What a Mess

Chapter Six

Ghost of a Chance

Kagome used to be a deep sleeper.

But that was before a centipede demon had dragged her down a well into a different time where things waited for you to fall asleep so that they could eat you. Now, the slightest noise would wake her. In her semi-conscious state, she’d learned to determine what was the rustling of leaves against the side of a hut and what was the scrape of claws moving across the floor.

Soft padding footsteps down flitting by her room startled Kagome awake. By instinct, she sat bolt upright, her hand going to the floor to reach for her bow and quiver of arrows.

Except that Sesshomaru hadn’t given her time to grab them before he’d thrown her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

“Damn,” Kagome cursed in a whispered voice. With her senses, she reached out, searching for youki. She found some, but it was familiar and currently sedate and possibly sleeping at the other end of the palace. She’d half-wished it had been Sesshomaru creeping outside her room so that their game could continue…even if she was bone tired.

Slowly so that her knees wouldn’t creak, Kagome rose from her futon. She carefully slid the shoji screen open and peeped into the thick darkness of the hall. Down at the end was a soft flickering light. Kagome thought she heard quiet sobbing.

Before the whole mess with the capricious well, Kagome would’ve rushed down that hall to help whoever was in distress. It was just her nature to comfort. But she’d learned the hard way that there were youkai who could make sounds like a crying woman or child to lure one of her nature to their untimely demise. So, she crept, back against the wall, palms flat on the dusty surface.

Sesshomaru’s place was really creepy in the dark. Fitting, she thought with a grimace.

The door to the room at the end of the hall was cracked open, pouring a thin stream of light onto the dull wood floors. Holding her breath, Kagome looked…and saw the back of Rin’s head.

“…but Kagome is very nice, Master Jaken, so I’m not too lonely. She gave me a haircut and fixed me a new kimono. But Sesshomaru-sama is mean to her. Rin saw them fighting! He threw meat at Kagome and made her clean floor all dirty! Rin is afraid that he will scare Kagome away.” The girl snuffled. Kagome poked her head in more and could see the girl had her head bowed, her little hands clasped in front of her. On a night stand was a battered little hat and some incense burning. A huge lump formed in Kagome’s throat. That had been Jaken’s hat.

“I wish Sesshomaru-sama would’ve buried you, Master Jaken,” Rin said softly. “But I guess you’re all right. I hope so. You never said so…but…I know you cared about me. I love you, Master Jaken. I miss you.”

Kagome couldn’t take anymore. She reached out to open the shoji screen when a clawed hand on her shoulder stopped her. Frowning, Kagome turned to meet Sesshomaru’s gaze. His eyes were phosphorent in the darkness, like yellow fire. He shook his head slowly, quicksilver hair slipping over his shoulders.

At first, she was angry with him. Would it kill him to show some damn compassion and let her comfort the girl?

But he surprised her…again, by stepping around her and into the room. Rin turned, her cheeks shining wetly in the candle light.

Hastily, the child wiped her cheeks and lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry, Sesshomaru-sama. I didn’t mean to cry.”

The stoic taiyoukai frowned. “Hush, Rin,” he said. Then, he drew the child to his chest, resting his chin on the top of her head.

Seeing him comfort the girl gave Kagome an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach. A tingly warm sensation. She didn’t like it. She wished he’d go back to being a jerk…it made things easier.

“Sesshomaru-sama…do you miss Master Jaken too?” Rin asked, her voice muffled.

Sesshomaru made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a sigh as he ran his claws through the child’s hair. There was a long pregnant pause. “Yes,” he said simply.

Kagome smiled, she just couldn’t help it.

Rin pulled away, a broad, gap-toothed smile on her face. “I bet that would make Master Jaken happy! He loved you, Sesshomaru-sama. But now we have Kagome to keep us from being lonely…right, Sesshomaru-sama?”

Her heart flopped around uncomfortably in her chest like a fish in the bottom of a boat. Sesshomaru went completely stiff, his eyes narrowing in what Kagome assumed was suspicion. He looked down at the girl, but Rin kept smiling, waiting for his answer.

“Hn.”

“Figures,” Kagome mumbled, trying to ignore the twinge of disappointment she felt. Stupid Sesshomaru and his stupid mono-syllabic answers! What did she expect from him anyway? “Oh yes, this Sesshomaru was lost until Kagome came with her beautiful smile that brought light into my darkness?” Well, they’d be serving ice cream in hell on little silver trays before that happened.

“I’m glad you like Kagome, Sesshomaru-sama. I want her to stay with us forever and ever and ever. She can stay, can’t she?” Rin was relentless. Kagome had to hand it to her. That kid had minerals.

The skin under his right eye gave a twitch. “If that is your wish, Rin,” he said, his voice sounding tight.

