All Inuyasha characters are ©Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Communications, Inc., Shonen Sunday, Sunrise, Yomiuri TV and Nihon TV. Characters are used without the express prior permission of the aforementioned. Story concept, other characters and original situations are ©L-desu; this fanfic is written for entertainment purposes only.
Written for the SessKag Festival 2024.
Day 1: City
It was a beautiful summer’s night in Tokyou, the light breeze helping to cool down what had been a long hot and humid day. After yet another tedious date with a random stranger she had met on one of her dating apps, Kagome decided to treat herself out to lick her wounds. It wasn’t as if the guy wasn’t decent or nice–it was more that he was just too nice and polite. Sometimes, she wondered if having Inuyasha as her first love had ruined her perception of what a good partner should be.
So just twenty minutes after she had said goodbye to her date–and made sure to swipe left on his profile–Kagome found herself in the elevator on her way up to one of Shibuya’s trendiest restaurants, Cé La Vi, which, though pricey, boasted the Sky Bar with a gorgeous 360-degree view of downtown Tokyou.
The doors finally opened onto the 18th floor and Kagome shimmied her way over to the host’s podium. Luckily there wasn’t much of a line after the dinner rush.
“Do you have a reservation?” the woman at the kiosk asked, painted ruby lips flashing her a congenial smile, which Kagome returned.
“No, I don’t have one,” she admitted.
“For one?” the woman continued with her inquiries, tapping on her tablet for a few seconds.
“Yes,” Kagome admitted a bit sheepishly.
“Will you be eating tonight?”
Kagome shook her head no. “Just drinks, please. Would you happen to have a table on the balcony?” she asked hopefully, visions of the panoramic views drifting across her mind’s eye.
The woman grimaced slightly, again tapping on her tablet. “I’m afraid there’s a private event on the balcony tonight.”
Assuming her best sad and pouty face, Kagome pleaded, “Oh please? I promise to stay out of the way. I just had a really bad date tonight and want to forget all about it. Please?”
Luck was finally on her side tonight. After a moment’s hesitation, the woman gave her a sympathetic look, tapped her screen again, and grabbed one of the smaller menus, beckoning her to follow her through the glamourous restaurant and out onto the balcony. True to her word, the woman led her past a very glitzy and posh party that seemed to take up most of the balcony area, complete with a DJ spinning the latest pop tunes.
The host finally stopped at a high table for two next to a lit fire pit in a secluded corner of the balcony, which, to her delight, afforded her an unobscured view of Tokyou Tower. Kagome gave the host her best smile while she slid into her seat, thanking her for accommodating her.
“I’ll let Daisuke know that you’re here,” the host said, smiling and winking suggestively before disappearing back into the building.
While she waited for the waiter to arrive, Kagome enjoyed the cool breeze floating over the balcony railing and the breathtaking views of Tokyou’s nightlife. She had always loved watching the city lights when she was a child. Later, after the well had closed and she was left stuck in her own time, she had eventually come to regard the city lights as upside down stars, reminding her of the brightly lit night skies of Sengoku Jidai.
“Hello Miss,” a warm voice called from behind her. She turned and was greeted by a stunning young male dressed all in black, complete with sparkling light brown eyes and a disarming smile. “My name is Daisuke, and I’ll be your waiter this evening. Are you ready to order?”
Kagome blinked, completely caught off guard by the male who simply radiated sex appeal, blushing when she clumsily picked up the menu. He should be modeling, not waiting on people at a bar! Briefly skimming the many elaborate drinks listed, but she decided on something a bit more simple for the time being. “I’ll just start with a white wine spritzer, please.”
“Right away,” the young man bowed, then winked at her before he turned and sauntered back into the restaurant.
Kagome smothered a small laugh behind her hand, using the menu to fan herself. Either the waiter was playing coy in the hopes of getting a good tip, or he was actually flirting with her. Which, after her debacle of a night, left her feeling fairly refreshed and attractive.
In no time at all, Daisuke was back with her spritzer and asking if she required anything else. Shaking her head no, he left her alone again, but not before taking a lingering look over her, which he probably thought she didn’t notice. She smiled amusedly, watching him walk back inside. He was definitely flirting with her.
Kagome went back to her ‘star-gazing’, mind once again stuck on thoughts of the past. Not for the first time, she wondered how everyone got along after she had disappeared. Did Miroku and Sango get married? Did Shippou finish kitsune school and gain more tails? Did Inuyasha finally end up with someone once he realized she wasn’t coming back? That last thought used to hurt keenly, but the ache had finally dulled over the years once she accepted that her place was in her own time.
