Author's Notes: Yay finally got time to write up another chapter. I really enjoyed this chapter because Jakotsu's so fun to write. It's a page longer than usual- so enjoy!
Let's start things off by saying that I've done some pretty crazy things in my life.
True, most of them were tied to a high-paying, but not all that flattering job my ass of a Father got me involved with- but still, I've been through my fair share of chaotic environments.
But I can't say anything would quite prepare me for my life now. Through a haphazard turn of events, I somehow ended up living with one of the richest men in town, working as his secretary and of all things- falling for the freezer block of a guy.
Most would say that I would be ready now for any curve life threw my way. But when dealing with someone as un-straight as Jakotsu- I soon found out that he certainly knew how to throw out more curves than I could handle.
Chapter 33: We'd Like to Test Your Connection
To say Sesshoumaru was "not amused" would be an understatement. While he knew that he really didn't have any important business to attend to, Sesshoumaru also knew that any spontaneous visit from Jakotsu usually spelled disaster.
"Jakotsu, do you have a good reason as to why you're barging into my office?"
"I'm just training your secretary, that's all," The dark-haired man replied with a smirk.
Sesshoumaru knew that look, and it wasn't a good sign at all. That was the look of Jakotsu with an idea. And Jakotsu with one of those smirk-worthy ideas was something that even put a chill down Sesshoumaru's spine.
"Jakotsu…"
"Now I know what you're thinking…"
"That you need to let me and my secretary do our jobs while you do yours?"
Jakotsu walked over casually and sat on the edge of Sesshoumaru's desk.
"Well, aside from that. You're thinking I'm trying to cause trouble again, aren't you?"
Golden-eyes narrowed, "Something would be wrong with the world if one of your great ideas didn't end up causing trouble, Jakotsu."
"Mou… don't be such a cynic, Sesshoumaru. This one doesn't even have to do anything with getting a larger table in the break room."
"Which you still aren't getting."
"Damnit," Jakotsu muttered under his breath, "It was worth a try. No- this is about making sure your secretary isn't boring and dull like all those other ones you've had."
"I'm quite sure Kagura's capable of causing enough trouble her own."
"Hey now," She finally piped up, walking forward and standing before his desk, "You're the one who's causing trouble. It's like you've been avoiding me since this morning."
Sesshoumaru looked up, his eyes locking with hers a brief moment before looking away.
"I don't speak unless I have something to say."
Kagura sighed, "I'm used to your silent treatment. You're just acting like something's wrong. Ever since I got out of the shower you…"
She trailed off as it dawned on her that there was someone else still present in the room. Looking over at Jakotsu, the black-haired man just gestured to her to continue.
"Go on, don't mind me. Not like I'll be hearing about anything I haven't done already."
"Jakotsu," Sesshoumaru intervened, "Get back to work."
Standing up from where he sat on the desk, he began to walk towards the door.
"Well, I would but…"
Turning on his heel, he glanced once more between Sesshoumaru and Kagura.
"I would be a bad friend if I didn't try and fix this little problem I brought up."
Bankotsu checked the clock again and sighed. It had been a good thirty minutes since Jakotsu had left on a job that should only take five at the most.
"Great, he's probably pestering Sesshoumaru again. I'd better go bale him out before he pushes Sesshoumaru's last button and gets himself fired…."
Hitting the call button, he waited for the line to connect.
"Hello? Kagura?"
The line sounded dead on the other end.
"That's strange, I could have sworn she started working today. I can't think of anywhere else she'd be but at her desk."
Punching in a few more extensions, Bankotsu waited as the phone rang through.
"Hello?"
"Ah, Kikyou. Sorry to bother you but Kagura doesn't seem to be picking up the phone down at Sesshoumaru's office. I wanted to make sure that Jakotsu was still down that way before I wasted all that time walking down there."
"He passed our offices about twenty five minutes ago and hasn't walked back past. I would assume then that he's not in the break room."
Rubbing at his head, already sensing a headache coming on from the chaos Jakotsu was probably causing; Bankotsu gathered up a portfolio of papers.
