Glad to be able to update the chapters again. ^_^ . You guys rock for being so patient.
Chapter 9
He left them to deal with their thoughts, and it was some time before they spoke to each other.
"I need to inform Luna, though maybe she knew...it's hard to say." Usagi said, softly. She tried to tease in an effort to pull herself out of the daze. "I bet you can't wait to Mark me now, huh?"
"That can wait." Sesshomaru stated, his voice serious and intense. She looked up at him in surprise. "Usako, This Sesshomaru will Mark you, but only when you are ready."
"You did promise a remarkable amount of patience. I am sorry...for hurting you without knowing it...the death of my past self...it caused you to fly into a rage. It's the reason for your guilt." Usagi relented.
"You do not need to apologize to me for dying, Usako. This Sesshomaru should have been there." Sesshomaru replied, untroubled. "They would have frozen me anyway as a precaution...The loss of one's mate is...devastating to a yōkai. They did what they thought was best to prevent a frenzy. Too bad it did not work."
Usagi looked pleasantly lost in thought for a moment, and when she blushed at her own thoughts Sesshomaru could not help but respond by kissing her forehead.
"Would you tell this Sesshomaru what you were thinking just now? Your face is quite pink at the moment." He asked, softly. "It is adorable."
"You'll laugh." She replied, embarrassed.
"That will not happen." He vowed, as he crossed his heart. "Kagome said humans like to use that motion when they make a promise. Did I do it right?"
She giggled a little. "Yes. Well, since you promised..." She blushed again, and looked to her side slightly. "I had been wondering why it was so easy for me to tell you things, and I didn't even realize it was because I had found my way back without knowing I'd been gone."
Sesshomaru's eyes widened as he took in her words. He gathered her in his arms, and held her close, as he all but buried his nose in her hair. "No, Usako." He replied, softly. "That is not something this Sesshomaru will laugh at you for."
"I didn't believe it, but..." InuYasha muttered under his breath, absentmindedly, as he walked around the household. "He really does...love her."
"I heard that." Kagome chimed, happily. "So, what did you see? You didn't catch them doing anything did you?"
"Not that!...Well, here. It's a good thing they make soundless picture phones." InuYasha said, showing her the picture he took of the couple.
"InuYasha! Send that to me! I want to show Usagi later." Kagome pleaded, overjoyed now. "She'll love it!"
InuPapa peaked over her shoulder to see. "Can you send that to me too? I'm sure Izaiyo would love one as well." He asked, out of curiosity. "It is good to see them together again."
He left before Kagome had the chance to ask him what he meant, leaving both her and InuYasha in their confusion.
"Luna?" Usagi called out, the moment she got home.
"Usagi, it is good to see you. I know we've made up already, but I feel I really should apologize face to face." Luna began, sorrowful. "It was wrong for me to take my anger out on you. The decisions you have made in the past have shown themselves to be of sound merit. I should have trusted your judgment with this Lord Sesshomaru."
"Luna...I don't know how to say this...InuPapa says my memories of my past life are wrong...altered...He was alive then, my mothers ally...He said they froze Sesshomaru when I died then...that took away his memories of me...Please tell me you did not know." Usagi said, at last letting the tears she'd been holding in go. "I couldn't bear it."
"Usagi...I do not remember him...or Lord Sesshomaru." Luna swore solemnly, feeling a little deflated. "I thought we had gotten past all the surprises the past could throw at us."
"I had a vision the other day. It showed me and Sesshomaru dancing together, but he doesn't remember that time. InuPapa says the memories will more than likely come back more quickly if I let Sesshomaru Mark me, but...I want to know before...to be sure this time. We should not have our hearts toyed with." Usagi says, before turning to leave again.
"Usagi, where are you going? You just got back!" Luna cried.
"I know, but this can not wait. At least, my instinct inner beast thing says it can't wait. I think this is one time it's impatience is a good thing." Usagi stated, and then smiled. "I will try not to take too long. Tomorrow, you and I can have movie night, before I have to go into work the next day."
She was out of the door before Luna could object. She wanted to go back to the park, before teleporting to the moon. It was a good thing it was so empty. Usagi did not have to do anything more than find a dark shadow to walk into, and she was gone. The restored moon kingdom, though hidden from prying eyes, looked the same as she remembered it being last time she'd been there. As Princess Serenity, she walked through the empty halls in search of something. After several minutes, Usagi finally came upon what she sought. A remnant soul piece from her mother.
"Princess Serenity, you have finally become a White Wolf of the Moon. It is good to see that you fair well, my daughter." Queen Serenity replied.
"Don't you think this is something you could have mentioned to me earlier?" Usagi asked, a bit angry.
"It was not time for you to know." The Queen stated.
