Chapter 50: Ring Around the Rosey
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I am merely borrowing him and toying around with the poor thing.
Wow...50 chapters... I hope you enjoy this one--it's mostly a filler, but every story needs some of those...plus I'm setting up for later chapters... -grins-
As for the reviews--you
all have made me very happy. And I love hearing your theories;
there was one in particular that I'd even thought about before writing
the story... Also, I viewed my stats for the first time, and I
was really happy with those, too. Well, nothing left to say other
than love you much and on with the story!
'Damn, I'm good!' The hanyou's lips curved into a cocky smirk, shooting the miko beside him a sidelong glance. 'She has no idea—damn! I'm so good…' He lifted a free hand up to inspect his claws—he'd put so much thought into this, there was no way anything could go wrong.
Well…that was a lie, actually. Plenty could go wrong…
This thought was quickly squashed by a rather large ego. 'Damn, I'm good!'
"Can you tell me what we're doing here?" Kagome asked as she ascended the stone steps, her arm entwined with her mate's. She stared at the two towering double doors before her—this place never failed to amaze her, or make her feel insignificant.
But then again, Sesshoumaru had a knack for making many people feel insignificant, she realized with a wry smile.
The hanyou stared down at her, an arrogant smirk twisting his lips. "Wouldn't you like to know…"
Kagome studied him out of the corner of her eye—he was positively glowing with smugness; she bit back a groan. It was hard enough to manage Inuyasha's ego when it wasn't over-inflated. "Oh, now I'm really curious. You have to tell me."
The smirk morphed into a grin as he stopped walking and focused completely on her for the moment. "Oh? Says who?"
She snorted—a completely Inuyasha-ish sound and reached up to run a finger over a fuzzy ear. "Isn't it like…some unwritten rule, or something? Rule number one—no cheating on your mate. Rule number two—keep your mate happy. Rule number three—satisfy your mate's curiosity and succumb to her will."
He laughed and leaned into her touch. "I don't think I've heard of that one," he informed her. "Sorry."
Giggling, she stepped up on her tiptoes to press her lips against his cheek and gasped when he grabbed her wrist, whirling her around and pulling her against him rather skillfully. Lifting her eyes, Kagome felt her blood heat up, moving quickly through her veins as her blood sped up. His smile was gone, but his eyes held the good humor that had been evident only moments ago. His eyes teased her, told her that he knew what he was doing to her body.
It was crazy… How he made absolutely no sense to her, yet she could read him like a book…
He leaned in for a kiss, his warm lips undoing her as they had so many times before…
"Inuyasha," she managed, pushing him away just enough to gain back some of her coherence. His golden eyes churned lasciviously at her, and she instantly regretted pushing him away, but she held firm. She was surprised when she gained strength from the knowledge that she could hold firm against her absolutely gorgeous mate…with his intense amber eyes, his adorable ears, and his sharp—
'Okay…enough thinking like that, girl. You're on his brother's doorstep…outside…of Sesshoumaru's house! You're not in your bedroom!'
Suddenly, the need to touch Inuyasha didn't seem so immediate. "Not now," she whispered, motioning to the doors behind her with a jerk of her head. "We're at your brother's." She expected that to settle his libido.
But he pulled her closer with a snicker, burying his nose in the junction of her neck. "I ought to take you here and now just to spite that bastard," he teased. "But I have a feeling you'd sit the shit out of me…"
She wrinkled her nose and pushed his shoulder playfully before grabbing his hand and tugging him toward the doors. "You're awful."
"And you love it," he replied without missing a beat as she rung the doorbell with a knowing smile. Rei may have hated the convenient bell, but Sesshoumaru must have seen the necessity of owning one. That or he got tired of staring at the hole in the wall where Rei had forcefully removed the annoying apparatus.
Kagome could hear sounds coming from behind the door, and she shot a warning look to Inuyasha. "Do I have to remind you to behave yourself?"
"Oi! I'm not a pup, wench."
"That's debatable," she grumbled under her breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing…"
A moment later, Kagura opened the door, her pleasant smile widening when her eyes met theirs. "Kagome! Inuyasha—this is a pleasant surprise. Come on in." She moved aside for them, letting them pass before closing the door and leading them through the halls. She quickly twisted her loose hair up, grabbing a clip that had been haphazardly pinned on her shirt to keep her hair in place.
There. She looked perfect again.
Kagome never failed to notice how her clothes fit perfectly on her body, how her hair never seemed disheveled even though she was the wind—
Suddenly Kagura stopped, holding a pausing hand up to warn the couple as she turned to face them. Her friendly countenance had quickly warped into dire irritation. "Please, pardon the mess."
Kagome looked around her, her eyebrows furrowing. The place looked impeccable. "What mess?"
Taking a moment to massage her temple, Kagura moved aside, letting them pass into the living room.
"…Oh…" was all Kagome could manage.
The couch had been overturned, the love seat was missing an arm—oh…no, the missing arm was on top of the entertainment center, of which the shelves had been crushed. There were gashes in the carpet, and bits of wall and ceiling littered the floor.
