Well, here's to round Two! My friend thought this story was a gut buster, so I'm hoping you guys will like it just as much as she does.
Deds:
Kitsune's Lover - Kudos for being the first (and only) reviewer so far! Woot! I wasn't sure how this would go over, but you most certainly can have some more, feel free to take it all! Read, my pretty!! Hahahahahahaha!
Sweet Temptation
Sango held open the door for Kikyou, who turned and locked it behind her. "We're home!" they called, and Kagome came downstairs, in her bathrobe, her hair still wet.
"Hi!" she said, walking into the kitchen. Their house was situated in such a way that they could see the boys next door at their kitchen table through the window above their own table; it was the same with the bathroom window upstairs.
As Kagome set the table, she watched her neighbours eat their burgers, and her stomach rumbled.
It wasn't the only thing in her body making noise, though.
Sesshoumaru sat next to Daichi, and she could almost swear they were clones, they looked so much alike. Her eyes settled on Sesshoumaru's shirt. It was a button-down dress shirt; did he have an office job now? She'd have to ask him.
Sango walked in, followed by her sister. "Where's Ayame?" she asked.
Kagome shook her head. "Dunno," she said, then called, "Rin! Are you home?"
Rin came up from her room in the basement and sat at the table, smiling her hellos to her sisters. She was the quiet one.
Sango took her place at the table while Kikyou opened the fridge and said, "What's for supper? I'm starving!"
Kagome came to stand behind her, looking into the fridge but, seeing nothing she wanted to eat, opened the freezer.
"Hey, there's a pizza in here!"
"I'll turn on the oven!" Sango reached over and flicked it on. Kikyou raised a brow at her, but said nothing. Rin watched her sisters, silent.
"Kikyou, will you run upstairs and get the phone?" Kagome asked. She looked all over the wrapped pizza, but no instructions were to be found, and she couldn't remember at what temperature or for how long to cook the pizza.
"Yeah, gimme a sec," she said, pouring herself a glass of milk. Sango declined her offer of a glass, but Rin accepted.
When she had put the milk away, she went upstairs and came back with the phone, handing it to her sister.
First, Kagome called Ayame's cell; she said she was at karate and would be home in twenty minutes. Then, Kagome called next door.
"Who you calling now?" Sango asked, plucking an apple from the bowl on the table.
"Don't eat that now, we're gonna have pizza," Kagome said, holding the phone between her shoulder and her jaw. How did Mom and Dad do this? she thought, suddenly feeling overwhelmed, not for the first time, since her parents' deaths.
She didn't have time to answer her sister when a male voice answered, "Hello?"
"Hi, Mr. Taisho? It's Kagome, next door. I was wondering if you know how long and at what temperature to cook pizza? We have one here with no instructions on it."
"I see. Pizza, you say? I believe you cook a frozen pizza at four hundred twenty-five degrees for about, say, twelve minutes. I think that should do it."
"Alright, thank you! Talk to you later."
"You enjoy that pizza now!"
"We will. Bye!"
"Goodbye Kagome!"
She hung up. "Turn it up to four twenty-five," she told Sango, and handed the pizza to Kikyou. "Unwrap this and put it on a cookie sheet. I don't want cheese all over the bottom of the oven again."
Rin turned red and looked away.
After their pizza was done, and Ayame came home, the girls all decided to go out back and do a little outdoor activity. Ayame practiced her latest karate move, Sango threw her boomerang, Rin swung on the swing set, reading a book, and Kagome and Kikyou aimed with their bows at targets set up at the back of the yard, ten meters away.
S.T.
Sesshoumaru looked over his shoulder out the kitchen window. The Higurashi's were in their backyard, practicing their sports in the setting sunlight. He felt his heart contract. How he yearned to be outside watching them rather than stuck in here doing dishes.
Shippo had his perpetual frown on. Ever since he turned thirteen, he'd had a frown on his face. Sesshoumaru didn't know if it was because he'd just figured out then why their Mother had left, or if there was another reason for his surliness. If there was, he had no idea what it could possibly be, but the only time he seemed to come out of himself and smile was around Rin.
Shippo was an outgoing boy, sure, but he was belligerent and cocky the same way that Inuyasha was. They were definitely cut from the same cloth, those two. He and Miroku were the quiet ones, while Kouga was the sports fiend. If it had to do with sports, he was all over it; if not, he was disinterested and often went to his room.
Over supper Sesshoumaru had asked Kouga why he was so crusty; it turned out that the swim team had cut him. Daichi was disappointed to hear this, but made no comment about it, instead suggesting that maybe this was a good opportunity for Kouga to work on his grades, and not his sports. The suggestion had been met with a shrug.
Right now, as Sesshoumaru and Shippo slaved away at the sink, Inuyasha was doing his homework, a small frown marring his face as he concentrated. Miroku was watching T.V., Kouga was doing his homework at the table across from his brother, and Daichi was upstairs, folding his laundry.
Kouga looked out the window. He spotted Ayame in her yard with her sisters, her red pigtails flying as she performed stance after stance, using her sister Sango as an opponent.
