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Discovery (Prompt #04) | Inuyasha
Collection Title: Fleeting
Genre: Drama/Romance
Rating: T
Summary: Well, this has turned into a serial of connected oneshots within the same universe, LOL. I don't know if it will stretch to fit all 30 prompts, but for now, this is a continuous story.
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un_love_you Prompt Table here. Prompt for this piece is: #4: “I need to want you.”
Title: Discovery
Universe: Alternate (modern era)
Rating: T (a hint of citrus, a smattering of language)
Word Count: 2437
Pairing: Sesshoumaru/Kagome
Summary: Sesshoumaru learns the truth about Kagome, and of his father’s intentions regarding her.
Author’s Note: Eighth in a series. Part 1 | Parts 2-7
Disclaimer: The Inuyasha concept, story, and characters are copyright Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media.
~*~
That? That was not the way it was supposed to go.
Sesshoumaru took great pride in his self-control; it was a trait that would serve him well, especially if his future was to contain a great deal of hostile merger negotiation, as was his plan. As such, he was supposed to be above base urges – able to resist temptation, to control his actions and emotions, to think clearly and logically.
His head told him: New Year’s Eve was a mistake. Kagome was his roommate, and things could only go downhill if pursued. It would never work. What the hell did they have in common?
His heart told him: hot holy damn but it had been a long, long time since he’d felt the urge to kiss someone like that. To draw someone close, and maybe take more than they were willing to give. To give as good as he received, to feel another warm body cradled so perfectly against his, so eager, so willing...
He didn’t regret it.
If given another chance, to repeat or change his actions…
He’d probably do it all again.
And that? Was a very bad thing.
So what’s my next move? he contemplated as he settled into his seat on the train the next day. It was a short journey to his father’s estate just outside the city, but he knew he had to come up with a plan before facing his formidable family for a strained New Year’s celebration.
He tried to think it through, logically, asking himself the tough questions…but he found his thoughts wandering, replaying the stolen moments from a scant few hours ago: their heated argument, melting into a passionate New Year’s Eve kiss. Her saucy reply to his muffled question – “I’m continuing what I started.” The feel of her mouth on his – her hands warming as she buried them in the folds of his coat – his head growing lighter as he made the split second decision to respond – his heart pumping painfully in his chest – his body growing heated as she pressed against him – the post at his back digging into his spine.
How long had it lasted? It felt like hours while it happened, delicious moments of unrestricted heat and untamed passion. It felt like seconds after she pulled away, her breath hot and hard as it passed between her lips, her chest heaving heavily against his.
It should have ended there; it would have ended there, if he’d been in his right mind.
But he wasn’t ready to let her go, not so easily, not so quickly. He kissed her again, his hands finding a pathway inside her coat, his arms wrapping around the smooth silk at her waist, pulling her body intimately against his. She reacted eagerly, twining her arms around his shoulders, her tongue demanding entrance into his mouth.
Who knew it was possible to break a sweat in sub-freezing temperatures?
Somehow, they’d managed to stop before anyone spotted them, but if he understood the coy look she’d given him as she pulled away – hands streaming down his arms, her touch igniting every nerve along the way – it was certainly not for lack of desire.
It was certainly not the end, not if he didn’t want it to be.
Did he?
He slinked out of the train car, shoving his hands into his pockets as he glided across the terminal. If he was to pursue this – and the chances of that were looking very likely, indeed – he’d need to know just exactly what he was getting himself into. The fact that Inuyasha was practically clinging to her still bugged him, and not merely out of petty jealousy. There was something so…odd about his behavior, his sudden re-entrance into her life.
The knot of dread that had formed in his stomach only tightened as he slipped into the waiting limousine that would take him to his father’s house. Love – lust – matters of the heart made people vulnerable, and he couldn’t afford to be vulnerable.
Not now. Not ever.
~*~
New Year’s dinner was even more strained than he expected, if that was possible. He, his mother, and his grandmother sat on one side of the table, staring down his father and his bastard brother, along with assorted other family members. His grandmother said it was a tactical plan, to show a united front to her shameless son for his reckless and disgraceful behavior.