"What about Sesshomaru? The memories you took from me. What about them? I can understand what InuTaisho had to do to his son, to keep him from going berserk and destroying the lands...but you manipulated my memories. You made me think that Prince Endymion..."
"In my defense, I thought Sesshomaru dead. I did not have the time to search for a soul that could have been too fragmented to save. Perhaps I should not have manipulated the memory of your love, but I did feel that Prince Endymion would watch out for you in this life as well." The Queen admitted.
"Can you return my memories to me unaltered?" Usagi asked, suddenly eager.
Moments earlier
Sesshomaru could not place the feeling that something was instantly amiss. He felt as if part of himself had left, and though she was not Marked by him yet, he could only worry for his Usagi. When he called, she did not answer. So he made the trip to her home. She did not appear to be there, but the feline Luna he knew was inside. Sesshomaru resolved to speak to her to see where his Intended was.
"Lord Sesshomaru! I apologized to Usagi again face to face, though she said it was not needed. I would like to offer you my apologies as well." Luna began, once he'd entered the apartment.
"Something is...wrong...Usagi is...I can not...feel her nearby anymore...Please tell me where she is." Sesshomaru stated, in his usual stoic manner, but even Luna could see how near to panic he was.
"I think she has gone to the moon, Lord Sesshomaru." Luna replied, calmly, trying to ease the Lord of the Western Lands.
"She...is on...the moon?" Sesshomaru asked, in amazement, as he visibly relaxed. "Why would she need to go to the moon, and why would she go alone?"
"The Palace has been restored there. She can still find images her mother left behind to talk to her. I think...I think she is trying to recover her memories, or to find answers as to why they were tampered with." Luna answered.
"Will I be fine if I teleport to the moon?" He asked, quizzically.
"You should be." Luna replied, slowly, as she was thinking it over. He was gone before she could say anything else.
He found himself inside of a grand looking room, part of the palace belonging to his intended. She truly was a being beyond compare, he mused. There was yelling in the distance, but it sounded of frustration not danger. Following the sounds, he found himself facing a memory. Princess Serenity and Queen Serenity standing in front of each other in a different time, speaking heated words about him. He was looking to the Queen, the memory still playing out in his mind.
"Your Majesty, I do not wish to intrude. Princess Serenity has become very special to me. I am afraid This Sesshomaru can not stand by and let this Prince Endymion have my Intended." He said, hearing the words as if they were spoken to him from somewhere else. The memory fading, he blinked rapidly, and shook his head from side to side gently.
"Your memories will reveal themselves to you in time, if you wish him not to Mark you till you have them. Inu no Taisho's theory is sound, though, and bears thinking about before the two of you decide. Fare well, my daughter. Please look after her, Sesshomaru." The Queen said, speaking to them both before she faded away.
He reached out for Usagi without a word, and held her close to him. Sesshomaru rested his nose in the bend of her neck, and breathed in her scent. It calmed him more than anything else could. Usagi simply held onto him. The scent of her tears hit him just before she began shaking.
"This Sesshomaru was worried about you. Your presence disappeared from my senses...I...Please do not cry, my Usagi." He said, pulling apart enough to brush her tears away.
"I feel like I am at war with myself." She cried. "I love you, and want you to Mark me to state your intent, but at the same time...How do I know our hearts aren't being toyed with? How can I be sure of this?"
She saw a slow smile creep across his face, as he murmured. "You love this Sesshomaru."
Usagi could only nod in response, as her heart had lodged in her throat.
"You wish to know if we are being manipulated? We are not." Before Usagi could object, he continued. "We found each other without the aid of past memories to guide us. That we have fallen in love twice over without knowing it, is proof enough for me that we are not being manipulated."
She grinned in spite of herself, and playfully teased. "So, does this mean you love me?"
"Yes, Usako. This means I love you." He answered, a little exasperated she would have to ask. Then he remembered something else Kagome had mentioned to him, that the words 'I love you' and variations of them would most likely hold high significance to his intended, being a hopeless romantic as she was. "This Sesshomaru loves you very much."
"There is one more thing I would like for you to do, before I will be ready for you to mark me." Usagi stated, as the two slowly made their way back to the entrance point their teleporting had led them to. "It's kind of a big biggie."
"What is it, my princess?" He asked, his arm around her waist.
She looked up at him, and with a smile she said. "Meet my family...my human family."
Sesshomaru thought about this for a moment. Before her, he would never have considered such a request. Now though..."May I have time...to prepare?" He asked, thoughtfully.
"Inside man?" She asked, teasing.
"Inside man." He replied, in confirmation.
Usagi and Luna of course had their movie day, and Usagi was preparing to minimize her work time with the paper. College was coming up, and she knew she wouldn't be able to handle the full work load, sailor moon, and school all at the same time. Two out of three she could do, but not everything. She'd learned that the hard way, so she opted to take a lighter work load.