"…Oh…" she repeated, her eyes wide. "What…what happened?" She looked up at Inuyasha, not missing the look in his eyes that clearly said 'Aw, I could have done worse…'. She also noticed his suggestive reaching for an absent Tessaiga.
Rei chose this moment to walk in, took one look at his mother, and then turned around to leave again.
"No, I don't think so, Rei. Turn yourself right back around, pup." Kagura stood like a woman possessed—hands on her hips, ruby eyes narrowed in anger, black hair falling from the loose clip to frame her face.
With an audible sigh, Rei turned back around, entering the room again and shooting a pleading look at Inuyasha and Kagome.
"Rei," Kagura continued angrily, jabbing an accusing finger at her son, "and Shippou seemed to think it would be a good idea to train. So they had a mock fight. In my living room." She glared at Rei, whose ears were plastered against his head. "Because they're idiots."
Kagome gasped, covering her mouth with her fingers. "Oh, Kagura," she lamented, a few giggles breaking into her sympathetic tone. "Oh, you poor thing…"
Inuyasha snickered at her side.
"Oh, no, I've decided that I'm not even going to worry about it." To prove her point, she tossed her hands hopelessly into the air. "Nope—they are going to clean this entire mess up. And then they are going to replace the furniture."
"Mother, I—"
"I want a white love seat this time—a creamy white suede. And your father wants a new desk—"
"But there wasn't a desk in here to begin with!"
Kagura gave him a look that told him that she simply didn't care. "You're father wants one—oak, the same as the new entertainment center. And we've decided we don't want carpet anymore. It's too hard to take care of, you understand," she waved her hand dismissively. "Wood floors will do."
Rei sighed again, an ear twitching irritably. "Fine," he muttered, "fine. I'll let Shippou know."
Her glare lessened, and Kagura fought to hold on to her irritation. "Yeah, you do that." She turned back to Inuyasha and Kagome with a smile. "Now, what brings you two by? It's been quite a few weeks since I've seen you."
Kagome looked up to Inuyasha with probing gray eyes, waiting for his answer.
"I came to talk to Sesshoumaru," he ground out, looking anything but thrilled at the idea. "Oh, and Rei…Oi, Rei! Get your ass back in here!" he yelled at the doorway through which the youkai had just fled once his mother's back was turned.
Soon, the black-haired head ducked into the room, glancing warily at his mother before he settled his gaze on Inuyasha. "Yeah?"
"I need to talk to you."
"…Okay. What is it?"
Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably and narrowed his eyes at the pup. "…And Sesshoumaru." A certain incredulous anger welled up when the inu youkai's eyes widened. He could already hear the pup's thoughts: 'Oh shit…'
A growl erupted from the hanyou, and Kagome looked at him curiously. "What's wrong?"
Inuyasha's gaze hardened even more, and Rei squirmed nervously. "You forgot." It wasn't an accusation. It was more like an irritated statement.
The miko exchanged confused glances with Kagura. "What did he forget?"
Raking a hand through his hair, Rei grinned sheepishly at his uncle. "Don't worry about it, Inuyasha—"
"Damnit, pup!"
Pushing away the strangeness of hearing Inuyasha call Rei 'pup' when they looked to be the same age, Kagome tried once again. "What did you forget, Rei?"
"Uh…I-I—"
"Don't worry about it, Kagome."
She raised an eyebrow at the suddenly quiet man beside her. "Don't worry about it, huh, Inuyasha? Why do I have this feeling that this can't be anything good…?"
"Not funny, wench."
"It wasn't supposed to be, baka," she retorted.
Inuyasha crossed his arms and scowled down at her. "I just gotta talk to Rei and Sesshoumaru. You can stay with Kagura." He knew the wench could be stubborn—God knows he knew it—but, damnit! Did she have to look so hurt?
She cleared her throat, which she found painfully dry, and lowered her eyes. The idea that Inuyasha would tell Sesshoumaru something, but keep it from her, cut her to the quick. "I see." She heard his sigh, and struggled not to let the injury show.
"Kagome…" He winced when she smiled brightly up at him; he could see right through it.
"In that case," she announced, "I think I'm going to go shopping. The baby will be here soon, and I should be prepared."
This got Inuyasha's guilt to drain away fast enough. "What?"
"We need a stroller, clothes—you know…baby things," she reminded him. The thought of shopping for her baby made her feel better, and she began to get excited and mulled over everything she would need.
"No."
Her gray eyes flicked to him. "No, what?"
Inuyasha shot her a look that clearly said 'You aren't being cute'. "Don't be dense, Kagome. No, you're not going to the city by yourself."
She gave him a genuine smile and stood on her tiptoes to peck his cheek. "I won't be by myself if Kagura comes with me," she pointed out reasonably before searching for the wind youkai near her. "Will you come shopping with me? It would be nice to have another woman's opinion. And I could use yours," she admitted. "I have no idea what all I should get."
