All the characters and events, places &c. from the manga and anime belong to the divine Rumiko Takahashi, any that don't are from my wild imagination. This is an angsty fic with occasional fluff, and eventually-possibly-maybe a lemon in later chapters. In fact, given my hentai mind, make that a probably. Be warned, this fic starts slowly.
Chapter One: The Meeting
InuYasha sighed slightly, tightening his coat against the driving sleet that stung his face, wondering what had possessed him to decide to walk to... well, whatever it was that Sesshomaru had called him about. Some kind of new venture that needed his approval probably... He shrugged. Considering how careful his brother was with the business, it would likely be just a straightforwards sign-on-the-dotted-line-and-let-aniki-handle-whatever-the-hell-else-needed-doing deal. That he could cope with.
A flickering light drew his attention to the rusting number 17 on the wall beside him. There were god knows how many abandoned warehouses down by the Sumida river, but for some reason Sessh was buying them up, slowly enough that the prices hadn't yet started to increase because of his interest. One of the many benefits of having such an extended lifespan, InuYasha mused. Such a shame that his aniki didn't show as much patience in every aspect of his character...
Wincing at the scraping of the rusted hinges, he stepped into the warehouse, the sound of his movement muffled by the thick layer of dust and rat droppings coating the floor of the gutted, crumbling ruin around him.
"Otouto. You took your time." The cool voice echoed slightly in the gloom, making InuYasha grin,
"Hai aniki. The thought of you mussing your pretty white shoes in a filthy warehouse was enough to convince me the weather wasn't quite bad enough to stop me walking."
A small smirk graced Sesshomaru's face, gone so quickly that InuYasha almost missed it, but he could not hide the amusement from his tone as he replied,
"I suppose you will be wanting to know why I brought you here."
"If you would Sessh, I do want to have some time to myself this evening." InuYasha grinned ferally, enjoying the opportunity to spar with his brother, if only verbally. It wasn't so surprising that they got along so well, he reflected: once time (and the ever expanding human population) had forced Sessh to get over his hatred of anything with human blood, and that utter imbecile of a necromancer had brought father and InuYasha's mother back to life in that rather farcical attempt to rip open the gates of hell, the two had discovered that they were extremely alike, although they still enjoyed ripping each other to shreds whenever they could get away with it... nothing like a bit of familial rivalry to spur each other on to new heights...
InuYasha abruptly jerked himself back to reality, at the realisation that he had missed everything that Sesshomaru had said... and what was more, his aniki knew it.
"Uh... sorry Sessh. I guess I'm more tired than I thought I was. What was that?"
"I was saying that now that I have finished purchasing the other warehouses in this strip, I can begin construction of the new development Father and I have been planning. However, this area of land was only aquired to demolish the warehouse, it is not needed for the final development. I called you here to inquire whether you could find a use for it, or whether it must be incorporated into the design."
InuYasha glanced around. At first sight, with the driving sleet causing drips to fall from the broken roof, and all the signs of decay obvious, this place was useless, however it had a stunning view out over the river, towards the park on the other bank, and he knew that with a bit of work – alright, admittedly a complete rebuild in the same style as the new development - Sessh would not settle for anything less - it would be the perfect place for an idea that he had been toying with for several years. He nodded to himself. He would do it. After all, it wasn't exactly as if he was doing anything with most of his money, even the interest from his main account was sitting in a secondary account accruing enough interest to cover his daily expenses. After a few minutes more of planning, calculating expenses and probable losses in his head with the ease and confidence he had once reserved for the cut and thrust of raw combat, he nodded once, sharply.
"Yeah, I'll take it on. Don't worry aniki, just give me the style of your development and the exterior will match. I'll cover all costs, and it will be complete by the time you're ready with the showrooms for your little project."
"Alright otouto, It's yours. I will only ask that you use the latest in soundproofing."
"Heh, you know me too well Sessh. Fine, I'll fork out the extra for top quality. Better that than have you on my back with client complaints again."
"Very well. Since you cannot seem to be able to keep a secretary for more than a week at a time, I will have it transferred to your ownership, along with all the relevant details about my 'little project' tonight through Rin. I will see you at the formal unveiling of the plans?" InuYasha grimaced slightly. He never would be comfortable with black-tie events. Nevertheless...
"Hai. I'll be there, although I won't promise to enjoy it." Sesshomaru grinned.
"I wouldn't have it any other way Otouto. Have a... refreshing... walk home." With that parting shot, he walked swiftly out of the door, into his waiting car, which pulled away with an almost curtly efficient flourish. InuYasha smiled slightly, before tucking his coat firmly around himself once more and heading back out into the elements.
About a hundred yards down the road, he stopped, cursing softly. With demon speed he dashed back into the warehouse and pulled out his cell, hitting 3 on the speeddial. Ring...Ring...Click.