So wrapped up in her thoughts, Kagome didn’t notice that she was no longer alone in her little corner of the world.
“Miko.”
The single word was both a statement and a question, the voice a familiar deep baritone mixed with a hint of a low growl, and Kagome nearly dropped her glass in shock.
It can’t be– her mind screamed out. There had been no hints of youkai or any kind of youki in her time, except for the random incidents of the Noh mask and Tatarimokke early on during her adventures. She had searched in vain when she came back, but had finally given up hope that youkai had survived over the long centuries.
Carefully placing her glass onto the table, Kagome slowly turned towards the voice, brow crinkling in confusion when she locked eyes with dark brown instead of the expected gold. The build was right, though this person was much taller than what she remembered. The face, though certainly unquestionably beautiful and refined, lacked any markings whatsoever. The hair that framed it was black, not silver, and much too short, though still long compared to most males these days.
No, this man couldn’t possibly be him, she told herself, feeling her heart twist painfully within her chest, disappointment drowning out the flickers of hope that had started to blossom upon hearing that voice.
Just when she was about to ask the male in front of her if she knew him, his form rippled, like when dropping a stone into a still lake. She suddenly found herself looking at the great demon lord of her past through the strange ripples, not some random stranger who had somehow mysteriously known that she was a miko.
“Oh my…,” Kagome gasped, then choked when the mystical waves faded and she was once again staring at the dark-haired man from before. She lifted a shaking hand towards the male. “Sess– Sesshoumaru?”
The man stepped closer, wordlessly covering her hand in his much larger one. Kagome was helpless but to stare up at him, his dark gaze intense and unwavering, as he rubbed small circles over the back of her hand with his thumb. There was something achingly familiar–intimate–about his touch and gaze, as though he knew her.
“Is it really you?” she asked, words faint as blood roared in her ears. And then it happened again–
His features rippled again, and she was once again staring into bright golden eyes framed by red slashes, indigo moon and magenta stripes stark against his pale skin, before the image faded again in a matter of seconds.
What the heck is going on?! Here she was, having spent the last several years finally accepting that youkai were no more, and that everyone she had known and loved were gone from existence. Then in the course of a bad date and late night, her whole world was tossed upside down.
Lips lifted into a very familiar arrogant smirk, dark gaze sweeping over her form. “So you can see through the glamour,” he murmured, voice deep and sinfully decadent as his eyes bored into hers, sending a shiver right through her.
Cursing her suppressed hormones and awful date, Kagome grabbed her glass and took a long swig, eyes glued to the daiyoukai. She couldn’t even think about how he was still holding onto her hand.
The alcohol seemed to do the trick, because she found her voice again. “How are you still alive?” she asked, eyes searching his once-more brown ones for any hint of a lie. “I searched everywhere when I got back. There was nothing–no one…”
Her free hand betrayed her, moving to trace his cheek where she instinctively knew a stripe marked it. To her ever-growing surprise, she watched as his eyes fluttered shut for a moment as he leaned into her touch.
“Kagome…” he whispered, a sound that was both disbelieving and hopeful, sending more delightful shivers down her spine when he turned his head into her hand and planted a kiss onto her palm. Her brain short-circuited.
Then he was pulling back, eyelids opening to dark brown pools once more. Wait, Kagome’s brain tried desperately to reboot. He said something about…
Kagome pulled her hand out of his grasp to clear her senses as she straightened in her seat, not missing the look of disappointment that flickered over his face. Her eyes delved into his, willing the truth from the “man” before her. “Sesshoumaru, is that really you?” Nothing about the beautiful, yet ordinary, looking male in front of her hinted at anything extraordinary other than his height and angelic features. There was no hint of any youki emanating from him, no indication that he was anything other than human. Even his ears looked normal.
Ignoring how her fingers itched to reach for his ears, Kagome reached for her glass again, if only to hold onto something that wasn’t him. Leveling her best serious face at him, she waited.
Nostalgia overcame her when he moved to run his hand through his hair, her breath hitching at the familiar gesture.
“Hnn,” he answered, and now there were no doubts in her mind that this was him–the proud, obstinate daiyoukai of her youth. Her anxiety finally dissipated, heart now soaring at the thought of at least one youkai making it to her time.
“How– I mean, I don’t feel any youki from you at all,” Kagome questioned, eyes roving over his god-like physique.
“It is a glamour crafted by our fellow kitsune,” Sesshoumaru answered, showing her an intricately woven silver band adorning his index finger. “Aside from creating an illusion that masks our true features, it also suppresses youki.”