His father pointedly ignored them, making dull conversation with his cousins.
Inuyasha, to his credit, appeared much more ill at ease, though he relaxed as their father included him in his conversations. Sesshoumaru took the opportunity to observe their interactions, which only served to raise his personal ire. Where was this side of his father – so warm and comforting and encouraging – when he had been a kid?
Luckily, the meal was not prolonged. Sesshoumaru managed to slip away before the annual trading of veiled insults that was so common in his family. He suspected his mother would have loads more ammunition than usual, given the relatively recent reveal of her husband’s decades-long deceit.
Though he made overtures about being thoroughly bored and heading for the library as he left, he instead ducked into his father’s study at the end of the hall. He settled himself at the desk, flipping on the power to his father’s laptop and opening one of the company-sensitive databases.
He realized, while watching his father and brother interact – and attempting to keep his sensual memories at bay, considering the company – that he actually knew very little about his roommate’s background. He’d run a standard check when she applied to rent out his spare room, finding little of apparent interest – she was the only daughter of a shrine-keeper’s family, accepted to university through a vacancy, studying economics. Her social reputation also preceded her, somewhat, making him even less inclined to dig into her past.
And yet – she was paying her university fees out of pocket, was never late with her share of the rent, and never complained about household expenses. Her wardrobe, though fashionable, was also quite large, and the sheer number of electronic gadgets he’d seen about the place suggested she was rather well off. Her family took annual vacations to a ski resort.
Definitely beyond the modest means of a Shinto shrine family.
He didn’t have access to his father’s vast databases from his own computer, so he’d have to take the chance while he still had it. Was there some possibility that she was connected somehow, somewhere, to someone who had sparked his father’s interest? What was the seemingly mysterious source of her family’s wealth?
What was Inuyasha’s connection?
Sesshoumaru deftly maneuvered through the many levels of security until he was in the motherload: the database that contained files detailing all of the companies his father had ever taken over, or was currently planning to merge with. Key players had their own separate files, cleverly coded to disclose how or why they were of interest.
He was perfectly calm as he ran a search on her surname, unsurprised to come up with dozens of files. On a whim, he clicked to the middle of the list, running his eyes through the highlighted names.
He swallowed convulsively when he spotted it.
An exact match.
So there is a connection, he mused, clicking on her name to open the file. He scanned the current biodata briefly, finding nothing new or of special interest. He skipped down to the coded notes, his eyes widening imperceptibly as a wave of trepidation rolled over him.
“I see,” he whispered, staring at the screen. She was the daughter of the late Satoshi Higurashi, who had been the head of SHK Corporation, a holdings company that had stakes in several different high-profile businesses.
SHK Corporation was his father’s greatest rival in the business, sucking up shares in near-equal capacity, if not even faster than Taisho Enterprises, his family’s company.
SHK Corporation was also the company where he was angling for a job, in the mergers department, hoping to gain the skill and experience necessary to one day take over his father’s business.
Upon her father’s death, Kagome inherited one of the controlling stakes on the board of directors of the company. In short, she had the power to make decisions Sesshoumaru could only dream of.
His eyes blurred as his heart beat dully in his chest. So I see, he thought morosely. I need to want you.
It made sense, tactically: taking up with her – whether just for the sex, or if it ended in marriage – could do wonders for his career. She could grant him the position he desired within her family’s company – or hell, maybe even higher! Getting on her good side, learning the secret dealings, the daily ins and outs of the family business, would probably give him an opportunity to eventually lead it, even if for a short while – though certainly long enough to make a move on his own inheritance.
Certainly amazing, that it lined up so well: he could have her in his life and in his bed, and it would only be to his benefit. The cost-risk ratio was firmly in favor of following his baser urges.
So why did it make his stomach turn in disgust?
“I’m certainly surprised at you,” boomed a voice from the doorway.
Sesshoumaru looked up, unsurprised to see his father there, leaning so casually against the doorframe.
I’m going to be sick, he thought as he met his father’s bemused gaze.
“I thought you were smarter than this, Sesshoumaru,” his father continued, gliding into the room on quiet feet and closing the door firmly behind him. “Don’t you know you should always lock the door when you go snooping through other peoples’ things?”
