InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fleeting ❯ Fantasy ( Chapter 8 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

un_love_you prompt:  #02 – “I was wrong about you.”

Ugh.  Kagome reached out blindly, knocking her alarm clock to the floor just beyond her reach.  It continued its incessant buzz, forcing her to actually dislodge from her warm cocoon of sheets in order to silence it.  She shoved it under the bed, just for good measure, before furrowing under the covers once more.

She’d been having the most wonderful dream…

She sighed, closing her eyes, allowing the images to drift forward once more:  somehow managing to catch him unaware, pressing her lips to his, kissing him for real, not under the guise of sleep or alcohol.  She relished it, that feeling of being so close to him – but she hadn’t expected him to respond the way he did, to kiss her back with such urgency and such need.  Never in her wildest dreams had she actually expected it to work, but it had.

He’d let down his guard, allowing her a glimpse of the man beneath the icy barriers.

He wanted her.  He knew it, she knew it, and he knew she knew it.

That’s what the New Year’s kiss meant – there was no going back now.

Kagome smiled to herself.  Who knew resolutions could pay such dividends?  she wondered hazily, rolling over on her side, the bed sheets wrapping snugly around her.  She was not used to this, being the pursuer – she had certainly never lacked for male attention or interest in the past, and had been content to let the guys make any and all first moves.  But this one was the stubborn sort, and she’d realized the wait might prove long indeed, if she followed her usual strategy.

Not that she hadn’t tried to get his attention before; she had, only to be unsuccessful in her attempts.  The first try had been a lure, pure and simple, a last-minute invitation to a now-infamous Halloween party – infamous, because she’d embarrassed herself enough to rouse his pity instead of his interest, and had gone to bed alone that night.  And then there was the disaster before winter break, when Kouga had shown his true colors right there in the middle of their kitchen; Sesshoumaru had defended her honor, but for reasons other than chivalry.  They’d exchanged a few heated, hurtful words and she’d fled, unable to take the humiliation of bungling everything so perfectly.

But she’d managed to clear her head – and maybe turn his – during the separation.  That was when she’d realized that she was going to have to go after what she wanted, to take the chance and be the one to risk it all.  Somewhere along the line, her desire for him had deepened beyond mere attraction.  She could sense that there was so much beneath his surface, and for once, she wanted to be privy to it all: his heart, his mind, his soul.

She sighed, cracking her eyes open, peering across the still-dark room at her bathrobe, hanging on a hook by her closet.  The intensity of her feelings scared her a little bit, but she was determined to see this through.  It was a new year, after all, and one that had gotten off to a very promising start.

She lay in her bed, still tangled in the sheets, trying to dredge up the motivation to get up.  As much as she wanted to laze about and relive the wonders of New Year’s Eve, she couldn’t – it was the first week of classes.  This spring semester was going to be a tough one, too, which meant she’d actually have to pay attention in class.  Her degree work would begin in earnest, leaving her less time to consider all of the naughty things she could do with a willing roommate…

Just as she’d managed to pull herself up, ready to abandon the warmth of her bed, she heard the crisp slam of a door from across the hall, followed by the muffled sounds of running water.

So, he beat me to it, she mused lazily, slipping back down into the mattress, burying her head in her pillow.  Hopefully he won’t be long…

Her eyes fell closed, her mind supplying images to accompany the hushed sounds emanating from their shared bathroom:  the running water at the sink as he brushed his teeth, followed by softer cascades of the same when he turned on the taps in the shower – and if she concentrated hard enough, she could almost hear the soft whip of the curtain as he brushed it aside…

…her head grew heavy, the sound of the running water lulling her back to sleep…

He was beautiful, of course, a tall, pale, elegant Adonis.  As he stepped under the spray, his shimmering hair became the color of molten silver, clinging to his face, his neck, his shoulders as he brushed his fingers through it.  He gathered the heavy mass over one shoulder, revealing the refined arch of his back to her greedy eyes.  She felt her breath desert her as she watched him, her eyes following the rivulets of water that flowed over him; she was envious of the intimate trail they forged along the smooth column of his spine, across the curve of his hips.

