InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ One Last Summer ❯ The Hangover ( Chapter 13 )

 

 

 

 

One Last Summer

 

Chapter Thirteen

 

1:56 PM, Sunday, June Thirtieth. (Taishou Manor)

 

Slowly, golden streaks peeked out from underneath heavily lidded eyes. Sunlight streaked in through the nicely curtained windows, and burned at the man's eyes until he was forced to screw them shut with a grunt. He tested his body strength by lifting an arm, only to find it excruciatingly tiring.

 

'What… what happened?' His muggy voice echoed through the cavern of darkness better known as his mind.

 

"Good morning, sleepy-head." A soft voice spoke from above him, and if he had had enough strength to move, he would've found himself staring into caring, chocolate brown eyes.

 

"Ugh…" Was his only reply, since it hurt his throat to speak.

 

"Shh… don't speak, Sesshomaru. It'll hurt like hell." Kagome whispered, careful not to speak so loudly that it would hurt his ears.

 

She then left for a few moments after tucking him into his wonderfully comfortable sheets - made of pure silk, for his enjoyment - and walked down to the kitchen to get water. She questioned herself why she had actually walked down three hallways and a huge staircase to get water, when she could've gotten it from the bathroom in Sesshomaru's room, and decided that it was just because of the man she was serving.

 

How she hated that word.

 

'I am no one's servant!' Her rebellious side cried, making her giggle aloud and turn a pretty shade of pink. If you like pink, that is.

 

Sighing, Kagome quickly grabbed a cup from a cupboard and filled it with water, slipping a dissolvable vitamin into it before traveling back through the three hallways and up the stairs. She set the cup down on the nightstand, before reaching over and closing the windows.

 

"Drink it." Was all she said, bringing the cup to his lips and elevating his head.

 

He did so.

 

It only took a few moments before he drifted off to sleep again in the comfortable tangle of blankets that swathed him, courtesy of the vitamin she had slipped into his drink. What? It wasn't like she had much experience in that category… right?

 

 

 

2:03 PM, Sunday, June Thirtieth. (Taishou Manor)

 

 

 

"Come on, InuYasha! Put some force into it!" Kagome cried, already lifting her part.

 

"Oh shut up! You've got the easy part, and not his huge head!" The offending man yelled back, trying to get a good grip on Sesshomaru's shoulders.

 

They were trying to lift the hugely tall man with long, gorgeous hair, bringing him over to the bathroom where - hopefully - the hot water would sober him up. Along the long trip of carrying Sesshomaru from his bed to his bathroom, which was a long way if you think how big his bedroom is, InuYasha had already dropped his half of Sesshomaru. Thrice.

 

"Finally!" InuYasha wheezed as they tossed Sesshomaru into the large tub, with a resound 'THUNK' as their answer. Kagome made InuYasha strip his older brother of his clothes, all except his boxers (to the reviewers' disappointment) as they turned on the hot water.

 

At first, as the searing liquid made its way out of the faucet, and into the bottom of the bathtub, wetting Sesshomaru's hair, boxers, and back, it did nothing to wake him. That is, it didn't do anything to wake him until the jets were turned on, and hot water shot out from every different possible angle, and covered the poor, hung over man, assaulting him until he sputtered with lack of breath.

 

"Wh-what?" The man's golden eyes slit open to gaze up at two blurry figures - one with the bright, red colors that signified his as InuYasha, and the other with paler, more considerable colors and long, wavy black hair, to be known as Kagome. They wavered for a moment, seemingly splitting into two and then combining back into one, before his eyes finally focused.

 

Turning the water off, and draining it, they took Sesshomaru out of the tub and wrapped him in a towel. Now that he was awake, and although he was shivering, the brought him down to the kitchen so the bright lights could knock some sense into him.

 

 

 

5:36 PM, Sunday, June Thirtieth. (Taishou Manor)

 

 

Brown orbs stared into groggy, golden ones as they sat across the table from one another. While the brown-eyed girl fiddled with her fingers and played with the hem of her knee-length, black skirt, the man with the golden eyes, bothering trying to stay awake and upright, as his body had threatened to fall to the floor in a heap. His eyes closed, and he tilted forward, but suddenly snapped back up.

