InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fleeting ❯ Control ( Chapter 24 )

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

un_love_you prompt:  #24 – “I want you to hate me.”

Sesshoumaru schooled his features into a patient expression as he quietly knocked on the door of the division manager’s office.  “Yes?” came the muffled greeting, and he stepped forward, sliding the door open and closed as he stepped into the tiny room.

“Ah, Mr. Taisho,” Ms. Sugiyama said by way of acknowledgement, glancing up from her work and pulling her glasses away from her face.

“Ms. Sugiyama,” he greeted her, lowering his head in a sign of deference for her position.  “I was wondering if you had an answer regarding my proposal?”

The smallest of smiles pulled at her lips.  “I must defer to Mr. Takeda in these matters,” she replied with a hint of regret.  “I have passed along the proposal for a formal inquiry into Hidecki Financial Group, but he has not yet responded.”

Sesshoumaru’s lips thinned as he digested this information.  He wasn’t surprised in the least to hear that it was not his immediate superior, but the head of the entire department of finance, who was blocking his proposal to open an inquiry into Hidecki.  The tiny holdings company had somehow garnered his father’s attention, piquing his interest enough that the elder Taisho was making a serious play for it, and Sesshoumaru was desperate to know why.  

“I don’t suppose Mr. Takeda has given any indication of when he might reach a decision in this matter?” Sesshoumaru asked after a moment, watching Ms. Sugiyama closely as she formulated her response.  She was an older lady, in or near her fifties, who ran her division with a firm and efficient hand.  Her demeanor was quite pleasant, with a motherly aspect that she tried (but ultimately failed) to quash.  She was the glue that held everything together, an intermediary between Takeda, the head of the entire department, and the army of interns and negotiators who did all of the actual work.

“No,” she said, adding after a pause, “and I wouldn’t hold my breath about it.”

Sesshoumaru nodded.  “I see,” he murmured, clamping down on the blade of frustration that sliced through him.  None of them seemed to understand the urgency of the matter, or how their very livelihoods were at stake.  Hidecki was merely the first stepping stone in his father’s latest plan, one that would ultimately culminate in a hostile takeover of the very company they now worked for.  Sesshoumaru himself was caught in the middle of it all, having been set up to take the blame when it all went down, and now he found himself fighting for his very future.

He wished he could have a bit of help from those around him…but, even after two months on the job, he found himself constantly running into roadblocks.  He’d never quite been able to build up a sense of implicit trust with his colleagues (other than his supervisor), thanks to the shameless reputation his surname brought to the table.  He was still very much in enemy territory, and some people – like Takeda – were intent on reminding him of that in every possible way.

“Thank you, Ms. Sugiyama,” Sesshoumaru said, bowing again before turning to leave.  It appeared that if he wanted this injunction to go anywhere, he was going to have to take it up with the man himself, a prospect he was most decidedly not looking forward to.  

Takeda hated him, and made no secret of it, even under the thin veneer of the polite business practices they all engaged in.

“Mr. Taisho, if I may?”  Ms. Sugiyama’s voice caught him just as he was stepping back out into the hall.  He cast a curious glance over his shoulder at her.  She paused before continuing, as if choosing her words very carefully.  “Mr. Takeda is not very dynamic in his vision of how to run this department.  Everything – and everyone – has its place.”

“As I’m aware,” Sesshoumaru responded wryly.  But that’s not going to stop me.

He fell silent in his thoughts as he made his way down the hall, his pace smooth and steady as he approached the frosted glass-windowed door of Takeda’s office.  He halted a few steps away, his eyes closing as his hands formed into fists at his sides.  He was going to need his every wit about him as he faced down this foe.  It was hard enough to sit in departmental meetings with the man, but the presence of the others had mercifully held his temper and frustration in check.  

In a one-on-one confrontation?  All bets were off.

He reached out, knocking firmly on the door, holding himself as still as possible as he waited for a response.

“Enter,” came the terse command, and he complied, opening the door and striding into the room with a confidence he didn’t quite feel.  He leveled an assessing look at his new surroundings, allowing no emotion or expression to show under his customary impassive mask.

Takeda didn’t acknowledge him, his focus instead on the paperwork cluttering his desk, his pen scratching across the document in front of him at a leisurely pace.  Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes as his gaze came to rest on the older man.  Sometimes one really could judge a book by its cover – Takeda dressed to reflect just how stodgy and stubborn he was:  a black suit several seasons out of style, paired with a well-worn white shirt and dark-colored tie, his jacket buttoned at the waist and cuffs even behind the closed doors of his office.  His dark hair was slicked back from his face and parted severely over his left temple, ostensibly to hide the bald spot forming at his crown.  His features were sharp even under a layer of fat, and he gripped his pen tightly between three white-tipped fingers.