He watched Kagome and Kikyou draw their bows back, and couldn't help but imagine what Kagome looked like in her stripper's costume. He bet that she was totally hot in it.
Leaning across the table, he said to Inuyasha, "Hey, what do you think Kagome's costume looks like?"
Sesshoumaru, listening, kept his head turned so that his brothers wouldn't know he was eavesdropping. Shippo, too, kept an ear in their direction.
Inuyasha put down his pencil and seemed to look within himself for his answer.
"I'll bet it's got tassles," he said at last, and Kouga smirked.
They all looked up as Daichi came through the kitchen, his jeans on and his shirt off.
"Where are you going, Dad?" Shippo asked.
"Out to skim the pool. It's full of bugs, and the filter's clogged. Why don't you boys come out for a swim when you're done your homework? I'll ask the Higurashi girls over, too."
The speed with which everyone who was working in that kitchen returned to their tasks was phenomenal. Sesshoumaru and Shippo finished in record time, while Miroku took pity on Inuyasha and helped him finish his last two problems.
Rushing upstairs to change, they jostled and pushed each other all the way up to their rooms, and Miroku and Inuyasha got stuck in their doorway as they both tried to get through, Kouga knocking them through in his urgency to get back outside.
Trickling downstairs, they all looked out the window first; were the girls coming over? They wouldn't bother if they had refused. Sneaking out the back door, Miroku whispered, "Are they coming over, Dad?"
Daichi laughed. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you boys were excited about having the neighbours over for a swim!" He spoke openly, gesturing to the empty yard next door. The brothers smiled devilishly at each other; the time had come for them to work their wiles on the girls in their bathing suits, while showing off their muscles to perfection. Excited? That was the understatement of the year!
S.T.
When Daichi had asked the girls over to swim, Kagome had been happy to comply. She and her sisters were hot and sweaty, and a good swim sounded great; besides, if they were lucky, maybe Daichi's sons would join them?
Kikyou carefully picked out her swimsuit. She had ten pairs, and all were nice, but she wanted to look great. She crept into Kagome's room.
Kagome had taken over the Master bedroom after their parents died; she'd needed to, since she'd accumulated the most clothes. Kikyou didn't care that she had the biggest room - she was just happy to have a room of her own, now. She used to share with Sango, and Ayame had shared with Rin, but Rin had moved to the basement, so Kikyou took Kagome's old room.
The Master bedroom had its own bathroom, and Kikyou could hear Kagome humming inside, changing into one of her suits. Kagome had such nice suits; Kikyou decided she needed a change from her old boring ones and borrowed one of Kagome's.
Opening her sister's lingerie drawer, where she kept her bathing suits next to her underwear, Kikyou rummaged around until she found a red bikini with pink rhinestones on it, with bottoms laced in a fringe that moved when she did.
Closing the drawer, she ran back to her room to put it on. Kagome might be mad, but she'd not take it off. Kagome would just have to deal with it!
Sango chose her most conservative suit, the one she wore to swim practice. It was a one-piece in black with a pink star on the chest and an Adidas logo.
Ayame pulled open her dresser drawer and opened the wrapped package underneath the rest of her clothes. With the left-over money that she'd earned, she'd bought a bathing suit at the beginning of summer that she just had to have, and plus, it had been on sale! It was too good a deal to pass up. It was white, with a big metal ring that attached the top to the bottom, and just barely covered what it was meant to.
Rin put on a simple yellow bikini in her basement bathroom, while Kagome slipped on her newest bikini, made of green silk with a pattern of white flowers on the left breast. It was connected front and back by a series of three silver rings that linked together, and one big ring on both sides, under her arms. Grabbing a towel off her shower rod, she called, "Kikyou, Sango, Ayame, you guys ready?"
"Yes!" they all answered, and Rin came to stand on the landing halfway up the stairs, in Kagome's direct line of sight. "Oh good, you're ready, too."
Rin smiled, and Kagome smiled back.
Sango and Ayame came out of their rooms, and Kagome said, "Today, Kikyou! My bathing suit's going out of style!"
"Go ahead without me, I need a few more minutes," she called, laying flat on her bed and struggling to get the bottoms up over her hips.
"Fine. Come on, let's go." Sango said, her purple towel over her shoulder. On the way over Kagome said, "Ayame, is that a new suit?"
Blushing, she nodded, and took the towel from her waist and modelled her new suit for her sisters.
"I love that! Where'd you get it?"
"It's nice! A bit revealing, but nice!"
"It's very pretty, Ayame."
Ayame thought she'd melt from the heat of embarrassment. She thought it looked nice, too, and her sisters' positive comments made her even more self-conscious, but happy.
Kagome pushed open the gate to the Taisho's spacious backyard to find Daichi leaning over the filter, shirtless, his head almost stuck up into the contraption, muttering something about pool filters and their filthiness.
Looking up, he smiled at the girls and, glancing quickly at the deck, said, "Jump right in, Ladies! It's a perfect seventy-eight degrees, and bug-free!"
