InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Gambling Your Way to Freedom ❯ Holding out for a Hero ( Chapter 10 )

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

Gambling Your Way to Freedom

 

 

Chapter 10: Holding out for a Hero

 

 

By the time she made it to the kitchen, he had set out their breakfast on the table and her mouth watered at the sight of the smoked salmon, fruit and steaming rice - complete with a raw egg to stir in for even more deliciousness!

 

 

“Feeling homesick?” She said, sitting down and pouring herself some tea.

 

 

He shrugged, sipping his own tea. “Perhaps.”

 

 

She giggled, not complaining in the least. As much as she enjoyed Western food, there was simply nothing that could compare with a traditional Japanese breakfast like she grew up eating. 

 

 

“It’s good to hear you laugh,” 

 

 

She dropped her eyes to her food, feeling her face combust as she drizzled some soy sauce onto her rice. She’d never been good at accepting compliments, even before she’d been sold. She couldn’t help but wonder what he sought to gain by complimenting her. She half heartedly stirred her egg, feeling her appetite dwindle to nothing. 

 

 

His sigh a few seconds later froze her blood. Oh Kami, what had she done? Was he angry she hadn’t fawned at his praise? She couldn’t help the tremor in her hands as she quickly flicked her gaze up to his, needing to gauge his mood so she could figure out how to defend herself. Unable to see anything that might help her, she dropped her hands to her lap, twisting her fingers together as she tried to appear as small as possible. Never draw attention to yourself! How had she forgotten that?! A couple of weeks of peace and she forgot everything! She steeled herself for the explosion, but as far as she could tell, he was just staring at her. 

 

 

“Sorry,” she mumbled, figuring he was waiting for her to admit her error. She forced herself to take another bite of rice, even though her stomach roiled in protest.

 

 

“Why do you apologize?”

 

 

It took everything in her not to flinch. “I’m not good at accepting compliments.” She mumbled, keeping her eyes locked with her chopsticks. 

 

 

There was a scraping sound, and then she felt a hand on her knee. 

 

 

“Kagome, look at me.”

 

 

She sniffed, a lone tear slipping down her cheek causing her to jump when his thumb came up to gently brush it away. He tilted her head slowly up to meet his gaze and she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion at the expression on his face. He looked, sad?

 

 

“Kagome, I’m the one who’s sorry.”

 

 

Her head jerked back in surprise. She couldn’t help it. It was just too surreal. What on Earth could he be sorry for?

 

 

“I’m sorry for my comment earlier. I shouldn’t have said anything. But this morning, when you walked into the bathroom and I smelled your arousal, then later, your nervousness on the stairs, I let my instincts get the better of me. And for that, I apologize.”

 

 

He released her then, returning to his seat and resuming eating. She wanted to be angry with him for returning to his breakfast like nothing had happened, but she couldn’t move. His words were like a weighted blanket, holding her frozen in place. He’d apologized. She couldn’t believe it. He recognized that he’d made her uncomfortable and instead of telling her she was being stupid - which is how she felt - he’d apologized. 

 

 

“What do you think about us going out today?”

 

 

His words tingled her back to reality and she turned back to him. “Out?”

 

 

He nodded. 

 

 

“Where would we go?” She said softly, finally feeling calm enough to resume her own breakfast. 

 

 

“I was thinking we could go for a drive and just see where we end up.”

 

 

She thought about it. On one hand, her cabin fever was desperately getting out of control. But on the other, did she really want to spend an entire day in such close quarters with him? They were barely able to hold a conversation for more than a few minutes without her becoming uncomfortable. Did she really think she could handle being trapped in a car with him, where there would be no hiding places. 

 

 

However, she also knew that if they were ever going to get through this, they’d have to get comfortable in each other’s presence. Maybe this was just what they needed. So, with that in mind, she nodded. “Ok,”

 