"Miroku? It's me. Sessh just handed us an excuse to get that half-baked plan on the road, right next to that warehouse development he's been planning. Yeah... see if Sango still wants in, and I'll forward you a copy of the details as soon as he gets them to me. 'K, see ya then. Have a good evenin' and try to keep your hands to yourself for once bouzo. Night." InuYasha grinned, pocketing his cell once again and heading back out.
On the other side of Tokyo, Miroku put the phone down, quivering with excitement.
"SANGO!" He yelled, loud enough to cause temporary deafness in any Youkai within 100 yards. A head appeared horizontally in the open doorway, ponytail hanging down almost to the floor as an irate female voice replied,
"What? For Kami's sake Miroku you don't have to shout, I was just in the next room"
"Sorry love. InuYasha just called. Apparently the puppy-from-hell just gave him a warehouse on the river and he's resurrecting our little project. He wants to know if you're in."
"Of course I am. As long as it has a pool. A heated pool."
"Ooh my lovely Sango... in swimwear...of course I would be most happy to convey your requests to InuYasha my dear." Sango rolled her eyes, stepping into the room arms folded and visibly resisting the urge to clout him.
"Oh grow up. You're not a teenage boy anymore you know, you are expected to be able to control those hormones by now. I have half a mind to tell Sesshomaru what you call him behind his back if you keep on." Miroku just grinned and went back to work.
"He knows." Sango vanished with an exasperated huff back to whatever she had been doing, leaving her perverted fiance to smirk at an empty room.
InuYasha was soaked. By the time he had passed half of the derelict buildings, his coat had soaked through with freezing cold water, and he was cursing the modern fashion for western clothing that prevented him wearing his old feudal-era hakama, in which, he reflected sourly, he would have been bone dry, warm and safe. He paused in his thoughts. Safe? Where had that thought come from? This was 21st century Tokyo, not his forest in the warring states era. Nevertheless his demon was alert, warning him of unknown Youki nearby. Puzzling, as InuYasha had met every mature Youkai and Hanyou in Tokyo at the interminable congress held every five years to enforce Youkai law.
All senses on high-alert, InuYasha pressed on, determined to just get home and out of the rain, however the nagging sensation got stronger and his steps slower and more cautious, until his instincts eventually forced him to stop where a tiny gap between the warehouses provided some protection from the elements. He held still, analysing the aura that pressed so lightly against his. It wasn't aggressive, that much he could tell in an instant. If anything, it was far gentler than any demon's aura he had ever encountered. It seemed weak, but there was an edge to it that spoke of strength worn down by fatigue or illness rather than just insignificance. As he stood silently, a tiny whimper came from a pile of corrugated cardboard in the gap, barely audible over the rain.
Instantly, he swung towards the noise, stepping into the gap and squatting down to lift the sodden cardboard, eliciting a squeak and a panicked scrabbling from whatever was underneath, as well as a blast of utter terror through the unfamiliar Youki. Instinctively, he grasped the tiny creature that was trying to escape him, and curled it into his lap, a soothing rumble coming from deep in his chest. If anything, this seemed to panic the emaciated thing more, and he tightened his hold, stroking its hair as soothingly as possible. He frowned... there was something very wrong. This tiny Youkai seemed terrified out of her mind, with an extra spike in her fear every time his hand strayed to the top of her head. Eventually, the sodden bundle seemed to relax slightly, and he loosened his grip, ceasing his growl as he resettled her in his lap, leaning back to take a good look at her. Terrified chocolate brown eyes met his golden ones for a long moment as they studied each other, before his eyes were drawn by some unknown force to the top of her head. He gasped, utterly shocked. Perched on top of the matted black hair were two tiny ragged inu ears, laid back flat as he felt the wench's terror return full force, her hands flying up to shield her from the expected blow. He sat, motionless for what seemed like an age, the weather totally forgotten as he waited for the frail Hanyou to relax in his arms. Slowly, the paralysing strength of her fear wore off, and thin arms were lowered, an astonished eye peeking up at him. Now that his mind had caught up with the revelation, he realised their position. Making his voice as soft and gentle as possible, he tried to coax the frail wench in his arms to trust him;
"Hi. Name's InuYasha. I don't bite, promise." At this point, he floundered slightly, never having had the skill with words that graced the rest of his family. After much hesitation, he settled on what he considered the most vital thing. "You gotta be freezing out here, and hungry, I know I am. You wanna come home with me and have some ramen?" The huddle of rags in his arms hesitated for a long moment, then nodded almost imperceptably, shivering violently from the cold.
"Right then. Lets get you home wench."
My first attempt at publishing a fanfic, this idea has been floating around in my head for ages. In this altiverse, Kagome never passed through the well to feudal Japan, and Onigumo never summoned the demons to become Naraku. There are far too many smaller differences to list here, but the fic is set in modern day Tokyo (I welcome any corrections on detail as I am working off an internet search of "Tokyo map" for locations!) and has several other major differences which will become apparent throughout the story.