"All right. Thanks, Kikyou. I'll have to go get him out of Sesshoumaru's hair then."
"Good luck."
"I'll need it…"
"How in the hell did we end up like this…?" Kagura's mind flared as the full situation sunk in.
Jakotsu had commandeered the top of Sesshoumaru's desk once again, along with one of Sesshoumaru's notepads, as he played his little game of counselor.
"Okay Kagura, why do you think he's avoiding you?" He asked, tapping the pen against his forehead as he waited for an answer.
"This is ridiculous, but I really have no other choice. If Jakotsu's goal is to get Sesshoumaru to fess up what's going on in that brain of his, then I might as well team up with him to get the job done. That's what he said right? "Kagura- I'm not trying to pry, so you don't have to say anything you don't want to. I just want to get this sorted out." And for once, he looked so serious. I'm not sure what happened in the past, but I'm beginning to have a feeling that Jakotsu knows what it's like to be caught on those first rocky steps into a relationship…"
"It's hard to say… really," Kagura replied, slowly choosing her words, "Something just seemed different about this morning after we had that conversation…"
"Like he was avoiding contact with you?"
Red eyes lit up as that possibility registered.
"Is that it? I mean…before today, Sesshoumaru was always helping me bandage my injury or just casually touching me to help out. But this morning…he didn't. I wonder why. I mean, it's not like he ever listened to my "leave me the hell alone I can do it myself" tirades before now…"
Looking over to Sesshoumaru, who had been somewhat pensive ever since Jakotsu began to ask questions; Kagura quietly answered.
"Yah. I think…that might have been it."
"All right then," Jakotsu said excitedly as he jumped up off the desk, "I think I have just the test we need for me to figure this out."
Sitting down the notepad, and pausing a moment to contemplate, the black-haired man gave one of his more borderline maniacal smiles.
"This can actually double as some on the job training for your secretary position too, Kagura."
Although he considered himself fairly jaded to Jakotsu's antics by now, Sesshoumaru still wasn't expecting to find the rather flamboyant man seating himself in his lap and lounging across it.
"My word, you've got muscular legs…"
"Jakotsu- what the hell do you think you're doing!" Kagura demanded, standing up quickly.
Sesshoumaru, while certainly thinking the same thing, just glared at the man seated in his lap.
"Did you forget somewhere along the line that I am your boss and do have the power to fire you?"
Reaching out and ruffling Sesshoumaru's bangs, Jakotsu laughed.
"Aww, Sesshoumaru. You wouldn't do that to your old pal Jakotsu would ya?"
"Try me."
About to give another playful retort, everyone halted in their movements as the door to the office swung open.
"Jakotsu, you'd better not be…"
Bankotsu's remark was cut short as he caught sight of the other man seated in Sesshoumaru's lap.
"Jakotsu! What the hell do you think you're doing!"
Standing up as if nothing was out of the ordinary, Jakotsu smiled, "Ah Bankotsu- perfect timing. Your reaction was perfect as well."
"What do you mean it was perfect? Who the hell wouldn't say that on seeing you doing that?"
Sidling up next to the shorter man, he shook his head, "But it's the way you said it," He absently traced a finger down Bankotsu's chest, "You're so cute when you're jealous."
"Hey now, wait a second…."
"Just a minute, Bankotsu," Jakotsu interrupted, "I need to do one more thing before we can go."
Walking over to Kagura, the taller man gave her a sheepish smile before reaching out and gathering her up into his arms.
"Jakotsu! What in the hell are you doing now?"
Avoiding her flailing arms and trying to be as careful as he could with the side he remembered seeing bandaged, Jakotsu unceremoniously sat her down in Sesshoumaru's lap.
"There. That's better for everyone, right?"
Kagura blinked up at Sesshoumaru, both of them having similar expressions of surprise on their faces.
"All right, my job's done here. I'll leave you two alone now to work out your problems," Jakotsu said with a wave of his head, turning back towards Bankotsu and the door.
"Wait," Sesshoumaru spoke up as he slowly sat Kagura upright, "Kagura. Bankotsu. You can return to your jobs. I'll speak with both of you later."