Sango looked at the skimmer hanging from the fence. It was black from the bugs it was covered in.
She felt an urge to gag.
"Oh, I can't wait to get in," Kagome said, dipping her toe in the water.
"Where's Shippo?" Rin asked quietly. Daichi heard her and said, "Oh, don't you worry about my boys. They were ready before you were! They're just chicken to come down here."
Inuyasha heard this and snorted. Sesshoumaru raised a brow, Miroku stuck out his tongue at their Father's back, Kouga blinked, and Shippo frowned.
"We'll see who's chicken," Miroku muttered darkly.
Kagome picked a lounge chair for herself and was about to sit on it when her sisters piled their towels on it. "Hey! I was going to lay there you know!" she said, miffed, but they paid her no mind.
Jumping in together, they made a huge tidal wave that splashed Kikyou as she made her entrance, her towel around her waist.
"Augh! You guys!" she whined, her hair wet.
"Sorry!" they yelled, splashing each other.
"Oh, Kikyou," Kagome said, beckoning her sister close. Kikyou came to sit next to her older sister and let her put her wet hair up in a stylish uptwist, pulling the chopsticks from her own hair to fasten it. Handing her a compact, Kikyou looked at her hair in the tiny mirror and leaned over to hug her sister. Then she stood and took off her towel.
Kagome's eyes widened and she said, "Kikyou, that's mine!"
"I know, but I thought you wouldn't mind if I borrowed it," she said quickly, waving her hands in front of her. "All my suits are old and boring, and yours are so nice!"
Kagome glowered, but didn't demand Kikyou go take it off. Smiling, she lay down on the lounger next to Kagome's, and dug out a pair of aviators to put over her eyes in the glare of the setting sun.
S.T.
Up on the deck, a heated argument about who would go down first was taking place in the knot of young men huddling there. Shippo pointed out that they could all go together, but Kouga put a hand to his face and shoved him out of the knot; shrugging, he walked down the steps and, greeting Kikyou and Kagome, did a canon ball in the deep end of the pool, soaking his Father, who still had his head stuck into the filter.
Watching their youngest brother, Miroku said, "If he can do it, I surely can!" and marched down onto the patio.
His brothers watched as he made to go into the water, but turned at the last second to give Kikyou a cursory glance before going right past her to a chair at the outdoor table, and bringing it over next to Kagome!
Inuyasha frowned, he would not be outdone!
Strutting down the steps, his abs on full display, he sat down on Kikyou's lounge.
"Inuyasha! I love your swimsuit!" she gushed, and he smiled and thanked her before turning his attention to Kagome and asking her, "How are you, Kagome?"
Smiling, she told him she was alright and asked him how he was doing, expecting him to leave her alone after that, unlike Miroku, who just sat there, saying nothing after his greetings.
"I'm great," he said, so badly wanting to be bold enough to add, "now that you're here."
Kikyou sat back on her lounger, arms crossed. Kagome smiled sympathetically at her, but she only frowned, her brows coming together to form one.
Kouga joined them then, sitting next to Kagome's feet on her lounger and asking her if she'd put on any sunscreen yet.
Seeing her sisters, save Rin, who splashed happily with Shippo, staring at her with a look of jealousy, Kagome lied and said, "Yes, I put some on before we came, but thanks for offering."
Sesshoumaru crept onto the scene, shaking his head as he watched his brothers make fools of themselves. They didn't know how to talk to a woman, obviously. He decided to show them how it was done.
Clearing his throat, he said, "Is anyone thirsty?"
Everyone nodded, then looked back at Kagome again. Taking pity on her, Sesshoumaru said, "Kagome, would you like to help me make smoothies?"
"Yes!" she said, and jumped up off her chair, practically running to his side.
His brothers watched as he gently rested his hand on the small of her back, steering her into the house through the sliding glass doors.
Kikyou watched her sister go. She was horribly jealous of the way her sister's thighs failed to jiggle as she ran, of the way her hair still looked good even though she'd ruined her own hairstyle to fix Kikyou's, of the way her swimsuit hugged her every curve as if it had been made for her.
She frowned deeper. Her own thighs were on the heavier side, and her back was still riddled with acne, even though she was on medication to help it go away. Her hair was long but a drab brown, and her skin too pale, not a warm light brown like all her sisters'. She sighed and ignored Inuyasha when he asked her if she wanted him to go get her a drink from the kitchen.
S.T.
Sango and Ayame looked at each other. Why were all the guys crowded around Kagome?
Ayame had to admit, she was just the tiniest bit jealous, especially of the way Kouga looked at her sister, with that lust in his eyes. Sango, she was beginning to like the looks of Miroku's well-toned torso, but she, too, felt just a little jealous of their sister. As for Kagome, it was obvious that she was uncomfortable; she'd jumped at the chance to escape her little club of admirers.
What was going on over there?
S.T.
Ohhh, what will happen next? Will Kikyou's jealousy be realised? Who will plot to get in to see Kagome do her routine? Only time will tell! Review, babes, I need them to live!!!