Kagome couldn’t help herself, reaching out to trace the delicate lines of his ring. It suppresses youki? On a hunch, she pulled at her latent reiki, a faint tendril brushing over his hand. Nothing happened; none of his youki rose up to meet hers as it would have in the past. Then, her reiki touched his ring and small sparks ignited off the metal band.
Kagome gasped in shock, pulling her reiki back in as she looked back up at Sesshoumaru. His form once again rippled, and she glimpsed the face she remembered so well for another few seconds.
“I could feel your reiki,” he told her, reaching out to take her hand again, “I assume you could not feel me?”
Kagome shook her head, “Not even a whisper. How does it suppress your youki?”
Sesshoumaru hesitated, thumb once again stroking the back of her hand, as his eyes took on a determined look. “How about I take you out for dinner to explain it?”
Confidence simply oozed out of his pores, and Kagome was reminded once again of the arrogant demon prince, her heart fluttering in her chest. The finger stroking her hand had nothing to do with the butterflies she now felt; not at all.
Giggling suddenly like a little school girl instead of the mature twenty-five year old she proclaimed herself to be, Kagome licked her bottom lip in preparation to reply, noticing how his eyes followed the action, when they were interrupted.
“Shou-kun!” a sultry, melodic voice called out from behind him, disrupting the spell that had been cast between them. “The Senator is waiting for you.”
Kagome blinked at the intimate nickname. “‘Shou-kun’?…” she repeated softly, an eyebrow raising in question at him. Sesshoumaru noticeably tensed with the arrival of the intruder, and he removed his hand as his expression closed off, her heart lamenting at the loss of his warmth. Glancing over his shoulder, Kagome’s brows shot up in surprise at what she saw.
The woman behind him was stunning, but that was to be expected given it was Sesshoumaru. She always knew him to have impeccable taste, whether it be in fashion or deadly accessories; it was a no-brainer that his inclinations would also extend to his partners. Her eyes roved over the other woman, taking in her elaborately coiffed jet-black hair, flawless pale skin, and lean frame. A deep décolletage showed off her ample bosom and cleavage, a brilliant diamond teardrop on a delicate silver chain only accentuating the display.
But what really shook her to her core were the other woman’s eyes–blue like her own.
Kagome looked back at Sesshoumaru, gaze questioning. He hadn’t moved at all to acknowledge the other woman, let alone reply to her. Instead, he seemed frozen, eyes fixated on something over her own head, and the faintest appearance of a blush dusted the tops of his cheeks. Now she had a million questions to ask him.
The other woman stepped closer when she didn’t receive an answer, finally seeing Kagome as she moved around to his side. The woman looked as shocked as she felt, but then her eyes took on a possessive gleam as she tried hooking her arm through Sesshoumaru’s in what seemed to be a very familiar fashion.
That seemed to jolt Sesshoumaru back to reality and he stepped to the side, effectively disengaging the woman from him. Her look of surprise clearly communicated that the gesture was not something she was accustomed to.
“What the hell–” the woman started to say, but was effectively cut off when Sesshoumaru looked down at her, irritation and something else simmering below the surface.
“Aya,” he growled at the other woman, “I will return momentarily.”
Again, the woman tried to reach for him, but he pinned her with a glare that brooked no arguments.
“Fine,” Aya reluctantly consented, plump ruby lips turning down into what was obviously supposed to be an attractive pout, but then she turned a vicious glare onto Kagome. “But I expect to see my man back at the party in five minutes.” She turned with a huff, leaving them alone in a flurry of glittery red satin. Her words left no room for misinterpretation.
An awkward silence reigned between them once Aya was gone. Kagome struggled to think of something to say, but she couldn’t seem to get past the overwhelming feeling of disappointment.
“It is not what it looks like,” Sesshoumaru growled low, cheeks darkening with his obvious embarrassment.
“Oh?” Kagome retorted, feeling the stirrings of anger bubbling within her. “You mean, it doesn’t look as though you’re dating a woman that looks an awful lot like me?” Might as well be blunt about the situation, if she was going to go about it. Her heart still ached faintly at Inuyasha’s duplicity with her and Kikyou; and now, his brother, of all people? Was it genetic?
Sesshoumaru flinched at her cutting words, letting out a resigned sigh. “Allow me the chance to explain things to you,” he cajoled, too-dark eyes pleading as he searched her face. “But not here. I would rather speak with you more privately about this, if you will let me.”