 

~~~

 

 

Miroku grumbled incoherently as he rummaged around the fridge. After failing to find something in his own house for lunch, he’d ambled up to the main house in the hopes of sneaking something from Sesshoumaru’s fridge so he could avoid going to the grocery store another day. However, so far, he hadn’t found anything that really spoke to him.

 

 

The buzzing of a phone pulled him from his search and he quickly scanned the kitchen until he spotted the iPhone sitting on the table. From the purple and blue case, he guessed it was Kagome’s. He walked over and pushed the accept button, noting it was her friend Sango on the phone. 

 

 

“Kagome’s phone,” he said, resuming his perusal of the fridge. “Miroku speaking.”

 

 

“Um…” a soft voice said. “Is Kagome there?”

 

 

“Sorry,” he said, frowning at the fragile tone of her voice. “She and Sesshoumaru went out for the day and I guess she accidentally left her phone at home. Can I take a message?”

 

 

There was a sniffle on the other end of the line, further amplifying Miroku’s growing sense of worry. The girl was clearly crying. 

 

 

“D...do you know when they will be back?”

 

 

“Sorry, I don’t. They went for a drive in the mountains. Phone service is pretty spotty up there, otherwise I’d tell you to call him. Is there anything I can help you with?”

 

 

The line remained silent so long, he was afraid she’d hung up, but then she finally admitted, “I need to go to the hospital. I think my arm is broken.”

 

 

“Where are you?”

 

 

“I’m at home, but…”

 

 

“I’m on my way,” He said, shutting the fridge as he grabbed his spare set of keys from the key ring by the door. 

 

 

“No really! I can wai…”

 

 

“I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” he said cutting her off as he started his car and began backing out of the garage. “I’ll call you from my phone when I get there. I’ll text you the number.”

 

 

Hanging up, he immediately dialed Sesshoumaru, unsurprised when it went straight to voicemail. Hoping a text might make it through, he typed a quick message and then rushed into the heart of the city, cursing the horrendous traffic the whole way. 

 

 

When he arrived at the apartment, he took the stairs two at a time, hoping he was remembering the address correctly. He’d tried calling Sango when he arrived, but there was no answer. So now, he figured if all else failed, he’d bang on doors until he found the right one. 

 

 

Forcing himself to knock quietly, he called out to her. “Sango, this is Miroku. We spoke on the phone earlier. I’m here to take you to the doctor.” He heard her moving around inside, but the door remained firmly shut and he forced himself not to bang on the door.

 

 

“Sango,” he tried again, “I know you’re scared, but I promise I’m just here to help.”

 

 

Finally, after what felt like ages, he heard the lock slide and steeled himself for what he was about to see. However, as her battered form peeked out around the door, he was unable to stop his curse. She was, broken. There was no other word for it. Her face looked like someone had used her as a punching bag and she leaned heavily against the door, being careful not to put weight on her left leg. Her right arm was curled protectively against her stomach and he could see blood stains at the roots of her hair and on her shirt. 

 

 

“Come on,” he said, extending a hand out to her. “Let’s get you to a hospital.” He watched with barely contained rage as she tried to put her foot down and immediately fell against the door. Deciding to take a chance, he reached out and scooped her up as gently as he could, feeling another burst of rage at how light she was. 

 

 

She made to protest, but he shushed her. “The longer you fight me, the longer it will take to get you fixed.”

 

 

Sniffing weakly, she nodded and he carefully carried her down the stairs and out to the truck. 

 

 

Kagome smiled as she fanned her fingers in the wind. She had no idea where they were, but she had to admit, she was loving every minute of this day. After a brief stop at a local coffee shop, Sesshoumaru had pointed the car north and they were soon weaving around curvy country roads lined with fields and mountains. He’d surprised her by handing her his phone and telling her to find an audiobook for them to listen to and now the dulcet tones of the narrator filled the car with a comfortable air she wouldn’t have thought possible. 

 

 

They’d stopped for lunch in a small town where she’d had her very first slaw dog, an interesting meal she’d never thought she’d enjoy, but which had been surprisingly tasty. Then they’d ambled slowly around the rest of the shops lining the square, Kagome unsurprised when Sesshoumaru stopped to look at a collection of knives in a hunting store. She’d even teased him about it, surprising even herself with that one. Later she’d found the most perfect little tea set, complete with tea box, and was only midly surprised when Sesshoumaru immediately bought it. All in all, it had been a perfect day. One she didn’t ever want to end. 

 

 

Her stomach, however, had other ideas. It grumbled loudly, rumbling through the car like thunder and she turned to find Sesshoumaru smirking at her. 

 

 

“Hungry?” he asked, already slowing in search of a restaurant. She nodded mutely and a few minutes later he pulled into a Waffle House.

 

 

“Breakfast for dinner?” She chuckled, allowing him to hold the door open for her. He shrugged and she turned to look inside at the small diner that seemed to vibrate with yellow energy. This was another first for her. She’d heard of Waffle Houses of course. Knew they were a staple in the South and that there were often jokes regarding their refusal to close for any reason. However, she’d never actually been to one. Her eyes immediately gravitated towards the jukebox in the corner and she heard herself utter a soft “Ooo.”

 

 

“Why don’t you go pick us out a song,” 

 

 

He dropped a couple quarters into her palm and she glanced down into the glowing lights of the machine before her. Spying the perfect song within seconds, she didn’t hesitate with her selection, turning to find Sesshoumaru seated at a nearby booth. As she took her seat across from him, the intro to Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding out for a Hero,” sent chills coursing through her. 

 

 

“Sango loves this song,” she said, smiling at the memory of singing along with her friend as they danced together in the apartment. “She sings it all the time.”

 

 

“Can I get y’all somethin’ to drink?”

 

 

Kagome, who’d barely had a chance to glance at the menu, smiled up at the waitress. “Coffee please,”

 

 

“And I’ll have the same,”

 

 

“Two coffees comin’ up! I’ll be back in just a sec to get y’alls order.”

 

 

The woman bustled off and Sesshoumaru reached out and took Kagome’s hand. “I will save her Kagome.”

 

 

“I know,” she said quietly, nodding before dropping her gaze back to her menu. There was no need to ask who he was referring to. She tried to return her thoughts to the wonderful day they’d just shared, but she couldn’t help the wave of guilt that crashed through her soul. 

 

 

“Why don’t you call her. I can order for us if you let me know what you want.”

 

 

This time, the smile almost reached her eyes. She gave him her order and then reached inside her purse for her phone, frowning when she couldn’t find it. 

 

 

“It’s not here,” she said, continuing to dig around in the bag she was now beginning to think was a black hole. “I must have left it at home.”

 

 

“Here, use mine.” He reached into his jacket, however when he pulled out his phone, he frowned. “One moment, Miroku has called me six times.”

 

 

Kagome watched his face grow blanker and blanker, unable to stop the unease growing inside her as he listened to whatever Miroku had said. A moment later, Sesshoumaru stood abruptly, throwing some cash on the table as he helped her up. “We’re leaving.”

 

 

“Wha?” she said, following him blindly outside into the chill night air. 

 

 

“Sango is in the hospital.”

 

 

“WHAT?”

 

 

“Miroku is there with her. He didn’t leave any details though. Are you prone to motion sickness or lightheadedness?”

 

 

“I...what?” Kagome said, her mind still trying to catch up to them as he pulled them into a side alley. “No. Sess…”

 

 

But he was already pulling her against him, cutting her off with a soft order to “hold on,” and she barely had time to loop her arms around his waist before the world around them vanished, replaced by a blinding light and a crushing pressure around her lungs. A moment later, her feet hit solid ground and she opened her eyes to find they were standing in front of the Dekalb Medical Center.