The words spurred him; he began to close out the files, but was unable to shut them all before his father made it to his side. Nonetheless, he continued, feeling a bit of an idiot for allowing his curiosity to overwhelm his better judgment.
His father chuckled softly. “It took my getting Inuyasha involved to make you realize what was going on, eh?”
Sesshoumaru didn’t respond, staring straight ahead at the now-blank screen of the computer. “Is that why you brought him here?” he asked coolly, calmly. “I should’ve known better than to fall for your ‘out of familial obligation’ line of shit.”
His father laughed outright at that. “Don’t be upset, Sesshoumaru,” he breathed between guffaws. “When it became obvious to me that you weren’t going to act in the best interests of the family on this matter, I had to bring in a pinch hitter.”
Sesshoumaru glared up at his father. “How long have you known about her?”
“Since she was born, of course!” he replied jovially, slapping his son on the shoulder. “I knew everything about ol’ Satoshi, right down to the moment he changed his underwear.” He shook his head, still utterly amused at Sesshoumaru’s ignorance. “The day that girl moved into your flat was the day I’d hoped to see what you were made of. Frankly, I’m disappointed it took this long for you to come snooping around.”
Sesshoumaru scowled. “I don’t play dirty like you,” he argued.
“Your sense of honor is admirable, if misplaced,” his father contended. “Business is a dirty world; I’m certain I’ve taught you that.”
“Indeed,” Sesshoumaru said, “but you go above and beyond. Toying with the emotions of human beings just to buy up stakes in companies? Breaking up families, siring bastard children? There’s dirty, and then there’s absolutely cutthroat.”
His father was in his face before he realized it, his features drawn into a hard mask. “And how do you think I became so powerful in one generation, when it took Higurashi just as long to merely capitalize on his family’s modest yet long-held holdings?” he asked harshly. “I play to win.”
“Taking risks, be damned the consequences?” Sesshoumaru returned.
His father’s expression grew truly fearsome then, as a slow smile creased his mouth. “The dalliance with Inuyasha’s mother was not without its benefits,” he mused. “Mine was the first company from the island to expand into Europe, after all.”
“At the expense of your family,” Sesshoumaru muttered.
“Actually, I’m quite glad I have another son, one who is only too willing to follow in his old man’s footsteps,” his father replied. “Someone who appreciates the life I’ve carved out for him, and is willing to do whatever it takes to expand the family’s power and reach.” He sniffed as he stood tall once again, sending his signature look of dissatisfaction down his nose. “Quite frankly, Sesshoumaru, you are proving to be quite the disappointment to me. I’m beginning to wonder if you’re worth any sort of inheritance.”
Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, more than used to hearing about his father’s profound disenchantment with him. Cutting him out of his legitimate inheritance was also not a new threat, though he would seriously question his father’s sanity if he attempted to leave everything to his idiot half-brother instead.
“What makes you think I don’t desire power?” he murmured, raising his eyes to meet his father’s. “I am your son, after all, your flesh and blood. Your ambition flows through me just as well as it does that vile half-breed. Yes, Father, I desire power, but I have no intention of selling my soul for it! Or anyone else’s, for that matter.”
His father’s eyes gleamed. “That’s a very interesting, impassioned response, especially coming from the likes of you,” he said. “Perhaps if it had been anything else – like, maybe, a willingness to see things my way, to understand why I do the things I do to succeed – I would have been willing to redirect Inuyasha’s attentions elsewhere.”
“I’ll never understand you,” Sesshoumaru vowed. I’ll never understand how you can hate me so much. I’ll never understand why Inuyasha can’t see through your silly façade of being a caring, loving father.
“And that is truly a pity,” his father sighed, “for I feel the girl is quite better suited to you than to Inuyasha. But, I’ll do what it takes to obtain a controlling stake in the company and thus, cut my biggest competitor off at the knees.”
Sesshoumaru matched his father’s deadly expression with one of his own. It seemed his father had no idea about his notions to obtain a job with SHK, much less about the designs Kagome may have had on him. She wanted him, not Inuyasha – thus, he already had a leg up in this little war.