Tension rose as Kagome mulled over Sesshoumaru’s proposition. She desperately wanted to reconnect with the demon lord whom she had thought lost to time, but she needed to be truthful to her heart as well. Kagome heaved a great sigh, making up her mind.
“It’s nice to see you again, Sesshoumaru,” she began, steadying herself, “But I have no desire to be caught in another love triangle. Once was more than enough for me.”
Something flickered in his gaze, but it was gone before she could interpret it.
“I am not my brother,” Sesshoumaru scowled, one fist clenching. “And for what it is worth, I am not exclusive with Aya.”
“So then why didn’t you correct her when she said so?” Kagome pointed out, careful to not put too much emotion into her questioning. She was only asking out of curiosity, that was all. “You’ve never had a problem with correcting people before,” she reminded him.
“Five hundred years is a long time, Kagome,” he replied, gaze steadier than ever. “There is much that I have learned over the course of time. Allow me to take you to dinner,” he tried once more.
Kagome let him simmer for a few moments more before finally agreeing, watching him smirk again in triumph. “But it’s not a date,” she emphasized, attempting to dash his expectations, “We’re just friends meeting up after a long time.”
Sesshoumaru frowned for a second, but his features quickly smoothed out once more. “I am pleased to see you again, too, Kagome,” his deep velvety voice lingering over her name. With a practiced flourish, he reached into the lapels of his suit jacket to produce a small card and pen, scribbling something on it before handing it to her.
Kagome accepted the business card from him, but before she could pull back, he was once again commandeering her hand, bringing it up to his lips to leave a lingering kiss over the back of her knuckles. She felt her cheeks grow warm as heat pooled low in the pit of her stomach, muscles clenching involuntarily at the searing look in his eyes.
Much to her chagrin, she watched as Sesshoumaru took a deep breath in, his eyes darkening with a knowing look. “I do hope to hear from you soon,” he said, finally relinquishing her hand, before turning to head back to the party on the other side of the balcony.
Kagome watched him go before looking down at the card he had given her, willing her cheeks to return to normal. His card was a creamy white with interlocking silver and blue crescents in the upper corner, the company name ‘Nishi Holdings, LLC’ emblazoned next to it. Below that, the name ‘Inukai Shou, CEO’ showed in bold lettering.
Sesshoumaru was a businessman in modern Japan? Her mind reeled at the thought of him existing in such a high profile position while masquerading as a human. Were there more youkai hidden in plain sight that she just couldn’t see? Could any of her old youkai and hanyou friends still be alive then?
Trying her best not to get her hopes up too quickly, Kagome flipped the business card over, seeing that he had written his personal cell number on the back. A small smile formed on her lips as she pulled her phone out of her purse and entered his information into her phone.
Her skin still tingled where he had kissed her hand–twice–and she knew for certain he had smelled her arousal when he kissed the back of her hand.
Downing the rest of her drink, Kagome put some cash down on the table to cover her tab, then slipped back through the restaurant through a different entrance so she wouldn’t have to pass by the party again–and Sesshoumaru and that woman.
But before she made it halfway through, a voice called out to her left. “Oh, Miss! I was just coming to check on you!” Daisuke exclaimed, quickly walking over to her with a serving tray in hand, devilishly good-looking smile gracing his too-perfect features. “You’re not leaving yet, I hope?”
Kagome laughed a little at his crestfallen expression. What was it with the men tonight? “Ah, yeah, I need to get back. I left money on the table for my tab,” she said, gesturing towards the balcony area. “Thank you, Daisuke.”
“Wait!” Daisuke called out before she could leave again, reaching into his pocket to pull out a piece of torn paper. Tucking the tray under his elbow, he reached for her hand and placed the paper in her palm, curling his fingers around hers and squeezing slightly before letting go.
“I would love to see you again, Miss…?” he said, pausing on the delicate prompt.
Wow, what was going on tonight? First, a dud of a date, and now two devastatingly gorgeous men propositioning her?
Deciding to give in, Kagome gave him her first name, blushing slightly when he grinned brilliantly at her.
“It was a pleasure serving you, Kagome,” Daisuke said, giving her a seductive smile and slight bow in return, eyes never leaving hers. “I hope to do so again sometime soon.”
Kagome’s heart fluttered in her chest at the insinuation, and she waved him goodbye as she left the restaurant, making her way towards the train station to take her home to her tiny apartment. Looking up at the darkened Tokyou skyline, she thought she glimpsed a shooting star between the high-rises and closed her eyes briefly to make a wish.
Tomorrow was going to be a great day.
– Finis. –