Author's Note: This is not beta'd. After this chapter there will be waits for continuing chapters of this and all other stories. I have nothing more written. Thank you for all of the reviews, please continue to read and review.
Updated: February. 22, 2012
Miroku had never felt more impatient in his life. He had tried his best not to arrive early, doing as many menial and meaningless errands that he could to use up time. He had still arrived at FoxFire an hour early. He proceeded to unintentionally make people nervous with his severe expression and fidgeting.
"Oi Miroku, calm down. You're scaring away the customers," InuYasha laughed but he was really only half joking. People were steering clear of the isle where Miroku was parked in a chair, staring expectantly in the direction of the secret room.
"I'm sorry, but finding out that my hero is the father figure of one of my friends, and brother to another kind of threw me off. Oh, and there's the fact that you and a certain kitsune we know made me believe that he was out for my blood." The last part was said in a slightly bitter tone, and InuYasha grinned apologetically.
"Sorry about that. With him throwing his weight around like that, though, it was just this perfect opportunity." The hanyou stated.
"You should have seen your face," Shippo laughed. "I've never seen someone so scared in the last hundred years."
"I can see that you're really broken up about it," Miroku grumbled, his anxiety making him surly.
"Really, Sesshomaru's harmless as a new born pup." There was a blast of pink youki released from behind the door of the library at that remark. No matter how dangerous he was or wasn't, Sesshomaru had even better hearing than his brother, Miroku decided. InuYasha and Shippo didn't appear to be bothered by it, so he followed their example, hoping that it wasn't the wrong choice. InuYasha continued, "Like I said, all bark, no bite. He has to put on a show 'cause he's the alpha of the pack, but RIn wouldn't let him hurt anyone. She's got him wrapped around her little finger, and wouldn't hurt a fly."
"I think that Kohaku's mentioned Rin before," Miroku mused. "I remember hearing that name." Shippo bent and stretched his legs.
"Yeah! She's Sesshomaru's mate! She's human, and she looks like this-" Suddenly, Shippo disappeared in a puff of aquamarine smoke, and the woman from Sango's photo who had been holding Saiga's hand, took his place- clothes and all. When she opened her mouth to speak, Shippo's voice came out. "I- Damn! I haven't mastered voice transformations yet. It works about seventy percent of the time now, though." Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the kitsune and put down the ramen cup that Miroku hadn't noticed was in his hand. It appeared to be empty.
"She looks much younger than she is Miroku, so don't get any ideas. Then he may actually kill you." That flare of pink again. Miroku threw his hands up in front of himself.
"I'm not planning anything! Give it a rest, guys! You're really hurting my cause here..."
"Cause?" Shippo wondered.
"Never mind," Miroku turned to InuYasha. "What do you mean, much older than she looks? She looks human, not half-demon.
"She isn't hanyou," InuYasha stated plainly.
"Then what are you talking about?"
"She's over six hundred years old," Shippo chimed in. That one floored Miroku. He just stared blankly at the demon, awaiting an answer. "I'm serious! She used to follow Sesshy-sama," the pink youki raged, "around all the time. Then he left her alone with humans for a few years to remember how to be human, because he was so very aware that she wasn't a demon- no matter how she fit in. Then, when she turned eighteen, she decided to rejoin him and became his. He said- and I'm paraphrasing here- that she meant too much to be left behind. I think he wanted to keep her looking a bit younger than him when he changed her. It was quite fantastic because, to tell you the truth, he hated humans before her. She'd quite an amazing woman."
Miroku blinked, "Changed her? You mean like a vampire?" InuYasha snorted.
"Feh. Fuck vampires. Demons are real," he said.
"It's more like a connection," Shippo explained, turnign back into himself in the blink of an eye. "When a demon makes a human his or her mate, if their love and intentions are pure, then this creates a bond. For as long as one is alive, so is the other. Their lives equal out in length through the connection that they share." Miroku was surprised.
"I've never heard of this," he admitted quietly. Shippo nodded.
"Demons like to keep it 'hush hush'. If the world found out, then people would rush to us, feigning love, but wanting a long life. They wouldn't realize the implications."
"Implications?"