He hadn’t yet realized his audience, so preoccupied was he in caring for his hair, massaging shampoo into the long, thick strands.  Her eyes rose to watch him as he worked, the muscles of his shoulders knotting and releasing under his careful ministrations.  Her heart hammered in her chest as she stood there, just beyond the filmy curtain, her hands growing clammy with the temptation to reach out and touch him –

 – but not yet.

She forced herself to wait, until he ducked his head under the spray once more, washing the soap from his eyes before turning his attention to rinsing his hair.  Slowly, carefully, silently, she pushed the curtain to one side, joining him in the steamy mist, feeling her skin flush from the heat of the water.

He started when she touched his bare shoulder, his eyes widening with shock when he turned to find her there.  She merely smiled back at him, curling her fingers into his skin, raking her nails appreciatively along the length of his arm.

“What are you – ” he choked out, but she cut him off, closing her mouth over his, leaning in, wrapping her arms around him.  He swayed back in surprise, bringing her under the spray, and she suppressed a giggle as the warm water cascaded down her back.  He steadied himself then, unfurling his arms and circling her waist, his hands still slippery with soap as he clutched at her back.

She pressed herself close, running her fingers along the line of his jaw and down the column of his neck as she teased him with her lips, nipping and sucking and brushing against his.  Her tongue darted out, licking the water that pooled at the corner of his mouth before trailing it over his chin, following the path already forged by her fingers.  She smiled triumphantly against his skin as her teasing elicited a low groan of pleasure from the back of his throat.

“Kagome,” he moaned, his voice rumbling through her as her kisses trailed across his collarbone.  His hands drifted down, cupping her bottom and moving lower, his fingers sliding down the lines of her inner thighs.  She allowed him to part her legs, anticipation pooling in her abdomen as she felt the heaviness of his arousal.

“I believe you owe me an apology,” she murmured, pushing his hair over his shoulder, nipping playfully at his chest, continuing to tease him with her tongue.

“What?” he gasped, exhaling sharply when her mouth closed over his nipple, her nails raking savagely down the planes of his back at the same time.  He growled in response, shifting her against the wall, beneath the soft cascade of water, rocking his hips into hers.

“Still think I’m not ‘your type’?” she asked pointedly, dropping her hands to his waist, curling her fingers into his skin.

He shuddered under the weight of her accusation, tightening his grip on her legs.  “I was wrong about you,” he whispered, pulling her knees apart as he hoisted her higher against the tiled wall of the shower.  “Oh, God, I was so wrong about you – ”

SLAM.

Kagome bolted up in her bed, stripping the tangled sheets away from her overheated body as she fought to catch her breath, her heart racing in her chest.  Slowly, her vision came into focus in the darkness of the room.  She released a shaky sigh as her nerves continued to tingle, adrenaline and naked lust still coursing through her.

Damn, she thought dazedly, glancing towards her bedroom door, wondering how long she’d lain there, indulging in her fantasy.  The room – the hall – was completely silent.  This is getting out of control.

Her lips curled into a small smile as she contemplated.  So maybe it’s time to turn fantasy into reality.

Kagome took a deep breath, smoothing her hands over her skirt and giving herself a firm mental shake.  She’d managed to shower and change in record time, wanting to approach Sesshoumaru before he left for the day.  She hadn’t seen him more than just in passing since New Year’s; the further away that encounter became, the harder it was to hold onto her resolve.

She stood in the common room, just out of sight of the kitchen, worrying the hem of her skirt as she gathered every ounce of nerve.  It was one thing to dream.  It was quite another to actually turn those fantasies into reality.