Now she stood at the door of her childhood home with a new challenge. If she had been nervous when introducing Mamoru to them, she was wrecked with nerves about Sesshomaru. Her father had thrown a fit considering Mamoru was older than her by a few years. Usagi could only guess his reaction when she introduced a demon male who, in their eyes, was several hundred years older than her. They had barely gotten use to Sailor Moon, the past life bit, and now they were going to have to deal with her being a new yōkai on top of it all.
"Usagi, you didn't have to stand out here you know. We've kind of gotten use to you popping in when you feel the need to do so." Her mother replied, when she opened the door.
"I know...but I only try to do that when I feel the need calls for it. This matter...I feel requires a more subtle touch, you know?" Usagi said, unable to hide her nerves. Her mother stepped aside to allow her entry into the home.
"Usagi, if it's about before...You don't need to apologize again. We understand. Though, maybe we could ask for your help?" Her mother stated, as they walked into the living room.
"What with?" Usagi asked, and then it hit her...the smell of a young fox demon. "Shingo? He's...regressed?"
"Yes. He's the age we expected this to happen to you, but since yours is because of your Lunarian self...At least, because of you, this wasn't such a surprise to him. We really should have handled this better." Her mother said, worry filling her voice.
"When?" Usagi asked, temporarily forgetting her nerves.
"The other day." Her mother replied. They were headed to his room now.
"Shingo...I'm sorry I wasn't here when this started for you." Usagi said, softly. She got the water glass off the side table, and helped him up to drink. "It looks like it hit you hard too."
"I didn't...want them to tell you...big sis...not yet...You seemed so busy." He said, giving her a weak smile.
"You know I would have dropped everything for you, little squirt. Not so little anymore, though...Stop eating vegetables, so you'll stay short, like I told ya." She teased, her voice remaining soft.
"Big sis...am I gonna be okay?" Shingo asked, worried. "It feels like I'm dying."
"Of course, you'll be fine. You're a Tsukino. We can survive anything. If you like, I can have the people who helped me, come over to check you out, make sure everything is okay. You should only be like this for another couple of days, and then you'll be a terror just like before." She said, smiling down at him. He nodded his head, and she did not waste time calling up Kagome.
Her phone rang, and while normally she would have just ignored it, this time she answered it...if only to get a break from all of Sesshomaru's questions. "Usagi?" She asked. His ears pricked up.
"Yeah, can you and InuYasha come down to my mom and dad's house? It's my little brother Shingo." Usagi asked.
"What's happened to him?" Kagome asked, ignoring the pointed glare she was getting from Sesshomaru.
"He's regressed. A fox demon, I think." Usagi said. "Can you come down here and check him out? Make sure everything is alright? You two were such a big help to me when I didn't know what was going on."
"Right now? Of course, Usagi. I'll see you soon." Kagome said, and hung up the phone. "Sesshomaru, I'm afraid I'll have to get back to you on this. Usagi needs help with her little brother."
"The boy has regressed into a fox demon...interesting. Her lunar mother placed her well." Sesshomaru said, musing to himself, and then looked to her. "You will be taking InuYasha with you, yes?"
"Yes, you heard her ask for us both." Kagome said, amused, as she went to leave.
"Oh, Kagome?" He said, after a thought, causing her to turn around at the door. "Tell InuYasha he will be forgiven for spying if he sends me that picture too."
Kagome smiled widely, nodded, and laughed as she walked out of the room to find InuYasha.
When they arrived, Usagi introduced Shingo to them and stayed with him for a while. When they gave her the all clear that they would be alright, she went to talk to her mother. Now that she'd had time, her nerves had come back. She wondered what she would tell them now that she had the time. Her mother was in the kitchen making tea for everyone, when Usagi found her again.
"Mom?" She asked, her nerves back. "Can we talk?"
"I've been wondering when you would make it in here." Her mother replied, patiently waiting.
"I'm still not exactly comfortable talking about certain things, but...I want to bring someone over for dinner on family night..." Usagi said, nervously playing with her hair.
"There must be something special about this person for you to be so nervous." Her mother smiled. "Tea?"
"Yes, please." Usagi replied. "It's just...I don't know how you or dad...mainly dad...will react to this."
"So we've established it's a guy then." Usagi did not get her teasing nature from her father, that's for sure.
"It's another yōkai, sort of like me...and technically he was frozen for a long time so he's not that much older than me...and technically I would be older than him if we counted my past life...Actually, it's really romantic when you think about it..." She laid it all out for her mother, even told her mother where he had given her a bath after the fight with the black moon circus.
"Usagi...you don't do anything halfway do you?" Her mother asked, laughing lightly.
"Apparently everything I do is hardcore." Usagi laughed, still a bit nervous. "He comes off as stoic, but if you pay attention, it's easy to notice subtle differences in him. He's always been very affectionate with me."