"As I said, when a demon makes this bond, it's life equals out with that of their human. This means that if the human is killed, or the bond severed, both would die. That's why it is such a big decision." Miroku thought about this new information.
"He must really love her.'
"He does." Then a thought hit him.
"What about hanyous? If they took a human mate would the same thing happen?" A look of alarm passed over Shippos face, and he quickly looked at InuYasha, whose head was tilted so far down that Miroku couldn't see his face. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No." InuYasha looked up. His face was perfectly neutral, but Miroku knew that something was wrong. Still, InuYasha obviously didn't want him to. "It doesn't apply with hanyous. We don't know why for sure, but Totosai thinks that it may have something to do with having only half of the demon blood." InuYasha's aura was pulsing in a way that betrayed his neutrality to show his sadness. "Anyways, look." One clawed finger pointed across the room.
Miroku turned to see a chipper looking Sango walking next to whom he now knew was her father. She was looking up at him adoringly and Miroku imagined being in his place, but definitely not as a parental figure. Then they were there and Sesshomaru was staring down at him blankly. Miroku tried to smile in his nervousness.
"Hi, I'm Miroku Takeuchi. We met last week," he said, silently adding, sort of.
"I know who you are." The voice was familiarly calm and deep. Miroku looked down, feeling as if he had been scolded.
As if sensing his discomfort, Sango chimed in- "why don't you sit in the lounge? We'll keep people out for you."
"As you wish," Sesshomaru said. His long braid bounced as he turned in the direction of the most comfortable chair in the room. Miroku looked to Sango for support, and wasn't disappointed. She touched his arm gently and smiled.
"Good luck," she whispered.
"Thanks," he replied, really touched by the gesture. He walked over and sat across from the T. Saiga, as his friends gathered customers from the room and escorted them out. There was no big excitement from the crowd at seeing such a star in their midst, giving Miroku the idea that he was the only one who could tell who he really was. Miroku guessed that Shippo had altered the demon's appearance when he'd arrived, but then remembered that no one really knew what T. Saiga looked like.
"What is it that you wanted to know?" Sesshomaru asked, seemingly not a fan of beating around the bush. Miroku swallowed and took a deep breath.
"I wanted to ask you if you've ever read my books, or part or one, and what your thought is on them. If you have any, sir." He sounded like a pubescent teen girl meeting Justin Bieber or something, for crying out loud. He hadn't even meant to add the 'sir', it had just come out.
"I've had the misfortune of reading your works, yes. Many of then have little, to no plot, and are very rushed, in my opinion." Miroku cringed. "Some lack believable premises, while others capture the attention with cheap sexual interactions." By this point, Miroku felt like sticking his head in the sand, but his pride kept him from fleeing. He just stood there with a set expression, and proceeded to learn from his hero. "All in all, they are filth."
"Well," Miroku cleared his throat, inwardly begging the squeak in his voice to go away, "I'm glad that you could-"
"Hnn... I'm not finished." Sesshomaru said, meeting his eyes directly. "While many of your works are practically redundant, this is not always the case. Quite a few times, I have had the good fortune of reading your books. Where One Roams, for example. The plot was creative, the characters believable, and the vocabulary flowed perfectly. All in all, I think that what is hindering your work and professional growth, is the genre which you have recently taken to writing." Sesshomaru paused. "Also, keep in mind that not all girls are playboy bunnies, Takeuchi." Miroku could swear that he caught a glimpse of amusement in those golden eyes as the words sunk in. Sesshomaru stood. Straightening his suit, he said, "now, I must go. I have an important meeting to get to."
"Ah! Yes, sir!" Miroku stood and bowed before the great demon before him. "Thank you for your time."
"Sango requested that I spare a moment. Don;t think that I did this solely for you." The demon began to leave, but paused in the doorway. "And Takeuchi?" Miroku straightened as the golden eyes met his again, this time flashing like lightning in a storm.
"Yes... sir?"
"You watch your step with Sango, you hear me?" The threat was apparent from the tone, and Miroku could only stare as the demon turned back and walked out the door.
End Note: What do you think of Sesshomaru? :D I'm anxious to hear!