Ch. 9: Can’t Stand the Heat

Kagome woke up after hearing her alarm go off and flipped the covers back to reveal…nothing. This was the sixth morning that she woke up alone. Don’t get her wrong, she was glad to finally get some privacy but it just seemed…not normal. For an entire month since she moved in, she woke up next to the gorgeous but annoying roommate of hers and now all of a sudden, things change. She then wondered if it had anything to do with his promise to leave her alone or if it was really something else that was bothering him. She decided to pass it out of her mind, she was really grateful that he chose this time to stop pestering her because her favorite time of the month decided to start making itself present and having him around her would just make things seem awkward.

It was actually late, being that it was supposed to start earlier in the week but now she was feeling bloated and having minor cramps which told her that she had at least a day or two to prepare before the real mess came. She slowly left out her room and went to the bathroom to see if there was anything that she could take. When she got to the bathroom, the door opened to reveal Sesshomaru fresh out the shower with black sweat pants, black tank top and a fuzzy yellow towel on top of his head to help dry his hair.

Kagome brushed past him saying, “What, you decided that you wanted special pretty boy time fluffy evil?”

Sesshomaru watched as she went into the bathroom knowing what she meant by that he had been kind of ignoring her with out really meaning to. He wasn’t talking to her and he barely looked at her, and he was even out of the room before anyone was awake. He was about to give her a smart remark when he smelled something different in the room.

Kagome noticed him sniffing around and looked at him as if he’d grown a second head. “What are you sniffing for, drugs.”

“Why would I need to sniff around for it when I could go strait to you for it.”

Kagome rolled her eyes but found what she was looking for in the medicine cabinet and left out the bathroom. He watched her leave and caught her scent. It was her sent but something was different about it. It was something that he could feel himself become drawn to. He narrowed his eyes at her as he saw her go into the kitchen to get something to drink.

He came up behind her and sat on the counter as she went in the refrigerator for some orange juice and said, “So roomie, what’s on the agenda today.”

“Well it’s Saturday so the possibilities are endless. Why do you want to know?” Kagome snapped as she poured orange juice in her glass.

“Well because I want to make up that night at my house for you.”

“Well it’s a bit too late for that Sesshomaru. I don’t even care about it anymore. I mean it really wasn’t that bad, the only bad thing that happened was your brother ratting on you and embarrassing me and that stupid kiss you gave me just to get that picture.”

“So it was stupid, you didn’t seem to think that way, you almost kissed back that was until Inuyasha showed up.”

She blushed but turned away from him. “No I did not, you are so full of yourself and you’re not a great kisser either.”

She brushed past him as she left the kitchen but just as she was, he caught her wrist and pulled her into him so that she was just inches away from his face. “Would you like for me to prove you wrong?”

‘YES!’ “No! Let me go.” Kagome yelled as she tried to push away from him. She felt greatly betrayed by her mind just now. She tried to push harder before her mind betray her again but she found out that she couldn’t move. Sesshomaru had a firm grasp on her and the look he had on his face was blank as if he was lifeless. The only sign that showed that he was still alive was the mischievous glint in his eyes. That glint was never a good sign in her case.

He pulled her closer to him and began nuzzling her neck. When she got over her initial shock, she tried to push him away again only to stop when she heard him say, “Kagome, you smell…kinda nice.”

She was getting a little freaked out but tried not to show it. “Uh…thanks, I have been using a new shampoo but it’s nothing to really take notice in. Could you let me go now?”

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and said in a husky tone, “No.”

“Sesshomaru, I understand that you like to play around with me like this but I don’t feel like playing around right now…”

“Who said that I’m playing around, certainly not me.”

“Sesshomaru, leave Kagome alone!” Ayame yelled coming from the hall way. She then went up to him to pull Kagome from his arms. “You need to grow up.” She said as she freed her friend. At this point, Sesshomaru looked as if he snapped out of a trance that nether knew he was in and he looked at the two girls as if they were in on something and keeping him in the dark about it.