She peeked around the corner, momentarily startled when she caught sight of him, standing at the kitchen sink with his back to her.  He was fully clothed – unfortunately – but otherwise held exactly the same stance she’d imagined a scant thirty minutes before, shimmery curtain of hair and all.  She bit her lip as her eyes ran down the length of him, realizing her fantasized version appeared remarkably close to the real thing.

She found her feet, slipping into the room and approaching him, stealthily wrapping her arms around his waist.  She leaned into his back, burying her face in his hair, inhaling deeply and reveling in the feel of it against her cheek, so smooth and soft, like silk.  

“Good morning,” she murmured, her heart warming with anticipation.

He stiffened in her awkward embrace, ceasing all movement, but she held firm, eventually rewarded as he relaxed his guard.  “Good morning,” he returned, swallowing convulsively.

They stood in silence for a long moment, so long that she began to feel self-conscious.  Finally, he tugged away, reaching for a towel to dry his dishes.  She didn’t let go of him completely, dropping one arm while the other still rested around his waist, her fingers curling into his side suggestively.

He didn’t respond to her touch, his focus solely on the ceramicware in his hands.

“Sesshoumaru,” she tried again, only to find any sexy or confident phrases stuck in her throat.

“Hm?” he mumbled, side-stepping her in order to put his dishes away.  She quickly drew her arms back to her sides, her face flaming.  

What am I doing wrong? she asked herself, eyeing him carefully as he moved around their small kitchen.  The last time they’d been alone together, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other.  Those memories flashed behind her eyes now, only serving to further confuse and frustrate her.

She furrowed her brow as he came to a halt beside their kitchen table, absently brushing his hair over one shoulder as he gathered his books and papers together.  Desperately, she reached for another tactic, not willing to let him leave without settling the awkwardness that had risen between them.

“So,” she tried, striving to keep her voice light and pleasant, “what are your plans for today?”

He sighed, but didn’t look at her.  “I have class until three, and then another meeting with my thesis advisor,” he replied, his tone neutral as he methodically packed his bag.

Her heart sank at the idea that he’d be busy all day.  “Maybe we could meet for lunch?” she suggested, turning her attention to her tea cabinet, pressing herself up on her toes as she rummaged around in the back of it.  “I’ll be free around noon.”

“I won’t,” he said quickly, throwing the strap of the bag over his shoulder.  “Sorry.”

She cast a glance at him over her shoulder as she warmed her kettle on the stove.  He was frowning as he stared down at their table, appearing even more preoccupied than usual.  Her stomach clenched as she turned back to the kettle.  “Dinner, then?”

When there was no response to her suggestion, she turned, only to find him walking away without answering her.  Ignoring the low whistle of the kettle, she ran after him, catching up with him before he could escape completely.

“Sesshoumaru?” she said softly, taking firm hold of the sleeve of his coat.  Her heart thumped furiously in her chest as she gazed at him.  “Is something wrong?”

Had she managed to completely misjudge the situation, or was her fumbling just that obvious?

She really, really hoped it was the latter.  At least that she could work on…

Finally, mercifully, he looked at her, his expression softening with a reassuring smile.  “I’m sorry,” he apologized, touching the hand on his arm.  “I have a lot on my mind at the moment.”  He curled his fingers around hers.  “Dinner would be nice.”

“Is it anything I can help you with?” she asked, unable to shield the doubt in her voice.

He gazed at her thoughtfully.  “I don’t think so,” he murmured, squeezing her hand gently.

“Okay,” she replied, offering him a smile of her own, feeling reassured that she hadn’t completely fucked up by the simple fact that he was still holding her hand.  “Should we shoot for seven, then?”

He contemplated her question for a moment, before giving with a firm, decisive nod of his head.  “Seven it is,” he agreed, reaching for his scarf, still hanging on a hook in the foyer.

She reached for it at the same time, managing to pick it up before he could.  “Let me,” she said with a smile, running her hands over the soft, woolen fabric.  She wrapped it around his neck with great care, pushing the free ends over his shoulders as she leaned close, capturing his lips in an opportunistic kiss.