Rin nodded enthusiastically. “It is! It is! It is like I have a real family again!”

Sesshomaru made a funny noise in the back of his throat.

“But Sesshomaru-sama? You should be nicer to Kagome. You shouldn’t fight with her. She might get mad and run away,” Rin said softly, looking up at him with big shining eyes.

“Rin. It is late. You will go to bed now.”

The little girl sighed. “Yes, Sesshomaru-sama. But can Rin sleep in Master Jaken’s room now? I don’t have a room….”

Sesshomaru stood and placed his hand on top of Rin’s head. “Do as you like,” he said.

He slid the door shut behind him. When he looked at her, Kagome felt the earth drop out from under her feet. He didn’t look happy…but he didn’t look angry. She couldn’t describe it, but it scrambled her insides all the same. She tingled all over, right to the tips of her fingers. He pinned her with a golden glare and then brushed by her, the silk of his clothes trailing over her skin. Kagome shut her eyes and let the breath hiss between her teeth.

When she opened her eyes, he was gone, not even a trace of his dark essence lingered behind him.

#

Kagome stepped into the kitchen and her jaw promptly dropped open. Rin looked up at her with a big smile.

“Ooh, look, Kagome! Sesshomaru-sama got us some food!”

Apparently, he’d also picked up the mess they’d made the night before. The kitchen was sparkling clean. On the high wooden table were fruits, some rabbit, which he’d actually cooked himself, and some flat bread. Kagome didn’t know where he’d gotten, but she didn’t care. She was starving.

Merrily, she and Rin ate, chatting and enjoying the beautiful summer morning.

Until Sesshomaru came into the kitchen and ruined it.

He was wearing his full regalia, armor, pelt and all. Kagome gave him a genuine smile.

“Thank you for the breakfast, Sesshomaru,” she said. Maybe expecting the things she wanted wasn’t too far off after all.

“Your thanks are not appreciated nor are they wanted. You will need your strength. I have invited the lords of the East, North, and South for a banquet in a week’s time. I expect every inch of my palace to be in order,” he said in his usual, flat, toneless voice.

A slice of pear slid out of Kagome’s mouth and hit the table. “What?” She rose to her feet and marched over to him, his act of goodwill completely forgotten in her fury.
She was so angry that she missed the sparkle of amusement flicker in his amber eyes.

“You heard me, human,” he sneered. “You will do it, or the consequences will be quite unpleasant, I assure you.” He ran his hand through his pelt. “I could always give you to one of the lords should you fail in this task,” Sesshomaru said off-handedly.

Kagome jammed her hands into the pockets of her shorts to keep from smacking the smug look off his perfect face. Bastard! Jerk! Asshole! Arrogant piece of dog poo! She was gritting her teeth so hard they squeaked. It just wouldn’t do to say all those nasty things in front of Rin.

He leaned forward so that his breath and his masculine scent washed over her. Kagome blinked like a toad in a hailstorm. “What’s the matter, miko? Nothing to say?”

She narrowed her eyes. He was trying to piss her off on purpose. Well, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction, and she’d already promised herself flirting was out.

Kagome took a step back and forced herself to smile. “Why, nothing’s the matter, Sesshomaru-sama! I really don’t mind the work. I need something WORTHWHILE to occupy my time anyway.” She sighed. “I’ve been so bored.”

His hand snaked out and he grabbed her arm. “Good,” he gritted. “Then perhaps you should get to work right now.”

“Sounds good to me! I’d much rather do mindless drudgery than to have put up with the poor company around here!”

“Fine,” he said.

“Fine!” Dimly Kagome realized that they were both being childish.

The anger slid from his face, the hand on her arm simply stayed there, no longer trying to bruise her skin. His breathing was ragged, his breath hot on her face. He’s going to kiss me! Kagome thought, biting her lip.

Sesshomaru leaned forward, his eyes closing.

Little hands pushed them apart.

Rin looked up at them, sobbing her tiny heart out. “Please don’t fight! Rin will help you, Kagome! We’ll get all the work done, I promise, Sesshomaru-sama! Don’t make Kagome leave, please!”

Kagome dropped to her knees beside the girl and put her arms around her. “Oh, honey! Me and Sesshomaru-sama weren’t fighting…we were…um…shit…um….”

“We were merely jesting,” Sesshomaru finished.

“Right! We were just joking!”

“But not about the palace needing to be finished in a week,” he added, smirking.

“Course not,” she grouched.

#

Sesshomaru decided that he would further annoy the miko by following her and constantly critiquing her cleaning abilities. But only to get on her nerves, not because he liked being around her. He did not.

Except that he did, and he knew it. It was madness! She drove him insane. And she was still wearing those ridiculous pants. Kami, her ass was as firm as a ripe spring melon. He wanted to sink his teeth into it, give it a slap, squeeze it, have her sit in his lap…something. Every time the thrice cursed woman bent over to pick something up, his hand would twitch of its own accord.