"Of course we will meet this man who adores you so." Her mother replied, giving her a hug. "You have yet to tell me his name though, dear."
"Lord Sesshomaru Taisho of the Western Lands." Usagi stated, and held her breath.
"Usagi! You attracted a yōkai as powerful as that with just your smell?" Her mother replied, in disbelief.
"Apparently, I smell amazing or something...and...also...He says I seem to be even more powerful than him sometimes." Usagi said, blushing a little. "It's hard to explain. Dog demons especially, try to find mates that match them in power...not to use it, but it shows that they can take care of themselves if needed. On the other side of the coin, they are very possessive and try to prove their own worth by showing that they can provide for their Intended and protect them if needed."
"Do you have a picture of him, so I won't be too surprised at least?" Her mother asked.
"I don't know if she does, but I do." Kagome exclaimed happily, walking into the room and showing her mother the picture on the phone. InuYasha showed the same picture to Usagi with his phone.
"Feh. I'm told that I will be forgiven for spying if Sesshomaru gets a picture of this too. Kagome already promised to send it to all the family." InuYasha stated.
"Oh that's nothing, wait till he finds out the rest of the Sailor Senshi want to meet him." Usagi replied, with a mischievous grin. "Tell me one of you promised to send that picture to me."
"Already on it. I'm having it printed for you." Kagome replied.
Sesshomaru stood with his intended in front of her childhood home. He had been informed that they knew of him, and that the father was probably the one he would have to focus on. With a deep sigh, he turned to look upon his intended. This meeting would show her whether or not he could truly get past old prejudices or if they were only words said in empty promises. True, he had been working with humans for years, but he had never done anything quite like this. Kagome had suggested that a blending of customs would probably be best for an evening such as this one, but truth be told he didn't know which would be best.
"Glad you two could make it for family night. It's probably just going to be dinner tonight, unless Shingo is feeling up to more." Mrs. Tsukino greeted them at the door.
"How is your son handling the regression, Mrs. Tsukino?" Sesshomaru asked. "This Sesshomaru has been told it is a most painful process."
"He seems to be doing better now, just a bit out of energy. Kagome and InuYasha were a great help to him yesterday." Mrs. Tsukino replied, happy that he had asked about her son.
When they were walking into the dining room, Mr. Tsukino was setting up the table. "I've been keeping an eye on the food, dear. Everything should still be fine. Ah, so you must be the hotshot guy who's interested in my baby girl." He said that last part eye balling Sesshomaru with distrust.
Sesshomaru's eyes widened a little in anger, and was about to say something when Usagi beat him to it. "Dad, that was rude!"
"Ah, come on, give your old man a break. You are my baby girl, I have a right to be protective." Mr. Tsukino whined, though Sesshomaru could feel that his heart wasn't in it.
"You have a right to be protective, not an ass. Now behave like you taught us to, or I'll break off my boot in yours." Usagi growled.
"Can we at least get seated at the table before we fight, I'm kinda starving." Shingo joked, his voice still sounding weak.
"This Sesshomaru was told that it is customary for me to give bribe gifts to my Intendeds family, as a way to keep peace." Sesshomaru stated, handing out the three small gifts to the others. Usagi was snickering next to him. "What?"
"I don't think you're suppose to mention the part about them being bribe gifts." Usagi said, while laughing. Mrs. Tsukino sharing her daughters humour. Even Shingo was trying not to laugh.
"Everyone go wash your hands before you eat. I'll go check on food." Mrs. Tsukino announced, sending everyone off.
Sesshomaru was the first to come back, and seeing that Mrs. Tsukino was still in the process of setting food out, he said. "Is there anything you need this Sesshomaru to do to help?"
"If you can take these, and set them out at each place mat, I would appreciate it." She replied, and went back to it.
He set about to doing as he asked, and looked up in time to see Usagi giving him a dreamy eyed look. She blushed the second she noticed his gaze, and moved to sit at the table. Mr. Tsukino moved to sit next to her, but Mrs. Tsukino's eyes flashed some kind of warning glare and he moved to sit next to where his wife would sit. Shingo came back last, sitting on the other side of his sister. Sesshomaru sat next to Usagi just as Mrs. Tsukino brought out the last of the food.
"Your title is Lord of the Western Lands, yes?" Mrs. Tsukino asked. Sesshomaru nodded. "Usagi tried to explain it to me, but I'm still not quite sure what that means. What do you do?"
"I manage the family estate mostly, businesses and such, deal with any problem yōkai." Sesshomaru said, before taking a sip of tea. "This Sesshomaru fears he only handed it to me so that he would not die of boredom."
"So, how did you meet our daughter, Lord Sesshomaru?" Mr. Tsukino asked, curious.