 

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome's voice rang out through his struggle, and he snapped his attention on her face. Or, at least, he tried to.

 

He mumbled something what he though was a "Hn.", when it more came out as a "Shn."

 

"Are… are you feeling better?" She asked finally, the question ringing in his ears.

 

Better? Better? This was the worst he had ever felt in his whole entire life, and she had questioned The Sesshomaru, if he felt better?!

 

Bringing his hazy eyes up to her face, he decided to only focus on one of her eyes to make it easier for him, and stared right at her left eye. Of course, with his gaze messed up with everything that had occurred within the last two days, it looked as if he was glancing over her left shoulder, instead of at her eye.

 

Quickly she snuck a glance over her shoulder, and then turned back to him. His golden orbs clearly said the words he was thinking, and there was no need for a vocal conversation that included five minutes of stating how stupid that question was. Kagome pouted at that thought, and crossed her arms over her chest.

 

'Well, I wouldn't be talking. I wasn't the one who had been clutching the toilet the other night, holding on for dear life as my guts were thrown up… repeatedly.' She wanted to say, take advantage of his disgruntled state, and shove it in his face.

 

"I… I-Rin wants to see you." She ended up saying, her old thoughts left in the back of her throat.

 

"Shn."

 

 

 

8:43 PM, Sunday, June Thirtieth. (Miroku's Apartment)

 

 

 

Tossing and turning in the unfamiliar bed, Kagome finally took notice of how much the right side of the bed smelled so much like Sango. She expected the whole apartment to smell like Miroku, since, after all, it was his apartment, but it had more of Sango's special, unique flowery scent than anything. Of course, she should have expected such, since they couldn't do anything at the girls' apartment, it was done here at Miroku's.

 

They had been kind enough to give up Miroku's apartment for Kagome to use for a few days, since she wasn't willing to stay too long at Sesshomaru's anymore. Since Kikyo partially moved into the Taishou Manor with InuYasha, Sango and Miroku would have the whole of the girls' apartment to themselves.

 

'I wonder what they'd do?' She thought sarcastically, a mental image of herself rolling her eyes, appearing in her mind.

 

Sighing, she tried to relax in the heaping mass of blankets, preparing her mind for a long night of sleep. It was something she truly needed, after all that had occurred over the weekend. All she really wanted was to fall into a deep sleep, refresh her mind, sink into the pile of blankets that adorned Miroku's bed. Maybe just to never wake up again. She sure felt like that, at least.

 

Her last thought rung through her head before her body became limp, and a bit of drool dripped out of the corner of her mouth after a few minutes.

 

'I hope this bed is clean…'

 

 

 

9:23 PM, Sunday, June Thirtieth. (Taishou Manor)

 

 

 

Chest rising with each inhalation, and falling with each exhalation, Sesshomaru finally allowed his eyes to droop shut. His large hands clutched the silky sheets in clenched fists, tightening over each frustrating thought that came across his troubled mind. All he saw was visions, visions of her, flashing back from his unconscious times, and form the times he was conscious, but puking up the remains of his liver.

 

o0o

 

'Shh… Stop struggling.' She whispered into his ear as he grasped the edge of the toilet, trying to make her back away by swinging a hand, once released from the toilet, in her direction. Kagome seemed to be having a hard time with pulling his hair back for him.

 

The silky strands were just so long, so fine, and just so hard to pull back into a ponytail. One shorter strand had already managed to find its way into the toilet, and she rapidly swiped at it with a wet washcloth, trying to get the vomit out. How one single man could consume so much, and vomit it back up in two days? It was as if he had eaten a whole feast, and then eaten another one, and then went out drinking and was here now.

 

Kagome sighed, and resumed her struggle with Sesshomaru and his precious hair. He was currently gasping for breath, a bit of throw-up dribbling down his bottom lip, while leaning over the toilet. His eyes were scrunched up in concentration, or what seemed to be. It was most likely extreme pain, really, since what little of hangovers Kagome knew from, she always had a horrible headache.

 

If Sesshomaru had consumed much more alcohol then she ever had, he must be having a KILLER headache.