He was slow to respond, though he eventually did, lifting his free hand to her shoulder to hasten the moment.  He broke away with a shuttering sigh, caressing her cheek with the backs of his fingers as he gazed at her, his expression heavy and full and absolutely unreadable.  His eyes flickered to her mouth, narrowing imperceptibly, but he resisted the temptation, taking a step back and turning towards the door.

She watched him leave, cautiously optimistic.  It might not have gone exactly according to her plan, but something had happened – their relationship, such that it was, appeared to be moving forward, just as she’d wanted.

She couldn’t help but wonder, however, just what it was that he was hiding from her…

Kagome sighed, twirling her pen between her fingers as the professor droned on.  The first week of classes was always dull – the introductions, the instructions, the anecdotes about past classes, and, of course, the waxing philosophical on the professor’s own ambitions – but this class in particular was mind-numbingly boring.  

“The Microeconomics of Business” – what a snore.  

The only good thing about those first days of classes was all the free time one could devote to other, more interesting trains of thought, and that was exactly what she was doing, carefully turning the events of the morning – and the last few days – over in her mind.  With the benefit of hindsight, she was fairly convinced now that the morning, on the whole, could be considered a net win.  The awkwardness of the encounter she put down to being in the unfamiliar position of pursuer, as well as the singular silence of the one being pursued.  Come to think of it, anytime she’d chanced to be around him in a social situation, he wasn’t exactly warm and bubbly.

Obviously, she gave his fantasy-self far too much credit for being willing to take the lead.

She frowned as she remembered her sexy dream from that morning.  It was hardly the first time she’d fantasized about fucking him, but something about this particular fantasy stuck out in her mind…but what?

“I was wrong about you.”

She abruptly dropped her pen as the phrase trickled through the back of her mind.  It nudged another memory, of image and sensation – the abject elation she’d felt when his fantasy-self had whispered those words in her ear, feeding into the anticipatory excitement of finally, finally having him – and on her terms.

I guess I didn’t realize how much that still bothered me, she mused silently, feeling her hackles rise in response to the memory of his harsh – and quite real – words, the insulting dismissal that had sent her fleeing over winter break.  Even though it’s obvious now that he doesn’t feel that way anymore…

Or was it?

She furrowed her brow.  Yes, she’d managed to wrangle a dinner date with him, but he’d been awfully evasive to her previous suggestions.  Was that what he’d been so preoccupied with, trying to reconcile his image of her as an irreverent party girl with the woman he’d kissed so passionately on New Year’s?  They’d both had something to drink over the course of the evening, yes, but that kind of immediate, intimate bond didn’t just happen – did it?

“Meanwhile, in la-la land,” came an amused voice, breaking Kagome from her thoughts.  She glanced over her shoulder, surprised to see Inuyasha standing behind her.  Only then did she realize that the rest of her classmates were also milling about, collecting their belongings and leaving the room.  She flushed, unable to believe that she’d become so easily wrapped up in her own little world.

“Let’s have lunch,” Inuyasha proclaimed as she stood and began to gather her things.  “I don’t know about you, but listening to econ mumbo-jumbo makes me famished!”

She couldn’t help but smile at that.  “Yeah, this class is pretty dry,” she agreed, throwing the straps of her backpack over her shoulders.  “Sucks that it’s a requirement for the major.”

Inuyasha shrugged as they walked out of the building.  “I wish I felt that way,” he said jovially, pointing to a noodle shop across the street.  “It’s more ‘over-my-head’ than ‘soul-crushingly boring,’ to me.”

“Really?” she asked, surprised.  Their conversation was brought to a halt as they placed their orders and searched for a table in the crowded shop.  Finally, Inuyasha spotted one clearing out next to the door, sliding smoothly into one side of the booth before anyone else could beat him to it.

“Really,” he said, slipping out of his outer coat as she sat across from him.  “My dad’s trying to bring me into the family business, and, well – it’s all still a little overwhelming at the moment.”