Now, the horrid woman was trying to dust a ledge above a door. She stretched, and her shirt rode up, revealing the smooth taut skin of her flat belly. He had the indescribable urge to stick his tongue in her belly button. He’d bet she’d like that.

“Damn it,” he cursed under his breath.

But not quietly enough.

Kagome whirled on him, hands on her lovely hips. “What? What am I doing wrong now? I can’t help it if I’m short! Instead of complaining and following me around getting on my nerves, you could, oh, I don’t know, help me out a little!”

He smiled before he could stop himself. “You want some help, miko?”

She shook her dust rag at him, making him wrinkle his nose to keep from sneezing. “That’s what I said, damn it!”

“Very well,” he said. He grabbed the girl by the back of her pants. He hefted her up so that her legs dangled off the ground. Sesshomaru could see the bottom of her left cheek. He nearly groaned aloud. “Now you can reach, wench.”

He held her up higher than necessary just so her bottom could be right in front of his face. His tongue darted out between his lips. He really wanted to lick the small of her back.

“Put me down, you pig!” she screamed, kicking her shapely legs.

“Dust the ledge first,” he said, hating how ragged his voice was.

“Fine!” she shouted, swiping her cloth over the wood. “Now get your stinking hand off me, you brute!”

He dropped her. The wench went sprawling to the ground. Minus her pants. Sesshomaru blinked. Apparently, his claws had snagged the flimsy material and now it hung lay in two pieces on the ground.

His eyes trailed down to the fuming woman. All the kept her from being bare to him was a thin, nearly translucent triangle of silky pink fabric. He could see her. And smell her.

Sesshomaru knew he should flee before all self control slipped through his fingers like sand. So, he opened his mouth to insult her before leaving.

He stopped.

The wench was crying.

“You jerk,” she sniffed. “You ruined my shorts!”

He didn’t get what was so important about a pair of indecent pants. “Silence. This Sesshomaru will provide you with clothes befitting your station.”

“What? As slave? No thanks. I have my own clothes! My mother gave me those, you asshole! My mother…the woman I will NEVER see again. I hate you.” Tears coursed down her flushed cheeks. He watched with growing discomfort as she swiped at them angrily.

“Perhaps…they can be mended?” he offered lamely.

Kagome snatched the pieces of her clothes and clutched them to her chest. “Maybe. But that’s not the point.”

He arched a brow at her. Truly, humans and their petty sentimentalities confounded him. “Oh? And what, pray tell, is the point?”

She rose to her feet. Standing there, angry tears gleaming in her expressive eyes, her hair tumbling around her shoulders…she was beautiful. It was the first time he’d noticed just how lovely she really was. He didn’t like it.

“The point is, you don’t care about anyone save yourself.” She shrugged. “I don’t know why I bother.” Kagome turned away, offering him a view of her mostly bare backside. The underthing she was wearing was merely a strip of thin cloth that ran between the cheeks of her perfect ass.

Sesshomaru grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around. “I told you never to turn your back on this Sesshomaru.” He’d tried to sound menacing, but his voice ended up sounding strangled.

She swatted at his hand. “Stop man-handling me!”

He pulled her to him, hooking a finger under her chin to force her angry gaze to his face. “Why? You like it. Don’t bother lying. I can smell it.”


“I do not like it! I don’t want to be treated like that! What woman would? Are you that dense? Can’t you be nice? Where I’m from, when a man falls in love with a woman, he gives her gifts and flowers, takes her out to eat, shopping, that sort of thing. He doesn’t rip her clothes off until much later in the relationship! And he certainly doesn’t throw her around like rag doll! Where I’m from, men don’t hurt the women they care about!” She was yelling in his face, trembling in her anger.

“Love?” he sneered, the word tasting bitter on his tongue. “Have you been out in the sun too long, woman? This Sesshomaru said nothing about love.”

Her entire body went stiff, and Sesshomaru got the distinct impression he’d just said the wrong thing and quite possibly ruined his chances of getting the miko to spank him silly, forever. He had to think fast. He had to find something to say that wasn’t humiliating or damaged his pride too much. If only he could think properly! His blood was concentrated somewhere far from his head.

He took in a steadying breath. “However, this Sesshomaru….” He swallowed. Kami, this was difficult. He was glad there was no one to see him make a fool of himself. He certainly hoped the miko was worth it. “does not discount the possibility at some point in the unforeseen future.” The last bit he said very quickly.

The wench pushed him away. “Stop making fun of me. I know your type. There’s no need to lie to me. You never had a chance anyway.”

All right. Now, he was angry. He’d just lowered himself to cater to a human woman’s ridiculous emotions, and she’d brushed them aside and insulted him to boot. How dare she?