“What are you looking at me for, I know I’m hot and all but you two are creeping me out with the stairs you’re giving me.”

He said as he turned away and went to his room. He leaned on his door with a blank look on his face. There is definitely something different about her. He felt a spark when he touched her and it was enough to make him lose control of himself. Her scent still lingered in his senses. Her scent. He could only recall a few other females that had scents that had affected him but not as greatly as hers did. They used it to try and win him over but he was able to over come it easily. He growled in frustration, he was going to keep his eye on Kagome today.

Inuyasha was about to walk into the shower when he smelled something different as well. He followed his nose to Kagome and she looked at him just as she did to Sesshomaru.

“Kagome, you smell a little different.” He said as he came near her.

Kagome pushed him away and said out loud, “Quit sniffing, cats don’t sniff people, dogs do!”

“For your information, they both do and I’M A DOG! Well a half dog but…”

“Yea yea kitty ears sure you are.” She said walking away to sit on the couch, he just went into the bathroom mumbling something vulgar under his breath. Just as she sat down there was a knock at the door. Ayame opened it to reveal a handsome wolf demon behind it.

Koga took one step in and froze. A shiver ran down his spine as he took in the scent in the room. His eyes were set on the only other female in the room and he basically pushed Ayame aside as he walked in completely. Ayame was a little pissed that he walked in so rudely without even greeting her and then she got more pissed when she saw him go over to the couch and sat next to Kagome.

Kagome turned around when she felt the extra pressure on the couch and saw Koga with his wolfish grin directed towards her. “Oh hey Koga, how are you today?”

“Better now that I’m with you Keggy.” Kagome smiled at him and then turned her attention back to the TV. Ayame could only watch in horror as she saw her boyfriend sniff Kagome with out her noticing. She only did notice that Koga was sniffing her when his nose came in contact with her neck to inhale her scent.

She pushed his head away from her and scooted away from him while saying, “What the hell is with you guys and sniffing me. It’s just a new shampoo!”

What she said was ignored as he scooted closer to her and continued to sniff her up. “No it’s not shampoo, it’s something much different, Kagome, would you like to do something tonight?” Koga said as he was about to put his arms around her.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you wolf.” Sesshomaru said leaning on the couch between Kagome and Koga. “Your girlfriend, who is sitting right beside you, is about to kick your ass.”

Koga looked to see where he was pointing only to get knocked out by an angry wolf demoness. As she continued to beat him, Kagome tried to pull her off of him while Sesshomaru was trying to help Koga. After five minutes of struggling, Kagome thought it was best for them to work things out in private so she left out the dorm. A minute after she was gone, Koga finally came back to normal and wondering why Ayame was so mad at him.

Sesshomaru then interrupted the one sided argument and said, “Koga, did you…smell anything different when you came in?”

Ayame looked at him curiously wondering what he was getting at then looked at Koga to see what his response to the question would be. “Now that you mention it, I did smell something. It was hot and attractive, it over powered me. I’m so sorry Ayame, I don’t know what happened.”

“I smelled something different too, it pulled me in to it but not by too much.” Inuyasha said coming out of his room to join the conversation. “Sesshomaru, did you smell something too?”

He nodded then Koga said, “I wonder what the cause of it is?”

“It’s our little spitfire of a roommate. She’s the cause of it all.” Sesshomaru said placing the pieces together for everyone.

“Kagome, I didn’t smell anything different about her.” Ayame said not understanding the current situation the males in the room were going threw.

“That’s because you’re a female, being males, me and Koga were greatly affected by it, Inuyasha only by a little since he is only a half demon. What I’m trying to say is, I think Kagome’s in heat or she’s about to go into it.”

Everyone’s eyes went wide except for Sesshomaru and silence filled the room before Ayame broke it by saying, “You…were affected by her scent too?” He nodded once more and then she said, “Well if it was enough to get your attention then weaker demons are going to go insane for her.”

Sesshomaru’s eyes widened when he heard what Ayame said, he thought everything through except for that.

