Inuyasha, "The Unquiet Winds" chapter 26: More Than a Date, rated T

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 Fandom: Inuyasha
Title: The Unquiet Winds
Chapter Title: More Than a Date
Characters: Sesshoumaru, Kagura's reincarnation (inevitable Kagura/Sesshoumaru), Shippou
Genre: Romance/Supernatural/Suspense
Rating: PG-13 (overall)
Universe: Canon AU/divergence, Modern
Notes: This serial has been completed for wipbigbang  2020. You can find all the previous chapters HERE and HERE. I recommend you look for the previous chapters at AO3 and FFnet, as those chapters have also been updated with fixes for typos and grammar.
Additional Notes: Thank you to danceswithgary for the beautiful banner HERE.

Story Summary: Natsumi dreams of another woman's past, a woman who desperately wants to reunite with the man she loves, even if Natsumi has to suffer in the end.

Links: (RECOMMENDED) FFNet | AO3

Sesshoumaru had stayed at her place for a while before finally excusing himself and promising that they would see each other again.

“Please, keep the herbs and dry them out for reuse. They will still be potent with the miko’s spiritual energy, so you may use them again without worry,” he told her. 

She nodded and watched him slip his shoes back on her doorway as he prepared to leave. “Will I see you again soon?”

“Of course,” he said to her and met her eyes with a smile. “Tomorrow we go back to work, and I insist you take some of that tea so you can be strong for work tomorrow. I will call on you for lunch. Is that acceptable?”

Natsumi said with a bow, “Yes! Of course.”

“Good, and I will ask the miko for more herbs and update her on her tea’s success,” Sesshoumaru said. “You should be able to get three more uses out of the ones you have, but you will need more.”

“Yes, thank you,” Natsumi said, keeping her eyes downward on the floor, feeling embarrassed by his attention to her.

For a moment he stood there, and then she felt his touch under her chin, guiding her gaze back onto him. He didn’t smile, but he watched her with that piercing gaze again, that one that made her heart stop for a second and sent heat rocketing through her body. 

“Goodnight, Natsumi-san,” he said, his voice gentle and soothing like moonlight.

“Goodnight, Sesshoumaru-san,” she said with another bow, but as he prepared to leave, she could not take her eyes off him. When he was finally out of her view, she went back inside her house and plopped down onto the couch, grabbing a pillow and hugging it against her. 

“What a weird night,” she said to herself, but she felt a warmth in her chest when she thought of being in Sesshoumaru’s company. It was definitely a different feeling than the onslaught of pain, and she hoped that the elixir continued to work so she could see more of him.

---

That night, Natsumi had the best sleep she’d had in months. She was grateful for the tea, and how it also prevented her from having horrible and numbing dreams. She woke the next morning refreshed and ready for work. 

She looked forward to going to work, and even more so, she looked forward to seeing Sesshoumaru. She relished the feelings she’d had when she’d been in his company, and she only hoped that she was able to get to know him even more as long as he was interested in her.

Transferring over to her usual bus to head to the factory, Natsumi stared at her reflection in the window. She was lost in thought, thinking about when Sesshoumaru would retrieve her for lunch. She brought some of the tea leaves so she could have it at work. She decided she would brew a cup immediately when she arrived at the company. 

As she fell into a daze, she almost yelped out loud when she heard an echoing voice in her mind, and it was seething with anger.

“How dare you shut me out, you stupid girl! I cannot wait to obtain your body and take him from you. You do NOT deserve him. You do not have the strength needed to save him!”

Natsumi jolted, and she frantically dug into her bag for the tea leaves, inhaling their fragrance so she could get a whiff of the power they exuded. Soon, the disembodied screech dissipated and Kagura’s presence was merely a blip on her brain.

However, Natsumi couldn’t forget the words, and Kagura’s warning rolled over in her skull bringing back all her anxieties and fears. Should she tell Sesshoumaru? Yes, but not now. Once she got to work she had to make the tea. She had to make sure Kagura’s spirit went to sleep again. 

And what did Kagura mean that she wasn’t strong enough to save him? Why did Sesshoumaru need saving and why did Kagura think only she could do it? Natsumi knew there was more to their relationship that Sesshoumaru revealed. Of course, last night it was getting late and it was obvious he wanted to tell her more and needed to continue seeing her, so maybe he just hadn’t told her yet. 

Her head was buzzing when she had arrived at work. She headed to the canteen and went through the motions to brew her tea. She settled down at her workstation, and she made sure to drink half the tea in her cup before she started working. The more the tea absorbed into her body, she felt the power invigorate her, and she worked diligently through the morning.

Only when her desk phone buzzed did she jolt out of her productive reverie. She picked it up with the usual formal greeting, and her eyes widened when she heard the voice on the other end.

“Natsumi-san, please come to my office. I want to take you to lunch,” Sesshoumaru said. Her face instantly felt hot when she thought of him and how he had spent time with her the previous night. She also remembered his touch on her shoulder and on her chin. Her body shivered, seemingly craving more.

“Yes, yes of course!” she said immediately.

“Are you alright? I trust you drank the tea?” he asked out of concern.

“Yes. I had some tea not an hour ago. I feel fine,” she said, whispering slightly, hoping others in the workstations around her didn’t hear their conversation.

“Good. Please join me immediately,” he said, his cool voice sounding like an order she couldn’t refuse. 

“Yes, I’m on my way now. Thank you,” she said.

Before she could say goodbye, Sesshoumaru added. “Also, Natsumi-san, please close your workstation. We will be taking lunch and then I need you for the rest of the day. Please bring the tea and your things as well.”

Her head began to spin, wondering what Sesshoumaru had planned for her for the rest of the day. “Uh, uh, yes of course,” she said, her voice squeaking from nervousness.

“Until then,” he said simply, and he hung up the line. Natsumi could hear the pounding of her heart increase. She stared at her computer screen for a long moment and then idly began gathering her things and shutting down her station. She quickened her pace to prevent Sesshoumaru from waiting for her any longer than he had to, and she was about to race out of the factory before a familiar voice stopped her.

“Natsumi-san,” called her friend Ayako next to her work station. “You look like you’re in a hurry. Is everything okay?”

“Uh, uh,” Natsumi stammered, thinking better of revealing her close ties with the owner of the company. “Um, I need to go. Family emergency.”

Ayako’s eyes widened and she looked concerned. “Oh, dear, I hope everything is okay. Let me know, alright?”

“Yes, yes, sorry, I have to go,” Natsumi said, and she noticed others in the factory peering at her as well. Ayako nodded as Natsumi flew past her toward the door. She could feel her friend’s eyes on her until she was out of sight.

.