“We’ll just see about that.”
Genre: Drama/Romance
Rating: T
Summary: Well, this has turned into a serial of connected oneshots within the same universe, LOL. I don't know if it will stretch to fit all 30 prompts, but for now, this is a continuous story.
un_love_you Prompt Table here. Prompt for this piece is: #4: “I need to want you.”Title: Discovery
Universe: Alternate (modern era)
Rating: T (a hint of citrus, a smattering of language)
Word Count: 2437
Pairing: Sesshoumaru/Kagome
Summary: Sesshoumaru learns the truth about Kagome, and of his father’s intentions regarding her.
Author’s Note: Eighth in a series. Part 1 | Parts 2-7
Disclaimer: The Inuyasha concept, story, and characters are copyright Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media.
That? That was not the way it was supposed to go.
Sesshoumaru took great pride in his self-control; it was a trait that would serve him well, especially if his future was to contain a great deal of hostile merger negotiation, as was his plan. As such, he was supposed to be above base urges – able to resist temptation, to control his actions and emotions, to think clearly and logically.
His head told him: New Year’s Eve was a mistake. Kagome was his roommate, and things could only go downhill if pursued. It would never work. What the hell did they have in common?
His heart told him: hot holy damn but it had been a long, long time since he’d felt the urge to kiss someone like that. To draw someone close, and maybe take more than they were willing to give. To give as good as he received, to feel another warm body cradled so perfectly against his, so eager, so willing...
He didn’t regret it.
If given another chance, to repeat or change his actions…
He’d probably do it all again.
And that? Was a very bad thing.
So what’s my next move? he contemplated as he settled into his seat on the train the next day. It was a short journey to his father’s estate just outside the city, but he knew he had to come up with a plan before facing his formidable family for a strained New Year’s celebration.
He tried to think it through, logically, asking himself the tough questions…but he found his thoughts wandering, replaying the stolen moments from a scant few hours ago: their heated argument, melting into a passionate New Year’s Eve kiss. Her saucy reply to his muffled question – “I’m continuing what I started.” The feel of her mouth on his – her hands warming as she buried them in the folds of his coat – his head growing lighter as he made the split second decision to respond – his heart pumping painfully in his chest – his body growing heated as she pressed against him – the post at his back digging into his spine.
How long had it lasted? It felt like hours while it happened, delicious moments of unrestricted heat and untamed passion. It felt like seconds after she pulled away, her breath hot and hard as it passed between her lips, her chest heaving heavily against his.
It should have ended there; it would have ended there, if he’d been in his right mind.
But he wasn’t ready to let her go, not so easily, not so quickly. He kissed her again, his hands finding a pathway inside her coat, his arms wrapping around the smooth silk at her waist, pulling her body intimately against his. She reacted eagerly, twining her arms around his shoulders, her tongue demanding entrance into his mouth.
Who knew it was possible to break a sweat in sub-freezing temperatures?
Somehow, they’d managed to stop before anyone spotted them, but if he understood the coy look she’d given him as she pulled away – hands streaming down his arms, her touch igniting every nerve along the way – it was certainly not for lack of desire.
It was certainly not the end, not if he didn’t want it to be.
Did he?
He slinked out of the train car, shoving his hands into his pockets as he glided across the terminal. If he was to pursue this – and the chances of that were looking very likely, indeed – he’d need to know just exactly what he was getting himself into. The fact that Inuyasha was practically clinging to her still bugged him, and not merely out of petty jealousy. There was something so…odd about his behavior, his sudden re-entrance into her life.
The knot of dread that had formed in his stomach only tightened as he slipped into the waiting limousine that would take him to his father’s house. Love – lust – matters of the heart made people vulnerable, and he couldn’t afford to be vulnerable.
Not now. Not ever.
New Year’s dinner was even more strained than he expected, if that was possible. He, his mother, and his grandmother sat on one side of the table, staring down his father and his bastard brother, along with assorted other family members. His grandmother said it was a tactical plan, to show a united front to her shameless son for his reckless and disgraceful behavior.
His father pointedly ignored them, making dull conversation with his cousins.