“We have to find her before she get mauled over.” And with what Sesshomaru said, everyone in the room, except Ayame, left to go search for Kagome.

The weirdest things kept happening to Kagome while she was on her way to the campus store to get some snack food. Guys everywhere, mainly youkai and hanyous, were either checking her out or trying to hit on her. All were sniffing her and trying to get near her. The last straw was when a lizard yokai came over and tried to taste her with his tongue. She tried to get him to stop but he got mad at her and grabbed her wrist roughly and pulled her into him. Although she was bent on trying to fight him off, the look in his eyes made her frozen in fear. He had a lusty look in those slit shaped brown speckled eyes. That was the last time she would ever use that shampoo. He moved in closer to her, intentions clear on what he was planning to do and just as he was about to kiss her…

“Excuse me but I believe the girl in your arms doesn’t like reptiles.” A smooth and calm baritone voice said from behind the demon.

‘Sesshomaru…’ Passed threw her mind but then she saw him, he wasn’t Sesshomaru. He was tall like him, probably a little taller if that was possible. He also had long wavy black hair in a high ponytail and his red eyes were barely visible under his bangs. He certainly wasn’t a Sesshomaru but he was a good looking guy, he at least had the looks that girls could easily fall for but only if they got to know him.

“Buzz off, I found her first, you can get her after I’m done.” He said not realizing the anger that was forming in Kagome. Her fear of him was gone now that it seemed like the creep had the nerve to call her a toy or something that a guy must possess in front of her.

When he turned around he got a face full of Kagome’s fist. It was enough to make him fall out and when he fell to the ground, she proceeded to show her wrath by giving him a few kicks in the gut. The boy that came to try and save her had pulled her up and into the air. The lizard boy then stumbled to his feet and ran off as fast as he could.

Once it seemed like there was no way that she was going to be able to finish giving him what he deserved she then remembered that she was in some other guy’s arms. “Put me down now, I had enough guys hitting on me to last me a life time and that last one got on and broke my last nerve.”

He did as he was told and backed away to give her some air. She straightened up and as she did so he said, “It’s funny but I came over to be a hero and save a damsel in distress.”

“Yea well I’m no damsel.”

“So I see, you are a little vixen though. I guess if I’m not needed then I should be on my way then.” He said as he turned around to walk off.

“Wait, you did help me a little, if you didn’t distract that asshole I probably wouldn’t have been able to save myself. I’m Kagome Higurashi.” She said as she gave him a small smile. He nodded and said, “Naraku Haetori, and it was no problem. Hey, where are you headed?”

“I’m going to the campus store for some junk food but I might just give up with all of these guys coming out of nowhere.”

“Well, since I am such a good distraction, would you like me to accompany you to get your junk food to keep the other animals off of you, I was on my way there to get a few supplies for my room anyway.”

Kagome smiled and looped her arm around his in order to drag him off to the store. On her way there, she did notice all the looks that she was getting and the jealous ones that Naraku was getting but those guys stayed in their place. Kagome smiled as they continued their mission to the campus store and then he walked her back to her room.

Ayame was the only one in the room, she figured it was best that she stayed just in case Kagome were to come back while the boys were looking for her. She opened the door hearing voices and saw Kagome and Naraku. She didn’t say anything as she watched Kagome give her goodbyes, hug and accepted a number from him. Once the door closed, the interrogation could begin.

“Kagome why were you with him?”

Kagome turned around and said, “Well, he kinda helped saved me from some jackass lizard boy who decided to take up my personal space.”

“So he didn’t do anything…else to you?”

“No why did you ask?”

“Look, I need you to spray this on you before the guys come back.” Ayame said while handing her a blue bottle with some mysterious liquid in it.

Kagome eyed it and said, “Ayame, what’s this for and where are the guys?”

“It will mask your scent. The boys are out looking for you. Kagome, is it…that time of the month for you?”

Kagome looked surprised, she really didn’t want anyone in on her private, personal problems but she could tell that Ayame was asking for a special reason, otherwise she wouldn’t have asked at all. “Yea, it’s coming soon, why are you asking? What’s going on?”