"She showed up at the Taisho household on invitation from my father. My brother and his miko Kagome had asked for assistance the day before for their friend who had regressed." Sesshomaru replied. This was beginning to feel a lot like an interview. "We did not speak to each other at first, where she was trying to remember everything my father told her. Afterwords, it became my task to escort her home...This Sesshomaru may have asked for subterfuge."
"Can I see what your demon form looks like?" Shingo asked, wide eyed.
"Shingo! It would destroy the house!" Usagi laughed.
"I am afraid Usako is right. You would not want that, would you?" Sesshomaru asked, with the tiniest hint of a smile.
"Well, I guess not." Shingo admitted, sheepishly. "It would be pretty cool though."
"So, you went to a strangers house by yourself...unaccompanied?" Mr. Tsukino asked his daughter.
"No, Kagome and InuYasha were with me. Dad, I'm Sailor Moon for crying out loud. There isn't a man on this earth, or off it, who can hurt me and get away with it." Usagi said, a bit exasperated.
"Do you truly not realize how powerful your daughter is?" Sesshomaru asked, in wonderment.
"She certainly doesn't do anything halfway." Mrs. Tsukino said in agreement. "Once she finally told us she was Sailor Moon, she told us some of her adventures...fights with youma, aliens, the future...Needless to say my husband stopped hearing things after she admitted she'd been sneaking out of the house, instead of focusing on all the lives she'd saved, and set about to keep her in it." She was laughing by the end.
Mr. Tsukino, looking like he'd been caught with the cookie jar, only replied. "You act like that was a bad thing."
"Considering what some of that nonsense led to, it was." Usagi said, grinning at him, before taking a sip of tea.
"Hn." Sesshomaru smirked. "Normally this Sesshomaru only deals with humans for business meetings, so I may be unfamiliar with a few things when it comes to gatherings such as this one. Should I treat it as an interview, and how am I doing so far?"
Shingo snorts as he's trying to hold back laughter. "I like this one. He's funnier than Mamoru."
"Which reminds me, how old are you, Lord Sesshomaru?" Mr. Tsukino asked, knowing it was a baited question as everyone kind of paused what they were doing.
"Dad..." Usagi growled in warning.
"This Sesshomaru was frozen for many centuries, so I can not give you an accurate age." Sesshomaru replied, untroubled. "Does it count as aging when not experiencing time?"
That apparently was not the answer Mr. Tsukino was looking for, as he became very red faced, but tried to remain calm. "Excuse me?"
"Dad, time works differently for yōkai. It technically was working differently for me anyway because of my Lunarian-ness." Usagi said, taking on a calm explanatory tone. "We are told that Sesshomaru and I knew each other in my last life, though neither of us remembers it fully. My memories were altered, and Sesshomaru was frozen. We are only just now beginning to recover some of those memories."
"Did you know this when you fell in love again?" Mrs. Tsukino asked, a small smile on her face.
"No. This Sesshomaru and my Intended were unaware of this when we met again. As Usako puts it, she found her way back without ever realizing she'd been gone." Sesshomaru admitted, smiling slightly at the memory of her words.
"That's so romantic!" Mrs. Tsukino replied, happily.
"what does that mean, my Intended?" Shingo asked, curious.
"Things are phrased a bit differently for relationships with yōkai." Usagi explained. "Intended would be what we could consider dating, but more serious than casual dating."
"And why would you know these things?" Mr. Tsukino asked, now suspicious.
"I asked InuPapa a lot of questions." Usagi answered, truthfully.
"This Sesshomaru intends to Mark Usako when she is ready." Sesshomaru supplying the last of the answer he suspected Usagi had been holding back. "That is why it is referred to as Intended."
"Explain this marking business." Mr. Tsukino asked, looking like he'd gotten a hold of a strong line of questioning for a suspect.
"This is going to end badly." Only Sesshomaru and Shingo hear Usagi whisper that.
"Marking shows ones intent. It also warns other yōkai not to harm her under pain of death." Sesshomaru replies, not sure yet why Usagi is on edge.
"Intent to what?" Mr. Tsukino asks finally, and that's when Sesshomaru sees where this is going to go.
"You would refer to it as marriage, but yōkai refer to it as Mate." Sesshomaru replies, not sure why he is trying to sound gentle in front of his Intendeds father. The man was as squishy to him as a bean.
"Have you...done this marking?" Mr. Tsukino asked, hesitantly.
"No, this Sesshomaru would prefer it to be on Usagi's own terms, as I have previously stated." Sesshomaru responded, and waited.
"Good, good. Then you are hereby kicked out. Usagi is no longer your Intended or whatever, and there will be none of this marking business. Usagi, you are to move back in, and then be grounded to your room, and never allowed out again. Your mother and I will bring you your meals. You will have to quite your job, and you can take online classes for college." Mr Tsukino stated, sounding more than a bit delirious.