Inuyasha, to his credit, appeared much more ill at ease, though he relaxed as their father included him in his conversations. Sesshoumaru took the opportunity to observe their interactions, which only served to raise his personal ire. Where was this side of his father – so warm and comforting and encouraging – when he had been a kid?
Luckily, the meal was not prolonged. Sesshoumaru managed to slip away before the annual trading of veiled insults that was so common in his family. He suspected his mother would have loads more ammunition than usual, given the relatively recent reveal of her husband’s decades-long deceit.
Though he made overtures about being thoroughly bored and heading for the library as he left, he instead ducked into his father’s study at the end of the hall. He settled himself at the desk, flipping on the power to his father’s laptop and opening one of the company-sensitive databases.
He realized, while watching his father and brother interact – and attempting to keep his sensual memories at bay, considering the company – that he actually knew very little about his roommate’s background. He’d run a standard check when she applied to rent out his spare room, finding little of apparent interest – she was the only daughter of a shrine-keeper’s family, accepted to university through a vacancy, studying economics. Her social reputation also preceded her, somewhat, making him even less inclined to dig into her past.
And yet – she was paying her university fees out of pocket, was never late with her share of the rent, and never complained about household expenses. Her wardrobe, though fashionable, was also quite large, and the sheer number of electronic gadgets he’d seen about the place suggested she was rather well off. Her family took annual vacations to a ski resort.
Definitely beyond the modest means of a Shinto shrine family.
He didn’t have access to his father’s vast databases from his own computer, so he’d have to take the chance while he still had it. Was there some possibility that she was connected somehow, somewhere, to someone who had sparked his father’s interest? What was the seemingly mysterious source of her family’s wealth?
What was Inuyasha’s connection?
Sesshoumaru deftly maneuvered through the many levels of security until he was in the motherload: the database that contained files detailing all of the companies his father had ever taken over, or was currently planning to merge with. Key players had their own separate files, cleverly coded to disclose how or why they were of interest.
He was perfectly calm as he ran a search on her surname, unsurprised to come up with dozens of files. On a whim, he clicked to the middle of the list, running his eyes through the highlighted names.
He swallowed convulsively when he spotted it.
An exact match.
So there is a connection, he mused, clicking on her name to open the file. He scanned the current biodata briefly, finding nothing new or of special interest. He skipped down to the coded notes, his eyes widening imperceptibly as a wave of trepidation rolled over him.
“I see,” he whispered, staring at the screen. She was the daughter of the late Satoshi Higurashi, who had been the head of SHK Corporation, a holdings company that had stakes in several different high-profile businesses.
SHK Corporation was his father’s greatest rival in the business, sucking up shares in near-equal capacity, if not even faster than Taisho Enterprises, his family’s company.
SHK Corporation was also the company where he was angling for a job, in the mergers department, hoping to gain the skill and experience necessary to one day take over his father’s business.
Upon her father’s death, Kagome inherited one of the controlling stakes on the board of directors of the company. In short, she had the power to make decisions Sesshoumaru could only dream of.
His eyes blurred as his heart beat dully in his chest. So I see, he thought morosely. I need to want you.
It made sense, tactically: taking up with her – whether just for the sex, or if it ended in marriage – could do wonders for his career. She could grant him the position he desired within her family’s company – or hell, maybe even higher! Getting on her good side, learning the secret dealings, the daily ins and outs of the family business, would probably give him an opportunity to eventually lead it, even if for a short while – though certainly long enough to make a move on his own inheritance.
Certainly amazing, that it lined up so well: he could have her in his life and in his bed, and it would only be to his benefit. The cost-risk ratio was firmly in favor of following his baser urges.
So why did it make his stomach turn in disgust?
“I’m certainly surprised at you,” boomed a voice from the doorway.
Sesshoumaru looked up, unsurprised to see his father there, leaning so casually against the doorframe.
I’m going to be sick, he thought as he met his father’s bemused gaze.
“I thought you were smarter than this, Sesshoumaru,” his father continued, gliding into the room on quiet feet and closing the door firmly behind him. “Don’t you know you should always lock the door when you go snooping through other peoples’ things?”