“Look, do you know anything about youkai senses, like smelling?”

Kagome had to think about it. She never went to school where there were too many demons. Ayame was the first she’d known of then Koga, so she really didn’t know too much about them.

“No I really don’t know too much but I do know that demons have better senses than humans especially when it comes to the sense of smell.”

“Exactly but what you don’t know is that your hormones right now are going into over drive because of your ‘predicament’ and it’s putting off a real powerful scent enticing any and every demon male around you making their hormones act up as well.”

“What?”

“Kagome your sent right now is the equivalent of a bitch in heat and it’s telling the males to come and get you.”

Kagome’s eyes went wide, so that’s why all those guys were…She quickly sprayed the substance that Ayame gave her all over her until she was drenched in it, once she finished emptying like half the bottle on her she then asked her friend, “So, how come you didn’t smell anything different on me?”

“My nose is made for the opposite sex only, I mean I do know of your presence and emotions but things such as…you know…are out of my hands. Now, there is something else I would like to know.”

Kagome looked back at Ayame wondering what is it now that the main problem was solved and gave her full attention.

“Why where you with Naraku?”

“I told you that he helped me fight off horny guys, what about it?”

“It might be best if you stay away from him, Sesshomaru really wouldn’t like it if he knew that you were associating with him.”

“I could care less about Sesshomaru and what he thinks, how come I can’t talk to him, he seems like a real nice guy.”

“‘Seems’ is the key work Kags. From what everyone knows about him, Naraku and Sesshomaru are on bad terms with each other. It has something to do with their wealthy family’s history. Naraku is supposed to be a crazy, conniving deceiver anyway.”

“Oh great, another Sesshomaru, how many more do I have to encounter?”

“I guess you can say that but Naraku is supposed to be worse, he would do anything to get what he wants even if it means hurting people. I’d say that if you had to choose between the two then Sesshomaru would be your best bet.”

Kagome rolled her eyes, Sesshomaru, yeah right. She was fine on her own and that’s how it was going to stay. Just when she finished thinking that Sesshomaru stepped in the doorway out of breath. He had used his demon speed to run all around campus three times, making it to the store first but didn’t see her there. If he stayed a few minutes longer, he would have caught her walking in with Naraku.

“Kagome, you’re here…” He trailed off as he went to inspect her. He wanted to make sure that she wasn’t touched, otherwise, he would make every youkai and hanyou male pay even if they never knew her. ‘Wait, why would I care if worthless losers wanted her or not? It’s not like I want her, she’s hates me and she’s not worth my time.’

He calmed down seeing nothing wrong and the thought that just ran threw his mind. “You are truly more trouble than you’re worth, I’m guessing that you have little to no knowledge on youkai. You better do some research before you wind up as easy prey and I do not enjoy babysitting you.” Was all he said as he walked past them and back into his room.

Kagome was about to go after him and get him back for that babysitting comment but Ayame stopped her and told her that he means well. She also told her that he was also affected by her scent and he seemed real worried about her. Kagome decided to drop the subject then as her other roommate and Koga came back to the room.

Naraku was on his way back to his room with the useless junk that he bought from the store after walking Kagome home. He really didn’t mean to even come up to her. Ever since he first laid eyes on her, he was slowly becoming obsessed with her. He watched her from afar and that’s how it was supposed to stay until he felt that it was right to make a move. Her scent was the thing that bought him over and the lizard youkai was the thing that kept him there. He knew that by watching her that she was a feisty one and that if he came over just like any guy, he would have been in the lizard’s position, especially with the scent she was putting off, every demon male wanted her. He just had to wait until some lesser youkai came and made a fool of themselves.

Although he was only affected by her scent a little being a hanyou, it was still powerful to call him in to her, not only that but he already wanted her. She seemed to trust him and he could tell that if they met a few more times then he would have no problem in getting what he wanted. There was only one problem that was standing in his way. Sesshomaru.