Usagi, her mother, and Shingo just look to each other, and seconds later are laughing so hard they can't stop. Mr. Tsukino looked around like he could not see what was so funny. Sesshomaru, on the other hand, could feel himself shaking, the lines on his face becoming jagged, and his eyes beginning to turn red in warning. He closed his eyes, shaking his head, trying to calm down his inner beast that wanted to rip this man apart for daring to come between him and his Intended. He knew that Usagi would not appreciate him killing her father.
"Sesshomaru..." Usagi began, but stopped. Suddenly, she nuzzled up to him, her nose just under his jaw line. Sesshomaru visibly calmed down. The lines on his face returned to their normal shape, and he stopped shaking. Usagi, however, did not move. His heart rate was through the roof, and though she did not know this part, his eyes were still closed.
"Usako...This Sesshomaru is fine now...thank you." He said, his voice a bit shaky. "My apologies to everyone. This Sesshomaru should have controlled his anger better."
"That's what uncontrolled looks like?" Mr. Tsukino asked, his eye brows furrowing. "By this time, Mamoru and I were already screaming, yelling, and Usagi was crying. Compared to that, I'd say we're doing pretty good. Don't you?"
"This Sesshomaru has destroyed entire villages in anger. That anger is not something I am proud of now, and it takes constant work to maintain control of it. Do you mean to tell this Sesshomaru that you intentionally angered Mamoru, and that you tried to do the same to me?" Sesshomaru asked, finally opening his eyes again, and looked at Mr. Tsukino, who could see the warning red beginning to ebb away from the outer edges of Sesshomaru's irises. "Had you succeeded, you would have done more than just make Usako cry. By it's self, even that is unforgivable."
"Dear, I believe you may have gone too far, and owe Sesshomaru and Usagi an apology." Mrs. Tsukino advised.
"While I apologize for angering you, Lord Sesshomaru, I will not apologize for trying to protect my baby girl." Mr. Tsukino begrudgingly relented.
"That means that while you are apologizing to him, you are insulting me. Good to know that I am somehow suppose to be both the perfect daughter who isn't to even know what boy parts look like, and yet be the perfect daughter who gives you lots of grandchildren." It was Usagi's turn to be angry.
"That is not what that means at all. I just think he's too old for you." Mr. Tsukino replied.
"Don't give me that tired old excuse. You were a jerk to him the moment you saw his hand in mine." Usagi growled, her eyes beginning to get their dark silver warning. "Just face it. Any guy I would possibly ever bring in would be too old, not good enough, or not right for me."
"We had someone arranged for you. You chose to ignore this. What else would you have me do?" Mr. Tsukino replied, un-apologetically.
"Not be an ass, that's what. Motoki has always been my older brother, and you knew that's how he felt too. You know what?...This was a mistake...I'm sorry for ruining family night." Usagi stated, her anger ebbing away to defeat. She stood up, and calmly walked to the bathroom.
After a moment, Shingo announced wryly. "Congratulations, dad. You've made big sis cry."
"How do you know that? I don't hear anything." Mr. Tsukino objected, indignantly.
"I can smell the scent of her tears from here." Sesshomaru growled, angrily, and turned to him, His eyes returning fully to their warning red. "You will apologize to her. She is my Intended, and I will not see her unhappy if there is a way to fix it. I don't care if you have to stand outside that bathroom door to do it, apologize...now."
Mr. Tsukino looked wide eyed at him, and slowly moved to go to Usagi. When he was gone, Shingo looked to him, and said. "You're sort of my hero right now. I've never seen anyone get my dad to apologize before."
"Technically, this Sesshomaru strong armed him into it. It would have been more preferable if I could have talked him into it peacefully, without the veiled threats." Sesshomaru smirked, before going back to drinking his tea. "The meal has been lovely, Mrs Tsukino. Have you cooked for yōkai before?"
"No. I'll admit, I had Motoki come over here and show me what I needed to do. He said he knew Usagi's new food range, and that he'd cooked for you before, so it seemed sensible to ask for his advice. He also helped us find Shingo's new food range too." Mrs. Tsukino replied, beaming under the compliment all the while. "I'm glad to know that it went well."
"Speaking of Motoki, he did not mention an arrangement with Usagi when I met him." Sesshomaru stated, going back to his more stoic tones to hide his jealousy.
"It would be doubtful that you would have responded well to it. Motoki has never looked at Usagi as anything other than a little sister. It's why he's so protective of her." Mrs. Tsukino's reply easing his mind somewhat.
"He did mention that." Sesshomaru added, a bit sheepishly.
Usagi and Mr. Tsukino walked into the room seconds later. Though she looked sullen, she did offer Sesshomaru a brief smile before she sat down again. Unable to resist any longer, he wrapped his tail around her. In an instant it seemed to both calm Usagi and irritate Mr. Tsukino. Sesshomaru silently wondered how on earth human males dealt with the fathers of their intended at all. Fathers seemed to become enraged and over protective over signs of possession and intent towards their daughters.