The words spurred him; he began to close out the files, but was unable to shut them all before his father made it to his side. Nonetheless, he continued, feeling a bit of an idiot for allowing his curiosity to overwhelm his better judgment.
His father chuckled softly. “It took my getting Inuyasha involved to make you realize what was going on, eh?”
Sesshoumaru didn’t respond, staring straight ahead at the now-blank screen of the computer. “Is that why you brought him here?” he asked coolly, calmly. “I should’ve known better than to fall for your ‘out of familial obligation’ line of shit.”
His father laughed outright at that. “Don’t be upset, Sesshoumaru,” he breathed between guffaws. “When it became obvious to me that you weren’t going to act in the best interests of the family on this matter, I had to bring in a pinch hitter.”
Sesshoumaru glared up at his father. “How long have you known about her?”
“Since she was born, of course!” he replied jovially, slapping his son on the shoulder. “I knew everything about ol’ Satoshi, right down to the moment he changed his underwear.” He shook his head, still utterly amused at Sesshoumaru’s ignorance. “The day that girl moved into your flat was the day I’d hoped to see what you were made of. Frankly, I’m disappointed it took this long for you to come snooping around.”
Sesshoumaru scowled. “I don’t play dirty like you,” he argued.
“Your sense of honor is admirable, if misplaced,” his father contended. “Business is a dirty world; I’m certain I’ve taught you that.”
“Indeed,” Sesshoumaru said, “but you go above and beyond. Toying with the emotions of human beings just to buy up stakes in companies? Breaking up families, siring bastard children? There’s dirty, and then there’s absolutely cutthroat.”
His father was in his face before he realized it, his features drawn into a hard mask. “And how do you think I became so powerful in one generation, when it took Higurashi just as long to merely capitalize on his family’s modest yet long-held holdings?” he asked harshly. “I play to win.”
“Taking risks, be damned the consequences?” Sesshoumaru returned.
His father’s expression grew truly fearsome then, as a slow smile creased his mouth. “The dalliance with Inuyasha’s mother was not without its benefits,” he mused. “Mine was the first company from the island to expand into Europe, after all.”
“At the expense of your family,” Sesshoumaru muttered.
“Actually, I’m quite glad I have another son, one who is only too willing to follow in his old man’s footsteps,” his father replied. “Someone who appreciates the life I’ve carved out for him, and is willing to do whatever it takes to expand the family’s power and reach.” He sniffed as he stood tall once again, sending his signature look of dissatisfaction down his nose. “Quite frankly, Sesshoumaru, you are proving to be quite the disappointment to me. I’m beginning to wonder if you’re worth any sort of inheritance.”
Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, more than used to hearing about his father’s profound disenchantment with him. Cutting him out of his legitimate inheritance was also not a new threat, though he would seriously question his father’s sanity if he attempted to leave everything to his idiot half-brother instead.
“What makes you think I don’t desire power?” he murmured, raising his eyes to meet his father’s. “I am your son, after all, your flesh and blood. Your ambition flows through me just as well as it does that vile half-breed. Yes, Father, I desire power, but I have no intention of selling my soul for it! Or anyone else’s, for that matter.”
His father’s eyes gleamed. “That’s a very interesting, impassioned response, especially coming from the likes of you,” he said. “Perhaps if it had been anything else – like, maybe, a willingness to see things my way, to understand why I do the things I do to succeed – I would have been willing to redirect Inuyasha’s attentions elsewhere.”
“I’ll never understand you,” Sesshoumaru vowed. I’ll never understand how you can hate me so much. I’ll never understand why Inuyasha can’t see through your silly façade of being a caring, loving father.
“And that is truly a pity,” his father sighed, “for I feel the girl is quite better suited to you than to Inuyasha. But, I’ll do what it takes to obtain a controlling stake in the company and thus, cut my biggest competitor off at the knees.”
Sesshoumaru matched his father’s deadly expression with one of his own. It seemed his father had no idea about his notions to obtain a job with SHK, much less about the designs Kagome may have had on him. She wanted him, not Inuyasha – thus, he already had a leg up in this little war.
“We’ll just see about that.”