 

When his gasping subsided for five minutes, and his stomach seemed not to be holding any more fluids or solids to vomit up, Kagome silently led Sesshomaru back to his comfortable bed. The springs were silent under his weight as she slowly lifted his long legs onto the bed, until he was in a lying position. She tucked the heavy sheets in, and wiped the last of the vomit out of his hair before putting a clean, cold washcloth on his forehead.

 

Cautiously sitting on the edge of the bed, Kagome suddenly realized how high up the bed really was. When she sat on the edge, her feet just barely reached the ground, because of all the padding. Sure, it was perfect for Sesshomaru, him being six feet something and everything, but what about Rin? Didn't she ever have a hard time jumping up there?

 

There was no point in thinking about that. The great matter here was how to get Sesshomaru as comfortable as possible in this kind of position he was in. She still didn't exactly know what made him commit his act, but her assumptions led her to Bankotsu being around. Sure, he was a nice friend back in the day, when Kagome was a 'bad' girl, but things changed.

 

She matured.

 

She changed.

 

Bankotsu didn't.

 

'Goodnight, Sesshomaru. Get well soon, and we can talk.' She spoke softly while giving his bangs one last stroke, before exiting his bedroom. His amber eyes gleamed under his heavy eyelids, and watched her wavering figure as it left.

 

o0o

 

'How can she be so kind to me? She's only been working for me for a month, yet she cares for me as if I was a friend…' To speak the truth, he would not do that for her. If he had known her as well as he knew her no, they would most likely not even converse much. No, the only one he would tend to himself would be Rin, but even that was highly unlikely. Not that he wouldn't, just that it wasn't likely that she would get sick.

 

Either way, he had some things to say to her. Apologize maybe? No, definitely not something THIS Sesshomaru would do. Pay her back? How could one pay someone back something, if all that was exchanged was tender care and possibly even… dare he say it, love? Love for a child that was alone in the world, but needed someone to care for him?

 

No. He was not a child. He could care for himself…

 

Then end up hurting Rin. Again.

 

It was a reason Jaken had taken a break, because the summer months were the worst. No one ever really bothered to keep track of their days off, so when he really needed them to work most, they weren't there.

 

He would be covered in thick layers of anxiety, distress of all kinds.

 

That would lead to him staying late at work, fixing up all the work the workers that had left neglected to assign to someone else. Which would then lead to him just 'happening' upon a bar on the way home, and staying there even later. Which would finally lead to him getting drunk, and coming home and hurting someone.

 

Oh, how painful it was for him to wake up. When he even did. After a long night of drinking, like the recent one, Sesshomaru would only awaken once or twice throughout the whole experience to vomit. Usually these 'experiences' lasted about two and a half days or so, until he finally recovered.

 

This time, though, he had made a huge mistake.

 

One that could not be reversed, do to that fact that this one special person knew about his drinking problem, now…

 

Not Rin, she already knew…

 

Not Kagome, who he trusted enough to not dawdle in others' business…

 

Not Jaken, nor the other house workers…

 

InuYasha.

 

 

 

7:05 AM, Monday, July First. (Taishou Manor)

 

 

 

The wondrous smells of breakfast drifted up the large staircase, down the hall, and into Rin's room. Her small nose sniffed the air around her, and her large brown orbs peeked out from under eyelids that were heavy with sleep. It was a smell she had not smelled in what seemed like forever, one that she had greatly missed from before she was orphaned.

 

The aroma lifted her out of bed, and sent her little feet padding down the hallway, down the stairs, and into the kitchen, where a place was set specifically for her. Actually, there were four places set up at the kitchen table, but she knew by the brightly colored piece of paper folded in the shape of a crane that the one place was hers.

 

This place is reserved for Rin.

 

 

Next to her another one said:

 

This place is reserved for Sesshomaru.

 

The ones across from her and Sesshomaru's said the same things, except for the name was changed to Kikyo, and one for InuYasha.

 

Rubbing her eyes with fisted hands, Rin looked around the large kitchen, to see Kagome leaning against the wall near the stove, spatula at hand. A large, white, puffy hat adorned the top of her head, and splotches of white flower decorated her cheeks.

 

Kagome grinned a large, brilliant smile when she saw Rin enter the room, and immediately straightened up from her position slouching against the wall. The young girl sauntered up to her, trying to look over her shoulder and onto the stove, to see what they were having for breakfast.