Irritation flared in Sesshoumaru as Takeda set aside the document he was working on and picked up another without missing a beat.  Already he wants to establish his dominance and control of the situation, Sesshoumaru surmised.  He fisted his hands again in an attempt to reign in his annoyance at the blatant power play.  It was bad enough that he had to ask for this man’s help, but it was nearly unbearable to do so with deference or contrition.

Sesshoumaru bowed down to no one, much less a tedious middle manager on a power trip.

However, he knew when to pick his battles.  “Mr. Takeda,” he greeted, falling into the most courteous bow he could muster.

Takeda finally lifted his eyes away from his paper, arching an inquiring brow.  “Yes?”

The lack of the reciprocal response demanded by propriety rankled along Sesshoumaru’s nerves, but he pressed on, unwilling to let such petty slights get under his skin.  “I have put before you an inquiry into Hidecki Financial Group, and I am respectfully requesting an answer to said submission,” he said in an even tone.

The tension between them was ratcheting up with each passing moment, as Takeda eyed Sesshoumaru with a mix of thoughtfulness and calculation.  “No,” he replied simply, measuring the word – and his opponent’s response.

“Why not?” Sesshoumaru shot back immediately, already anticipating the rejection.

Takeda shifted to his right, shuffling through a stack of papers before extracting one.  “Your inquiry was insufficient, both in the way of interest, argument, and evidence,” he responded, a hint of goading condescension in his tone.

Sesshoumaru struggled to refrain from rising to the bait.  “Indeed, but that is just the point,” he contended, striving to keep his voice level.  “The information Hidecki has made available to the public is inadequate for assessing its operations.  By submitting a formal inquiry, I will have access to more of their records.”

A grim little smile curled the corners of Takeda’s mouth.  “And until you present a compelling reason to the contrary, my answer will not change.  I am not granting you permission to move forward with this inquiry.”  He sat back in his chair, allowing his eyes to fall down the length of his opponent before rising back again to his face, meeting the obstinate golden glare.  “I believe I need to clarify your position within this company, Mr. Taisho.”

Sesshoumaru shifted his weight from one foot to the other, clasping his hands behind his back.  He cut his eyes down to the chair in front of Takeda’s desk, well aware that he hadn’t been granted permission to sit, either.  “Oh?”

“Yes.”  Takeda rested his elbows on the arms of his chair, steepling his fingers over his midsection as he eyed the tall, thin man.  “We at SHK adhere to a very traditional business culture, with standard rules and a strict hierarchy.  Everyone has his place in this company, and together, we operate as a well-oiled machine in order to take care of our business.  Orders come from the top down, and all employees defer to their supervisors.”  

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk.  “You are an intern in this department.  Your job is to do the work assigned to you by me, my supervisory managers, or members of my negotiating team.  Your job is not to bring us ‘new business,’ or draft formal inquiries not asked of you, or – indeed – anything beyond the realm of the case currently assigned to you.  You are here to learn, Mr. Taisho, not dictate.  Perhaps that is not what you’re used to, coming from the family that you do, but this is how we do things here.”

Takeda paused for full effect, allowing Sesshoumaru a moment to fully absorb his contemptuous lecture.  “Do we have an understanding?”

I understand, all right, Sesshoumaru seethed silently, unable to conceal the fire that flashed in his golden eyes.  You’re more than willing to cut off your nose to spite your face, simply to keep me in my place – even if it means ultimately destroying your career and the company you presume such loyally for.

“Yes,” Sesshoumaru replied, matching cold calculation with cold calculation.

“Good,” Takeda responded, sitting tall once more and taking a deep breath, puffing his chest out.  “If there’s nothing else…?”

Sesshoumaru gave a curt shake of his head, drawing his lips into a thin line.

“Then I suggest you return to the work assigned to you by Ms. Sugiyama,” Takeda continued with a flourish.  “This matter is closed.”  

With that, he turned his attention once more to the document in front of him, not even bothering to give Sesshoumaru a formal dismissal.

Sesshoumaru curled his hands into fists behind his back, a momentary vision of wrapping his hands around Takeda’s neck and pressing his thumbs into his windpipe flashing across the backs of his eyes.  Fuck you, he thought savagely, turning on his heel to leave.  If you think this will stop me, you have another thought coming.

Mercifully, calm had once again restored itself by the time he returned to his office.  Sesshoumaru pushed open the door, barreling into the room with a singular thought and purpose, only to be brought up short when he noticed Kagome perched prettily on top of his desk.  She was busy tapping out a message on her phone, her legs, crossed at the knee, swinging back and forth in time to whatever music she was listening to via earbuds.  Her spirits seemed as high as his were low, which only served to unnerve him further.