Kagura and Sesshoumaru exchanged once last glance, and Kagura understood right away what was going on.
"You're having a hard time with this aren't you? I guess if you've spent your whole life avoiding falling in love you would be really confused when it actually happens to you. Well, I can't say I'd pick Jakotsu as the person to talk it out with- but then again, maybe you're just going to give him a good lecture on why jumping in your boss's lap isn't proper behavior for a secretary."
Jakotsu continued to follow Bankotsu towards the door and Sesshoumaru cleared his throat.
"I said Kagura and Bankotsu. Jakotsu- you stay."
"I told you you'd get in trouble if you bothered him again," Bankotsu whispered to his friend as he walked past.
"All right, all right- I get the picture," Jakotsu muttered; plopping himself down in one of the chairs in front of Sesshoumaru's desk.
"Kagura."
The black-haired woman paused and turned to him.
"We should," He glanced away then finished his sentence, "Talk over lunch."
Kagura's eyes widened in shock.
"Well that sly bastard. He's asking me to lunch…"
"Driving to the café?"
"It seems a fitting place."
Nodding, Kagura smirked, "Okay. A date it is then."
And before Sesshoumaru could even let the words register, the door closed behind her.
Golden eyes still focused on the place where Kagura had been standing, he started slightly when Jakotsu spoke up.
"I'm ready to be punished, Mr. Taiyoukai," He teased, grinning with amusement.
Sesshoumaru's frown returned, and he leveled a glare on the impish man.
"Would you like to explain to me why you felt it necessary to put on that little… production?"
Leaning back in the chair, Jakotsu shrugged.
"And what important business did I make you miss out on? Sitting at your desk doing paperwork?"
"Jakotsu…" Sesshoumaru warned, reaching up to straighten his tie.
"Okay, I get the point. No more crazy antics with the new secretary, gotcha."
"Good."
Jakotsu stood, then paused a moment as something dawned on him, "Wait a second, you're worried about her aren't you?"
Picking up the manuscripts in front of him, Sesshoumaru frowned, "Excuse me?"
"Well if she's got some crazy person after her it would be bad if someone drew a lot of attention to her. That's the problem right?"
"I don't like my office turning into a soap opera."
"You're so transparent, Sesshoumaru. Go on- spill it. What happened?"
Sesshoumaru answered with his usual dead-pan look.
"Don't give me that look. Something happened between you two. It's obvious," Jakotsu firmly set his hands on his hips, and accompanied the action with an irritated pout.
"The matter is really of no consequence," The white-haired man stated simply, absently shifting around the papers on his desk and trying to appear busy.
"Uh huh. Sure," He sighed, not convinced in the least, "Come on, Kagura's all pent up and dare I say it, somewhat- giddy. And you keep looking at her with that thoughtful-smitten-you expression."
"Smitten?" Sesshoumaru questioned, even he being thrown by that word and his name in the same sentence.
Jakotsu just plopped back down in the chair and continued, "You might not have that 'oh my god, I so want to jump her right now' thing going on. Mind you, it would worry me if you did. But that woman has got a hold on you."
"Jakotsu."
"Hmm?" He glanced up to see Sesshoumaru's dead-pan face glaring at him.
"Get back to work."
"I am working. I am helping my romantically inept employer sort out his feelings."
"You make it sound like a disease," Sesshoumaru remarked, rubbed at his temples.
"Sesshoumaru, look. I'm telling you this as a friend. As part of a man to man, hardcore serious talk. Hey…man to man hardcore…" Jakotsu paused as a lustful expression flickered in his eyes.
Sesshoumaru loudly cleared his throat.
"Oh, err, sorry. As I was saying- as your friend, I feel that you need to sit down and talk this out with someone. And since I know that you won't do that willingly, then I'll just have to pry it out of you."
"I'm not going to get rid of you until I talk, am I?"
"Not even if you fire me."
Sesshoumaru sighed, "Then I suppose I have no choice."
Preview for Chapter 34:
Jakotsu knows what it's like to be the one waiting for someone to openly admit their feelings, so he's determined to make sure it doesn't happen to Sesshoumaru and Kagura as well.