After that, he decided, to hell with it. He was Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands and he did not have to bow to the man who would hide away the most powerful woman in all of Japan. Sesshomaru began acting every bit the demon lord he was, showering Usagi with signs of affection his way, and not bothering to care if he offended her father with it. On the plus side, Usagi beamed with happiness. Her mother and little brother both seemed to appreciate the things he did. On the down side her father continued to say nothing, and eyed them both suspiciously, frowning like his plans had been ruined.
They said their goodbye's as they were leaving. Her father begrudgingly shook Sesshomaru's hand, her mother hugged him, and her little brother Shingo formally shook Sesshomaru's hand as if the two had come to some secret gentleman's agreement. She could see Sesshomaru's smirk even as he gave a respectful nod to her little brother in response. Her father hugged her, murmuring apologies for being overly protective and unable to turn that off. It was just something that was never going to go away, she thought, sighing.
"You should bring him around more often. He seems nice, and you were right. He does adore you." Her mother whispered, as she hugged her.
"So, you gonna tell me any more of your adventures later?" Shingo asked, after she hugged him.
"Maybe later...you can come visit me. We'll sit on the roof and toss popcorn at the neighbors." She suggested.
"I like that." Shingo replied. "See ya later, big sis."
When Usagi felt it was safe to talk, she looked over at him with a smile. "You alright over there?"
"This Sesshomaru's nerves may be a little fried, and I do not look forward to going home and being interviewed about my interview with your father...that man could give CEO's a run for their money." Sesshomaru grumbled.
She giggled. "I do apologize about that, and maybe I should have warned you better. Mom talked to him beforehand. Maybe it was wrong to prepare him ahead of time, I'm not sure now." She mused. "What got into you after I came back into the dining room?"
"He made you cry." Sesshomaru said, and turned to her. "This Sesshomaru was uncertain as to which demon customs would be seen favorably in your fathers eyes. After I realized none of them would be, as I was seen just like anyone wanting to steal you away, it made sense just to do them all as I normally would. This Sesshomaru will not see his Intended unhappy."
"Then you'll be staying the night at my place again?" She asked, hopeful. "You won't have to be interviewed by your family about mine till tomorrow."
"True, and it would give this Sesshomaru a chance to talk with Luna. She has some interesting ideas on the stock market." Sesshomaru relented, not that it would have taken much.
She was glad that Luna and Sesshomaru got along now, she mused as she looked over the various course work she was going to have to do over the coming semester. It seemed that worlds could come together and not die after all. They spoke of all manner of things, the three of them, until it was time to go to bed. She slept best, she noticed, when Sesshomaru was with her. So why was she up so early? Where was that blasted phone? It was...it was 3am!
"Dad?...Dad what do you want? It's 3am!" Usagi asked, sleepily, as she looked around to get her bearings. "Is something wrong with Shingo?...Mom?"
"Is that boy with you? Is he in your room?!" She hears anger in his voice, but she's too sleepy to care.
"Let me get this straight...cuz my brain was sleeping...You called me...to see if I have a boy in my room...my room, which is in my apartment...that I rent myself...that you don't live in, own, or have a say in?" She asked, still groggy. "No, there is no boy in my room." She looked down at Sesshomaru to see that he was smirking, even with his eyes closed, at the emphasis on her wording. So she muttered. "There is a sexy ass man beast in my bed though." Not that her dad could hear that part. Sesshomaru grinned wider now.
"I have it on good authority that there is a boy in that apartment, and you know the rules-"
"That I am a grown ass adult...renting her own apartment...in which you have no say in." Usagi grumbled, coming out of her sleepy haze slowly. "But since you're in a tiffy, there is no boy in my room...I do however, have a man in here. We were asleep till you called. Can I hang up, so that I can get back to sleep?"
"My information tells me that he's in the bed with you, and that he isn't wearing a shirt!" Usagi became very alert upon hearing her father say this.
"Exactly where are you getting this information?" She asked, trying to keep her tone light as she got out of bed and casually walked out onto the balcony.
"Never you mind. I happen to have friends who live nearby and I occasionally ask how you are, and this is the information they tell me!" He's defensive, and sounding a bit guilty while trying to justify what he's doing.
"Would you feel differently if I were having a naked pillow fight with all the girls and some whipped cream?" She asked, casually, looking out across the way trying to locate the person spying on her.
"What kind of question is that?" Her father asked, stammering.