He stared at her for a moment, taking in the oversized coverall uniform that concealed every luscious curve of her body, as he contemplated how to react.  On the one hand, he was so intently focused on the matter at hand that he was annoyed to be interrupted by anything, much less his partner-in-crime.  On the other hand, even the merest sight of her set his entire being aflame with longing and lust, and it was all he could do not to take advantage of the seclusion of his office, and her on his desk…

On this day, reason won out.  He closed the door firmly behind him, startling her from her reverie.

“Oh!” she cried, sitting up straight when she caught sight of him, tugging on the cords of her earbuds in order to dislodge them.  “I was wondering where you were – I just wanted to tell you that Inuyasha and I have finally gotten everything set up on our end.”  She graced him with an excited, if nervous, smile.  “I’m pretty sure we’ve covered all our bases:  we’ve signed up for a private server in order to have secure electronic communication; Inuyasha has picked up some burner phones so that we can call and text without your father knowing; and I’ve just finished securing an anonymous drop box at the post office so that we can exchange packages, if necessary…”

She trailed off, frowning a bit when Sesshoumaru swept past her and started digging through his bag, which he kept in the bottom drawer of the file cabinet next to his desk.  “Are you even listening to me?” she asked skeptically.

“Hm,” Sesshoumaru grunted, crouching on the floor as he continued his search.  I know it’s down here somewhere, he told himself.  I knew it was a good idea to keep it on me at all times…even if I’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this.

“Jackpot,” he muttered, emerging at last with a nondescript flash drive.  He stared at it for a moment, mentally cataloging all of the files contained on the single stick, trying to remember if he needed documentation that was stored elsewhere before jumpstarting the project.

“What’s going on?”

Kagome’s question brought him back to the present.  He turned to face her, his golden eyes searing into hers for a fleeting moment, causing his heart to beat rapidly against his ribs.  She pulled her lower lip between her teeth as she gazed back at him, curious and conspiratorial, sending another warm flush of yearning washing over him.

“Takeda is an asshole,” he stated, allowing some measure of vitriol to release in his words.

Kagome rolled her eyes.  “What else is new?” she snorted in response.

Sesshoumaru tugged his desk chair closer, sliding into the seat with effortless grace and swiveling around to face her.  “That means there’s a change of plans,” he said, holding up the flash drive.

She furrowed her brow inquisitively, inviting him to continue with a wave of her hand.

“Since Takeda has decided that being stubborn is more important than being right, it appears I’m going to have to take matters into my own hands,” Sesshoumaru explained.  “If I ever want to find out what’s so fascinating about Hidecki Financial Group, I’m going to have to pursue it on my own.”

“So instead of putting in a competing bid for Hidecki via SHK, you’re going to put in an independent one?”  Kagome asked, trying to clarify her confusion.  “But without the power of the SHK name behind you, will you even have the means to compete with Taisho Enterprises for it?”

Sesshoumaru shrugged.  “I suppose we’re about to find out.”

“Shit,” Kagome breathed, gazing down at him as the gravity of the situation sank in.

They had both been hoping that he could persuade his supervisors to allow him to dig into Hidecki’s background and records, and eventually pass along a proposal to the negotiating team to put in a bid for controlling interest in the modest holdings company.  They had been operating under the assumption that it would take a name just as powerful as that of Tashio Enterprises to make Hidecki sit up and take notice, and consider merging with any other firm but his father’s.  Sesshoumaru knew that if he could thwart this first part of the plan, then crippling the rest of it – using Hidecki to buy SHK out from under his competitors – would be easy.  

Why his father was even interested in this comparatively small-fry operation was mystifying, but all the same, it seemed to be the key component of his scheme.  If Sesshoumaru couldn’t use his current position to his advantage, then he’d have to think outside the box.

Takeda might have thought he was just putting Sesshoumaru in his place by denying him the inquiry request, when in fact he was only helping along the one man he actively hated and opposed.  How’s that for irony? Sesshoumaru mused silently.  Takeda would probably shit a brick if he realized.

“We really don’t have time to waste, especially considering this most frustrating setback,” he announced abruptly.  “I’m taking an extended lunch break today so that I might put the wheels of this project into motion.”

“What is that?” Kagome asked, nodding at the flash drive.

Sesshoumaru considered the 4GB stick.  “This is a project I designed and developed as part of my master’s thesis,” he explained cryptically.  “I set up a trading company of my own, doing everything short of actually putting it into play.  My advisor was so impressed with the thoroughness of the work that he suggested I hang on to the material.  I’d hoped to never have to use it beyond an intellectual exercise, but…”  He shrugged.

“Wow,” Kagome breathed, appearing suitably impressed.  “You are a genius!  I should’ve known you’d have an ace up your sleeve!”

He shrugged noncommittally, though he felt inordinately pleased by her effusive praise.