 

"Ah, ah, ah, Rin-chan. No peaking until everyone is sitting at the table." Rin quickly ran back up the stairs and proceeded to jump on beads and wake everyone up for breakfast.

 

She first went to find InuYasha and Kikyo, and strangely enough in her mind, they were sleeping in the same bed. She thought that only Mommies and Daddies did that, and as far as she knew… InuYasha and Kikyo were far from parents. Strange… but one learns something new everyday, now don't they.

 

They were surprised to see her alright, but were decent enough to say that they'd be downstairs in ten minutes. Well, at least, Kikyo was. InuYasha more grumbled and smothered his face with a pillow, than responded. Rin hopped happily away and down the hallway the other direction, towards Sesshomaru's room.

 

'The best for last,' her mind whispered.

 

Silently slipping into the room through the slightly opened door, the young girl tiptoed on the soft carpet on her way closer to Sesshomaru's bed. She could not tell if he was asleep or awake, for his breathing was always very shallow, but as she crept closer, she noted that his eyes were closed.

 

Rin knew that she could not pounce on his bed like she usually did, like she had in InuYasha's room. Sesshomaru had been sick lately, and she didn't want to do anything that might upset or hurt him. So instead she quietly crawled up the end of the bed to the empty spot next to him, as he only took up a small amount of the bed; the right. No matter what, he was always on the right.

 

Lying down next to Sesshomaru, Rin watched him for a moment, before deciding it was just better to leave him. He didn't have to leave for work for at least another hour today, so he could have half an hour more to sleep. Dejectedly, she hopped off the bed and walked towards the door, but a musky voice stopped her.

 

"Rin… I'll be down in a moment." He said, and Rin nodded, and skipped down the hall happily.

 

 

 

7:17 AM, Monday, July First. (Taishou Manor)

 

 

 

Finally, when everyone was thoroughly awake and sitting down at his or her correct spots at the table, Kagome served them. Flat bread cakes with a thick, sweet, brown paste, and fruit on the side. A glass of milk for each of them, just to keep their bones healthy and strong, and a piece of toasted bread for each.

 

"A healthy American breakfast my mother taught me to make, a nice transition from the regular the cook always makes." She smiled brightly, and wiped her hands on her apron that read, "Kiss the Cook" in large red letters. InuYasha smirked.

 

"You might want to hurry and take that off, or I might just be tempted to follow that order, Kagome." She blushed and quickly untied it, sharing a laugh, as Kikyo slapped her boyfriend and Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. Rin didn't care, as long as nothing broke up the great breakfast they were about to share.

 

"Oh come one, dig in already! I'm not that bad of a cook, when it comes to some things!" Kagome smiled as she watched them each take a tentative bite, and then grinned when they all went diving back for more. Yet Rin saw something that alarmed her.

 

"Kagome-chan, why aren't you eating with us?" She asked, and stared the older girl down.

 

"I'm fine Rin, I had enough fun testing out the first of the batch…"

 

"Sit down then?"

 

"I'm fine -"

 

"I insist, Kagome-chan." Rin stated, without room for argument. She patted the seat of the chair next to her, which 'strangely' enough, had room for one more person. Kagome smiled a small smile, and sat down, and soon enough joined in the conversation the group was having about Miroku.

 

While InuYasha protested, and tried to defend his best friend, the two older girls got him with 'sexist pigs' comments and how 'men are selfish dogs'. InuYasha replied thoroughly with an excruciatingly loud "WOOF!"

 

Sesshomaru watched, seemingly uninterested, as his golden eyes gazed over each and every person, catching each detail.

 

Rin glanced at each person as well, but Kagome caught her eye. A smile appeared on the young girl's face, as the wondrous memories came soaring back…

 

'Mommy…'

 

 

 

 

So… long time no see? I am really sorry, but a lot has happened! I thought that I had gotten writers block, when I realized that I had lost interest! Then I realized that I hadn't lost interest, and that I was just completely lazy!

 

Yeah, there's me for you. You might have to wait a while for the next chapter, but I promise that you guys will get it… sometime or another…

 

Thank you so much, I love the feedback!

 

Please keep reviewing, Love, CcB.