"Well, if it's boys you're objectionable to, maybe you would prefer me to be a lesbian who has pillow fight orgies. Is that even a thing? Pillow Orgy fights? Pillow fighting Orgies? Orgy pillow Fights?" Usagi said, as casually as if she were asking how his day was. Mental note to self: sleepy phone conversations mean zero filter, and are therefore bad to have. "You're not objectionable to my use of whipped cream for the orgy are you? Chocolate sauce then? Even better...Strawberries."
"That is no way to talk to your father, young lady!" He shouted. She could hear her mother in the background, finally waking up (what are you doing up? With my phone?)
"That's kinda what you get when you wake someone up at 3am." Usagi growled, and instantly perked up. "I'm sorry, dad. Something's come up. I'm going to have to let you go. Love you."
"Look, I don't know where she went. One second she's there, the next she's gone." The guy said. He turned around, and saw Usagi standing before him.
Before he could even scream, she had taken the phone from him and put it to her ear. "I have to know what she's doing. My wife is perfectly happy to let Usagi live by herself, and be an adult, going off with whoever she wants...Wait...Usagi?"
"You will pay for this." She calmly said, before crushing the phone.
"You broke my phone! You're going to have to pay for that!" The man said.
"Considering that what you were doing was highly illegal, you're lucky I didn't break your legs." She growled, and stalked over to the telescope he was using to spy on her with.
"Don't break that too!" He pleaded.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to break it. Follow me." She said, taking the personal telescope out of its stand and walking outside. Without a word she started looking up into the night sky, not with the telescope.
"What are you doing?" He asked, nervously.
"Looking for a target." She replied. Then, with a quick show of power and grace, she hurled the telescope into the sky.
He could only stare at her. "That was...mine! How dare you!"
"No. How dare you, for spying on a young woman in her own home against her knowledge or wishes. It didn't break when it hit, by the way." She said, as she walked away.
"When it hit what?" He was afraid to ask.
"The Satellite." Usagi responded, before she was gone again.
She showed up in her parents room to find her mother already out of bed, and yelling at her father. The man was staring at his phone, unsure what to do about being caught by both his daughter and his wife. Her mother was not surprised to see her there, all things considering. It was her father who did not expect to see her there, not with such an untroubled look on her face. He had expected anger.
"You have had my privacy violated by a middle aged man in his boxers. I don't know how long he's been watching me for you, or what he's seen that he hasn't told you about...all so you could claim you were looking out for me, that you were protecting me..." Usagi said, speaking calmly, hoping that she had copied the stoic expression well because she didn't want to let her anger through at this moment. "He's alive, by the way, if you were worried about him. His phone has been crushed to bits. He's lucky I didn't crush his bits. Oh, and his telescope is currently stuck up a satellites ass."
"Go get some sleep, dear. I'll take care of this. Give Sesshomaru my apologies. I didn't think he would try something like this when my back was turned." Her mother said, softly, trying not to laugh. She really did inherit her mothers humour after all.
"I doubt he would even consider a need for you to apologize to him, Mom. He practically raved about your food for hours. Dad, on the other hand, will need to make some kind of formal apology. I don't even know what would cover this. I'm too sleepy to think about it. I'll let you know." She replied, and she was gone again.
When she got back to her apartment, Usagi was instantly struck with confusion. She had expected to see Sesshomaru back asleep, or awake with worry, but that is not what she saw. Instead, Sesshomaru was laughing so hard he could barely breathe. He took one look at her confused face, and started laughing again. Finally, he had to sit on the floor or risk falling in it.
"That...was my...satellite..." He finally gets out in between breaths as he's laughing. She can't help but laugh with him now, and pretty soon she's in the floor sitting next to him.
When they calm down, Sesshomaru looked to her and asked. "So...what did you do after you assaulted my poor satellite?" His eyes still alight with laughter.
"I copied your calm nature, and scared the hell out of my father." She said, her own eyes mirroring his. "Mom sends her apologies by the way, says she should have kept a better eye on him. I told her there is no need for her to apologize. Dad, on the other hand, should...I'm thinking something formal...with an audience."
"I went over to the neighbors house, planning to give him a piece of my own mind, and I find him rambling on about broken phones and telescopes being thrown at satellites...I get a call from Jakken, telling me that one of our satellites is down...apparently something hit it..." He's laughing again. "I can't wait to see the look on his face when I tell him you hit it...with a telescope....You truly are remarkable, my love...I haven't laughed this hard...ever...."
He looked over to her, to see her sleeping with her head against the wall and could only shake his head. The things that woman said when she was sleepy were some of the most adorable and hilarious moments he could remember having. She was right, though. Her father would need to make a formal apology before Sesshomaru would view the matter as closed, but she was thinking the apology needed to be towards Sesshomaru when Sesshomaru felt the apology should be to her. She was much more restrained than she gave herself credit for, he chuckled to himself as he carried her to bed. She barely woke up except to snuggle into him when he crawled into bed, and he was asleep soon after.