Being a good observer of her, he noticed that there is some attraction between her and that dog. He heard the roomers that they were together and that she became his intended after a visit to his home. He knew it wasn’t true or at least he wouldn’t accept it as true, he’s been watching her after all. If they were coming together, he would have to find some way to keep them apart, there was no way he would let the Taisho’s, especially Sesshomaru, win something else that he had his eye on. His family already lost so much to them.

His father, Onigumo Haetori, was a wealthy spider demon who was a very powerful businessman. He was the most powerful in all of Japan. That all changed when Toga Taisho was just starting up. He tried to merge his business, Taisho Corp, with his father’s business, Haetori Industries, so that he could try and gain some power in the business world. His father, however, refused and Toga told him that he would regret not doing business with him. He didn’t know that Toga had many more years in working in business than he, Toga just finally decided to start his own corporation is all.

Things were great for a few years then all of a sudden Taisho Corp made a huge breakthrough, quickly gaining power and becoming even with Haetori Industries. Onigumo knew that if it stayed that way then Taisho Corp would become the more powerful business forcing him to either merge with him or put him out of business. He would not allow that, not after how much blood sweat and tears he put in his business.

In the end he was so afraid of the old dog taking over that he did some very drastic dirty work to try and run him out of business by sabotage but when that didn’t work, he paid an assassin to try and kill him. In order to keep word from getting out he sold his business to Toga in order to keep him quiet as well as gave him practically all his money in one of his many accounts. His human wife left him with their only son when she found out, but he remarried to a rich demoness and started a new but smaller business with her.

His father lost so much to Toga, there was no way that he would lose to his son. The only way he knew that he could try and get him was to take the only thing that he seemed to have interest in. He was going to try and take Kagome from him. Sitting on his couch with the TV on but not really watching, he wondered how he was going to do so. It’s one thing that they associated with each other. When he walked her to her room and found Sesshomaru’s scent all on the inside telling him that they live together, he knew that it wouldn’t be easy.

Sesshomaru was a possessive youkai who would protect anything that he saw as his and a strong one at that. If both he and Sesshomaru were to be put in a battle to fight to the death, they would be evenly matched but he doesn’t have his stamina and strong will-power as well as his calm under pressure attitude which means that Sesshomaru would eventually get the upper hand. Even though he is older than Sesshomaru by two years, it makes no difference, he would lose out to him. Above all, he is a full blooded inu taiyoukai who came from a powerful clan. He has to act quick and strike hard if he was going to get the edge on this one.

“Naraku, it’s strange to see you here at this time, why are you here?” A female voice filled the room.

It was Kagura, his step-sister. He never liked her and he knew that she didn’t like him but they never really complained about it and they come as some kind of use for each other. Kagura only liked him for his intelligence and Naraku only liked her for her persuasion skill, maybe he could put her skills to his use.

“Where are our roommates?” He asked as a response so that he wouldn’t give her too much information before he was ready to reveal it. Besides, it would complicate things if his other sister and Sara was involved. They were of some use as well but neither was as important in his goals as Kagura.

“Sara is at her job and Yura is at her study group, now tell me why are you here?”

“I live here too don’t I?”

“You know what I mean, you’re usually out doing who knows what.”

“I don’t have to tell you my business but I suppose in order to get what I want, I will need your assistance so I have no choice but to tell you.”

“Tell me what?” She said as she sat down next to her brother.

“I have my eye set on a specific female whom I believe that you’ve encountered.”

Kagura narrowed her eyes at him trying to think deeply on what he meant by that then they went wide on realization. “Don’t tell me you’re interested on that freshman bitch!”

He was confused for a bit at the name she used for Kagome being not too familiar about it but then remembered her calling that a few times. “Yes, I am very interested in her, I actually spoke with her today. I also know that you want that dog for yourself.”

“You have a plan don’t you.”

“If I tell you, would you help me, in return you get Sesshomaru.”

Kagura smiled, she was thinking of asking her brother to help her but it seems that she didn’t need to any more. “Sure, I’ll help, what do you have in mind?”