She gave him a skeptical look.  “I thought you said you hadn’t seen your father in a long time,” she remarked.  “That you lived with your mother, right?”

He nodded.  “Yeah, but when she died, I had nowhere else to go.”  He shrugged.  “I don’t mind, you know, but it’s weird.  I feel like I’m playing a never-ending game of catch-up.”  He smiled at the waitress who brought out their food before turning his attention back to Kagome.  “I’ve never really had a head for numbers, either, which doesn’t help.”

She gazed at him sympathetically.  “It’s nice that your father is willing to give you a chance,” she mused thoughtfully.  “Things must’ve been rough between your parents if you didn’t even get to see him when you were a kid.”

His expression darkened.  “It was complicated,” he agreed, turning his attention to his ramen, “but my mom and I, we managed.”  He then attacked his lunch with gusto.

Kagome smiled, finding his ardent love for instant noodles rather amusing.  “Well, if you need help with some of your classes, let me know,” she offered.  “I’m no academic star, either, but I’ve done pretty well so far.”

“Awesome,” he replied, his eyes twinkling as he looked up at her.  “I’ll definitely take you up on that.”  He reached across the table for her hand, but she pulled away just as his fingers brushed hers.

She averted her eyes.  An awkward silence stretched between them as she took a healthy bite out of her own noodles.

“Kagome,” Inuyasha started, a small blush rising to his cheeks.

“I’m sorry,” she interrupted, curling her hand in her lap.  “I probably should’ve mentioned it before, but I’m – well, I’m kind of seeing someone right now, and it’s new – ”

“Hey,” he cut in with a smile, “it’s no problem.”  He held both hands up in surrender.  “We can just be friends.”  He shook his head ruefully as he inhaled another mouthful of ramen.  “Lucky bastard,” he mumbled under his breath.

She laughed over her relief, glad that he was easy-going enough to let the rejection roll off his back.  Their relationship had only been casual, after all, but she hated letting people down, especially when they’d been so kind to her.

He gave her a curious look as she settled, digging into her food once again.  “Mind if I ask who it is?” he asked casually.

She froze, her chopsticks halfway to her mouth, her heart suddenly beating very hard in her chest.  “I’d, um – I’d rather not say,” she stumbled.  After all, she contended silently, I’m not exactly sure that we are a ‘we’ just yet…even though I’ve never wanted anybody more than I want him.

He laughed it off again, though this time it sounded a trifle more forced.  “You’re right, you’re right, it’s none of my business,” he concurred.  “I guess I’m just kicking myself for missing my chance.”

She shrugged, unable to suppress the light blush that tinted her cheeks.  “Thanks, Inuyasha,” she said softly, pushing her food around her bowl.

“For what?” he questioned.

She felt her flush deepen.  “For making me feel wanted,” she replied sheepishly.

He gave her a sharp, skeptical look.  “Hey, if this guy isn’t treating you right – ”

“It’s not that,” she rushed to break in, quick to put an end to such dangerous notions.  “It’s just…well, you know.   It’s new and awkward.”  She dropped her eyes to her food.  “Just – forget it.  It’s just me being insecure.”

“Hey,” he said, his tone gentle but firm as he reached for the hand that was still on the table.  “You’re beautiful, and smart, and just an all-around amazing person to be around.  You have nothing to feel bad about.”  

He leaned close, lifting her chin to look straight into her eyes.  “You’ve been really great to me these last couple of months, and I want to do the same for you,” he vowed.  “So if you ever need anything, just know – I’m here.  Even as a friend.”

She smiled softly.  “Yeah, the same goes for me,” she replied, giving his hand a light squeeze as it fell away from her face.  “I mean – my dad was pretty heavily involved in the business world, too, so I know some of the ins and outs of things, how to deal, you know.”  Her eyes met his.  “If you want some pointers, I’m your girl.”

“Thanks,” he murmured with a nod, picking up his chopsticks once more.  “I’ll keep that in mind.”