“Can I come with you when you set it up?”  She pulled out her phone.  “Let me just send Inuyasha a message – ”

“No,” Sesshoumaru interrupted forcefully, grabbing hold of her wrist.  “I’m running this operation, and this ‘sharing of information’ business?  Is a one-way street, from him to me.”

Kagome stared back at him in surprise.  “No,” she protested, “it’s not.”

His grip on her tightened.  “And why not?” he inquired shortly.  “Inuyasha has no need to know of my business.”

She pulled out of his grasp, affronted.  “How the hell do you expect me to get the right information for you, if he doesn’t know what’s going on?”  She shot him an irritated look.  “I have to keep him just as informed as he keeps me, you know.  That’s kinda how this works.”

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes as he studied her.  “You know I don’t trust him,” he replied coldly.

Kagome’s expression softened as she leaned down towards him.  “So you’re just going to have to trust me instead,” she murmured, her eyes shining.  “Trust that I know what I’m doing, and trust that I’m not going to fuck this up for you.  Don’t forget, I have a stake in this, too – and so does Inuyasha, whether you even want to acknowledge his part in this or not.”

She reached out, cupping his face in her hands.  “Do you trust me?” she asked softly.

Right now, he didn’t trust himself to stay on this train of thought long enough to answer her.  Her hands were warm and soft against his skin, her fingers curling into the nape of his neck as she leaned forward, as if she were bracing herself to close the gap between them…

“Do you understand what’s at stake here?” he managed to choke out, lifting his eyes to meet hers.

She smiled, drawing closer to him, until her breath was warm against his mouth.  “I do,” she replied, pressing her lips to his.  She shifted away before he could respond, circling her arms over his shoulders and resting her head in the hollow of his neck.  “More than you even realize.”

He eased closer to her perch, slipping his arms around her waist, enjoying the comfort and promise of the heat that was generating between them.  “Fine,” he relented, reluctant to let her go.  “I trust you.”

“Completely?” she murmured, her words muffled against his skin.

He swallowed hard before responding.  “Yes.”

Kagome leaned over the back of his chair, staring with a mixture of curiosity and awe at the computer screen in front of him.  “This is amazing,” she said for approximately the seventh time that day.

Sesshoumaru snorted.  “It’s not that impressive,” he countered.  “It’s only been theoretical thus far – I’m afraid it’s going to need quite a bit of work before it’s ready for the world.”

Kagome shrugged.  “And I think you’re too hard on yourself,” she replied, draping her arms over his shoulders.

The two were stationed in an old study carrel in the basement of the public library, nearly the end of their respective lunch hours.  Sesshoumaru had been working almost feverishly on his project company, registering for a business license, updating its prospectus, and refreshing the website before heading back to work, knowing that time was of the essence in moving to attract the attention of Hidecki Financial Group.  Of course, the sooner his company was up and running, the sooner he made contact with Hidecki, and the sooner his father would find out about his unexpected competition for the group.  Hence the extra layer of protection, via the shared public library IP system, as well as a proxy on top of that.

He was taking no chances of his father figuring out just who it was behind this new company.

“Done,” Sesshoumaru announced, finished with the last bit of coding.  He opened a fresh browser window, displaying the new company’s quite professional-looking website.

“Genkin Katsuro, hmm?”  Kagome purred the name of his company into his ear, sending a ripple of heated satisfaction down his spine.  “The ‘golden source of the victorious son’?  How appropriate.”

Sesshoumaru frowned at the screen, a knot of bittersweet hurt twisting through his abdomen.  “Indeed,” he murmured.  He’d chosen the name on a whim, after a particularly galling run-in with his father during the course of his studies.  The irony of it now was bitter to the taste; besting his father in a game of political intrigue would indeed make him victorious, but he wondered if it would be worth whatever price he’d have to pay for defying him like this, outright and in public.  No matter how much he opposed him or resented him, the man was still his father, after all.

Kagome straightened her stance, loosening her hold on Sesshoumaru as she reached for the phone vibrating from inside one of her uniform pockets.  “Oh, it’s Inuyasha,” she mumbled, turning away.  “Let me just reply…”

Sesshoumaru scowled.  That was the other part of this entire operation that made him wary – he didn’t like how closely Kagome and Inuyasha would be working together, even if it was ultimately for his benefit.  He didn’t trust his half-brother as far as he could throw him, especially not when it came to her.  He’d seen the way they interacted, albeit briefly; it was patently obvious to him that Inuyasha had not moved past their prior dalliance.  

It would just be one more thing for him to monitor, one final, irritating annoyance on top of all the rest.

He cut his eyes over his shoulder, gazing at Kagome’s back as she happily typed out another message to the vile half-breed.  An annoyance, maybe….but finally be able to have her of his own free will would make it more than worth the wait.