitting quietly, eyes closed, in a far corner, his pose as relaxed as she had seen him since her arrival. She guessed that he was meditating, and a gentle expansion of her aura confirmed her assumption; his own aura was calm, and responded to hers with nothing but a brief answering touch before falling back into quiet repose. Izumi placed her sais on the wall and sat underneath them, folding her legs and placing her hands in her lap. She closed her eyes and calmed her mind.

--|--|--|--|--

Rin glared slightly at the young demon standing nervously in the doorway, wondering why in the Seven Hells the fox couldn't stay out of trouble. "Nayumi, this is the third time this week that I've had to talk to you about this." The demoness blushed and looked down at her feet.

"Hai, Rin-sama, and I accept any punishment that you deem neccessary." Rin couldn't supress the sigh that fell from her lips.

Nayumi was a good servant, she really was. But sometimes her behavior got in the way of her work, and her mischeviousness made itself known in the little pranks she played around the fortress. Rin gazed at the small kitsune for a moment longer, thinking over her latest trick and the people it involved. Besides from a few embarrassed servants and perhaps a few not-so-fond memories, the kit had done nothing seriously harmful. Sighing again, Rin reached up and rubbed the bridge of her nose, dropping her hand back in her lap before fixing the demoness with a pointed glare.

"Nayumi, you do understand that I can't let you off this time without punishment?" She waited until the fox nodded, the movement barely noticable. "You are to clean the kitchen every night for the next fortnight, and your new day position will be to tend to myself and Lady Izumi. Is that understood?"

"Hai, Rin-sama." The kit's eyes met Rin's for a split second, and the human was proud to see that the demoness was no longer apprehensive.

"Good." Glancing behind her, Rin noticed that the sun was reaching it's highest point in the sky, and, looking back to Nayumi, she smiled. "Come. Your new position begins now." She stood, and Nayumi followed her from the room.

--|--|--|--|--

"Izu-sama!"

Looking up, Izumi couldn't stop the smile that worked its way onto her face at the sight of the brown-haired human walking her way. She stood, embracing Rin as soon as she was within reach before turning her eyes to the kitsune standing nearby. Rin stepped back.

"Izu-sama, this is Nayumi. She'll be attending us until further notice." Izumi smiled at the kit.

"The prankster, hmm? Your trick today was quite well planned. You must be an excellent strategist." As she had expected, the kitsune turned red from the base of her neck to her reddish-brown hairline, casting her eyes downward. Izumi smiled lightly, then reached forward and grasped the fox's chin in her claws. "But you are a very clever kit; I admire that." A light flashed in the fox's black eyes, and she finally smiled, although she still shyly averted her eyes after Izumi released her. Turning back to Rin, the inu cocked one perfect eyebrow, giving the human an exasperated look when her face contorted into an 'I'll tell you later' type of expression.

"Where is Sesshomaru?" Ignoring the mischevious glint in Rin's eye, Izumi turned and started down the garden path, listening as the two followed behind her. She waited a moment before answering Rin's question, content to watch the koi fish in the many ponds and listen to the small creeks gurgle beside her.

"He was still in the dojo when I left this morning."

"Oh."

They walked in silence for a while longer before Rin engaged Nayumi in a quiet conversation. Izumi, content to let them talk, simply listened, and the day wore on.

--|--|--|--|--
Author's Note
This was a pretty short filler chapter... I'm already working on the next chapter, which is when things start to get interesting. So I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and the next one will be out ASAP
TTFN
[Ta-Ta For Now]