An Unexpected Love Story

Chapter Twenty One:

I am proud to say that we now have furniture. Although there isn't much of it, sadly the museum had a very small budget, but we now have a table for the duration of our stay.

"I like what you two have done with the place." I sit in a chair while he looks around. We have no photos on our table, no art on our walls. Nothing but a clock on the wall, that always seems to remind me of my mortality.

"Thanks, it's been a slow process." Italo pulls a chair up beside mine. He's close, too close for my liking, and I try to move away in a non-offending way.

"So how have you been liking Italy?" He shows off a daring smile and leans forward just a touch, and looks a little too interested in my answer.

"Well, we've gone to the opera, seen a few films, took a trip to the art gallery a little while ago. But we've both been so busy, that we haven't done everything we want to do."

"Have you been to Pirelli's yet?" I shake my head no.

"Oh well we must go! I must take you." I am saved by a short knock on the door.

"That must be the other guests." I stand smiling, glad to get out of there.

I manage to occupy myself with the other guests and avoid Italo until dinner, when somehow I manage to end up between him and Sesshoumaru.

Everyone laughs and smiles complementing our sparse pieces of furniture, and his cooking. I see Sesshoumaru eye Italo when he tries to touch my hand. I also see his teeth clench as Italo leans closer to tell me something I probably don't need to hear.

"You look very beautiful tonight." I just smile and chat to my colleagues across the table.

His hand slips to my knee when Sesshoumaru gets up to get dessert. I hold my breath and look at him with wide eyes, and he does nothing but smile.

"Can you come here for a second?" Thank god! I excuse myself and refrain from running to the kitchen.

He stands, both oven mitts in one hand. The dessert sits on the stove as he cradles the phone to his ear with his shoulder.

"It's Souta." I reach out to grasp the phone.

"Kagome. Mom's sick." He doesn't ask about Sesshoumaru, doesn't check to see if it's me. Just tells me in a flat voice, void of everything but anger.

"Wha-What?" I sink to the floor and feel the eyes turn.

"Mom, she's sick. She has been for a month, but she didn't want to tell you. You were focused on your job and your future. The doctor says she's going to make a full recovery within the next few weeks, but they have to monitor her. She's in the hospital right now." I'm a fish, I'm nothing but a floundering marine animal...looking to be tossed back into my natural element.

But what is my natural element? Not the past; not now, not in this kitchen, not on this floor, not in this country.

"S-Souta. I, I...I have to come home." My voice says, and I feel everything that I don't want to feel.

"No! Mom doesn't know I'm telling you. She says it's just pneumonia. I'll keep in touch ok? Sis, I love you. I got to go."

"I, I love you too Souta." But he's gone before I cry and that's all that matters. I can feel Sesshoumaru scoop me into his arms.

"I should go back out there, shouldn't I?" He brushes the tears from my cheeks.

"They're gone. I told them horrible news has just arrived and they all thought it would be best to leave." I take a deep breath and sob into his stomach, still on the floor I grasp at his shirt, looking to be grounded.

xxx

It's Sunday and I don't want to get out of bed.

The other side is empty, and it's dark outside. I take a breath to calm my shattered nerves and listen for the shower, but hear nothing.

Soon I'm standing and heading for the doorway, just to throw it open and find nothing. Continuing my journey I see the light escaping from below the bathroom door.

He opens it and emerges in a cloud of steam.

"I thought you were gone." I state, standing.

"I thought you were asleep." He replies solemnly.

"I just want to lie back down." I collapse onto the bed.

"I never felt like getting up either."

xxx

They tell me I'm going to Russia four days after Souta's call. I'm glad we're going, it means that I'm getting closer to home. I've never seen Sesshoumaru so excited about something.

We leave tomorrow, and he hasn't slept since I told him a week ago. He wants to see his friends. I guess they're his friends? Allies? Fellow demons? They must be sophisticated and civilized, they have to be to hold company like Sesshoumaru.

Yet all of this reassurance frightens me. I'm scared for the first time in a while, I'm absolutely frightened.

"I can't sleep." I tell to his shoulder blade.

"Me neither." It replies.

"What are they like?" He rolls over and we're face to face, and I see an eyebrow raise.

"The Russian demons?" I nod, he lets out a breath.

"There were three. Vladmir, Alexei and Maksmir. We lived in a small cottage in the woods and would drink vodka until we couldn't feel anything. Then we would go into town and buy books and good food. We just enjoyed the fact that we were no longer alone."

The conversation ends there, and I don't ask anything more. So, we curl up and I sleep while he dreams.

xxx

End of Chapter Twenty One

End of Part Five