“If this Sesshomaru never had a chance, then you are playing a dangerous game, wench. It is most unwise to tease a taiyoukai.” He pushed her down, not caring about the hurt he saw in her eyes. None-to-gently, he lowered himself on top of her, grinding his hips into her groin. Let her see what she was doing to him, let her know the consequences of her childish behavior.

“Stop it!” she hissed, turning her face away from him.

He nipped at her chin, demanding her submission even though that was the last thing he wanted. “Your mouth says one thing, but your body says another,” he whispered.

The miko went limp. “I won’t lie, Sesshomaru. I think you’re attractive. I guess I’m pretty dumb…I should know better. I should’ve known you were just a cold-hearted jerk that only wanted one thing from me. I just hoped differently. I guess I deserve whatever I get for being so damn stupid.”

In a flash he was off her and on his feet. He stared down at her coldly, ignoring the pang of regret in his gut. “All this Sesshomaru wants from you is a clean home. Time is wasting. You’d best get to work.”

Then Sesshomaru did a very cowardly thing and ran away.

#

It had been two days. Two days since he’d last seen the woman.

He’d spent every bit of that time drinking himself into a stupor and completely depleting his supply of sake and wine. He felt miserable.

He wondered what had been going through his mind when he’d captured the miko in the first place? Ah…his brother. Er…half brother. He’d wanted to annoy him.

Yet, he’d heard nothing from InuYasha. Not even a rumor, and he’d had the miko in his possession for five days.

“She isn’t the miserable hanyou’s woman after all,” he mused, kicking an empty sake bottle with a bare foot. He sent it skittering across the floor where it smashed against the wall, shattering into a million pieces.

He had to form a new plan. The plan to Make the Miko Miserable had made him miserable instead. Oh, he was fairly certain she wasn’t happy either, but what was the fun in both of them being upset? His victory was hollow. Sesshomaru had never been very good at suffering. He simply couldn’t allow it to continue.

The miko’s words played over and over again in his mind. “Where I’m from, when a man falls in love with a woman, he gives her gifts and flowers, takes her out to eat, shopping, that sort of thing. He doesn’t rip her clothes off until much later in the relationship! And he certainly doesn’t throw her around like rag doll! Where I’m from, men don’t hurt the women they care about!”

Sesshomaru winced as though she were standing right there yelling it at him again.

“Yes well, this Sesshomaru doesn’t care about anyone, you said so yourself, woman,” he drawled. “I don’t recall youkai women being so much trouble. A good beating and they’re writhing on the ground naked.”

But of course, she was human. A good beating would kill her most likely.

“True, true,” he reasoned.

What would be the harm in getting her a few stupid flowers? Or perhaps a nice kimono? Maybe she fancied jewels? He didn’t know what she meant by taking her out to eat…did she mean a picnic? He supposed eating outdoors had a certain romantic charm. Such things were easy for one of his influence and wealth.

“If the stupid wench wants such petty things, so be it!” he said.

She should’ve told him from the beginning if he wanted her in his bed he’d have to do these tasks. He wasn’t a mind reader!

Everything to his liquor laden brain was making perfect sense now. The miko had some affection for him, she’d said as much. Sesshomaru knew what he needed to do.

“Accusing this Sesshomaru of wanting only one thing indeed,” he smirked. “No, no, miko. I will have it all.”

Meanwhile, Kagome was completely ignorant of his plans and was making new plans of her own.

The palace was clean. Everything in order.

She leaned against the wall outside in the courtyard, wiping the sweat from her brow. Kagome sighed. “Now, I’ll get to rest before Mr. Jerkface’s friends get here. First, I’m going to have a nice hot bath. Then, I’m going to get the hell out of here.”

“Kagome?” a familiar voice said.

She looked up, startled to see Kouga coming down the path.

Well, she thought it was Kouga. He had the same bright blue eyes the color of spring skies and robin’s eggs. He had the same ruggedly handsome tanned face, but that’s where the similarities ended.

Gone was the high ponytail and headband. His hair was tied back at the nape of his neck and he was wearing a dark navy kimono of rich silk. Kagome stifled a giggle. Never in all her days could she have imagined Kouga dressing up. What the hell was he doing here?

Before she could open her mouth to ask him, he enfolded her in a rib crushing embrace, his hand stroking her sweaty hair. “It’s so good to see you, Kagome,” he breathed. “I’ve missed my woman.”

Somewhere in the palace, Kagome heard something that sounded suspiciously like furniture being thrown around.


A/N: Hurray! I know, I know. I’ve promised a lemon. It will be soon, my friends. But that’s all I’m saying. Chapter 15 of Spark will be up tonight/early tomorrow morning. Still editing the bugger. It’s a long one too.