The elevator dinged to a stop, mechanical doors creaking open with a painful pitch that made Sesshoumaru wince. The abrupt attack on his ears was immediately soothe by the musical voice that greeted him.
"Out late today as usual, Mr. Taisho!"
Sesshoumaru grunted in acknowledgement, looking up at the petite woman across the open elevator doors and trying desperately to keep his heart from pounding a hole through his chest.
Aome Takahashi was one of the many security agents that his company's office building employed in their weekly rotation, though her's was the only one who's name Sesshoumaru had bothered to remember. It might have to do with the fact that, despite the drabness of the security guard uniform and lack of flashy makeup, Aome was single-handedly the prettiest woman he had ever laid eyes upon.
Modest and unassuming beauty like her's was rare in the big city, and her effervescent personality had been a breath of fresh air during his long nights at the office. Everything about Aome was alluring: from the way her long midnight hair, usually pulled into a low ponytail, contrasted with the moon-kissed paleness of her skin; to the way her blue eyes, so bright and wide, would sparkle when she smiled.
Sesshoumaru was not one to regularly work overtime - in fact he hated having to spend more than one second over his stipulated work hours at the office. But the moment he had learned that this beautiful creature worked the graveyard shift at his job building, Sesshoumaru had become a veritable workaholic overnight. He had made it his sole mission to end every shift with a gaze at those sapphire blue eyes.
It'd be romantic, if it weren't so damn pathetic.
Especially considering the fact that during the entire time of their acquaintance, Sesshoumaru had not spoken more than a handful of words at the woman.
"You're the last one out again, so i'll walk you to your car, sir." Aome explained cheerfully and needlessly, as if she hadn't been doing that very thing every day for the past two months. It had become the most looked-forward-to part of his routine.
Sesshoumaru nodded in agreement, keeping his enthusiasm in check. At her responding smile, his chest squeezed.
Yes. Definitely pathetic.
As they made their way down into the dark and vast parking lot and toward his assigned space at the end of the lot, Aome began making (one-sided) conversation with the stern salary man, as she was oft to do. Sesshoumaru listened intently, yellow eyes obsessively stealing glances at her soft pink lips, her dimpled cheeks. Unaware of her admirer, Aome continued prattling on.
"Being head of the company must be a lot of work for you to stay so late! A man your age should be out every weekend with friends and companions, not stuck here at work." She laughed breezily, her hands animatedly moving in the air.
"The same could be said for you." Sesshoumaru replied carefully. He was glad the lamposts in the lot we're working, hiding his light blush under the cover of inky darkness. The only light came from the flashlight in Aome's hand, the circle spotlight eeriely guiding them forward. Sesshoumaru swallowed thickly, adjusting his tie in a nervous gesture, feeling bold. "A pretty, young lady such as yourself surely has many suitors willing to take her out on a Friday night. Pray, what is your excuse?"
Sesshoumaru was gratified to see the lovely dusting of pink settle high on Aome's cheeks, the soft glow from her flashlight revealing the sight to his grateful gaze. The colour was quite becoming on her. Her animated hands stilled, lowering them in a timid clasp that brought the flashight down to face the ground and hiding Aome's face from his scrutiny.
"Point well made, Mr. Taisho. I didn't mean to pry, apologies."
Sesshoumaru scrambled, wanting to reassure her that he had taken no offence - had he sounded upset? - when in the darkness, her hand suddenly shot to his chest, halting him.
Wide yellow eyes gawked down at where he felt her slim hand laying over his heart and, trying not to think in metaphors, slid over to the suddenly still figure of the woman beside of him. The clouds had shifted, the soft glow of the half-moon bringsing some illumination to his sensitive eyes. Aome's face had become hard, brows furrowed down in a frown. He'd never seen anything other than a smile on her soft features, and the sudden alertness - foreign and lethal - alarmed him. Sesshoumaru opened his mouth to ask what was the matter, but Aome shook her head with a swift release of air through grit teeth and pursed lips, shushing him with the quick gesture.
In all 33 years of his life, nobody had ever shushed Sesshoumaru.
The taller man frowned, shackles slightly raised at being told to shut up, but before he could object at her rudeness, Aome's hand reached for the taser at her side, and suddenlyhis panicked bewilderment returned again. "Takahashi-san, what-"
"Stay here and don't move." she cut him off, and her voice held so much authority, so distinctly different from her usual sweet tenor, that Sesshoumaru could not help but be compelled to obey.
Aome locked eyes with him to make sure he had heard her command, and then marched forward into the darkness, her weapon drawn out menacingly in front of her. The clouds cloaked the moon once more and she was immediately swallowed by the night.
Sesshoumaru waited, confusion warring in his head. He hadn't heard anything suspiscious as they walked, but then again, Sesshoumaru had been so hyper-fixated on the woman beside him that an entire herd of elephants could've stomped by and he would have been none the wiser. An intruder or thief could have easily escaped his notice too, waiting in the darkness to pounce on any unsuspecting victim.
Sesshoumaru's blood froze at the thought.
Yes, there could be somebody lying in wait to attack in the darkness...
...and his beloved Aome had gone straight towards them.
"Takahashi-san?" Sesshoumaru called out into the night. The lone lamppost flickered ominously, illuminating only his immediate area in a dim halo of light. Sesshoumaru made a mental note to tell building maintenance to invest in more illumination of the parking lot.
"Takahashi-san?" he tried again, trying to keep his wits, the thin tendrils of fear snaking up his legs.
But only ringing silence that followed.