A warm smile was the miko's reward. "Of course, Kagome. Perhaps we should call Rin, too? She'd have a lot more advice on the matter than I would."
With an excited gasp, the miko clasped her hands together. "That's a great idea!"
"No, it's not," her mate told her. "You're with pup, Kagome! I don't want you going anywhere without me!"
Rei rolled his eyes at his uncle. "She'll be fine, Inuyasha. Nothing's going to happen."
A sting of explicit curses told Rei exactly what Inuyasha though of his opinion. He was even generous enough to tell him what he could do with that very same opinion. Or more precisely, where he could shove it…
Rei took the curses with a calm exterior. He let the hanyou finish, before he told them that he was just going to go warn—tell, tell his father that they had guests.
There was simply too much testosterone in the damaged room.
Shaking his head, he slipped out of the room again.
Kagome sighed. "Inuyasha, you know I love you," she began patiently, ignoring his blush, "but I need you to realize that I'm pregnant, not handicapped. If you don't let me have some girl time—emphasis on the word girl—then I may have to do some shoving of my own."
Chuckling from down the hall informed them that Rei had heard; Inuyasha gave the empty doorway a dirty look. Gold eyes flew to Kagura, staring stonily at her. "And you'll watch over her?"
"Of course, Inuyasha."
The hanyou was silent for a moment, and Kagome held her breath, waiting for his answer. She honestly didn't want to have to sit him over this. "Fine."
He sounded less than thrilled by the whole idea, but Kagome's immediate happiness claimed a small smile from him as she launched herself into his arms. "Thanks," she whispered.
He blushed again, though he had no idea why. And he had no idea why she was so happy that he'd let her have her way. After all, it wasn't often he refused her, at least, in the long run. He could count on one hand the number of times he'd said no and had it stay that way after her pleas and yells were exhausted.
"Yeah, yeah, wench. Just don't get my pup anything girly," he teased, gently grabbing her shoulders. He pried her away just enough to see her eyes, which were shining merrily.
"Your pup?" she repeated with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, my pup. He obviously likes ramen," he reminded her with a grin.
'Ugh…he is way to proud of that,' the miko thought. But he had a point. One of the things she craved constantly was ramen. She never thought she'd see the day that she ate more ramen than Inuyasha.
That day was last Tuesday.
"He also likes to read," Kagome pointed out. She couldn't count the number of times the pup had settled in her belly once she began a reading a bedtime story aloud to Shippou.
The hanyou smiled confidently at her. "Correction. Pup likes stories. Hell, even I like stories when you read them."
Even Kagura broke into a grin at the unconscious compliment.
Kagome gave him that weird smile—the one she reserved only for him, the one that made him feel as though he'd just kissed her for the first time—that baring, unnerving, beautiful smile. "I'll keep that in mind."
Kagura reached for her pocket and pulled out a cell phone, flipping it open and hitting the speed dial. "I'll go ahead and call Rin and tell her to meet us at the mall—Hey, sweetie, is your mama there? Tell her this is Nana." Kagura was soon lost in her phone call.
Once again returning his attention to his miko, Inuyasha gave her a stern look. "You stay out of trouble," he warned her.
"You have such confidence in me…"
"I'm not playing, Kagome. If you get hurt, I'll get Kaede to make a rosary for you." This thought seemed to give him some satisfaction if his smirk meant anything.
"Oh, as if that would work," she scoffed. Then she paused, looking up at him curiously. "What…what sort of…command would you use for me?"
He laughed outright, and Sesshoumaru and Rei chose this moment to enter, just as Kagura hung up her phone.
The Inu no Taisho looked down on all of them. "Ah, Inuyasha and his miko—"
"—Kagome," she corrected before giving him a hard stare. "Sometimes I think you continue doing that just because you know it's irritating."
He gave her the barest of smiles, though his eyes, which were always cold once upon a time, laughed at her. "It seems your sense of humor died with your taste in men, miko," he said coolly.
Inuyasha scowled at him. "Bite me."
"Be careful with what you ask for Inuyasha." The inu youkai smiled, baring his sharp canines.
Kagura glided past her mate and absently swept some of the debris off the remaining arm of the love seat. "If you goad him into a fight, Sesshoumaru, take it outside. If anything else happens to my house, castration will be involved."
Both of the brothers paled considerably, and Kagome bit her cheek to keep from laughing outright.
The wind sorceress led Kagome toward the hallway while waving bye to the boys. "We'll be back in time for supper—maybe. Call us on my cell if you need anything."
Inuyasha watched her disappear from the room. "No talking to boys!" he hollered after her.
"Goodbye, Inuyasha," she called back.
"And if anyone bothers you, purify their ass!"
"I'm leaving now."
"And remember what I said about—" His words were cut off by the unmistakable sound of a door clicking shut.
Rei chuckled, patting the hanyou on the back. "She's lived here for eighteen years, Inuyasha. She knows what she's doing."
Inuyasha's gaze hardened on the empty doorway. Images of her rushing past him, the undeniable scent of her tears, unbearable sound of her retching as she sobbed over the toilet—her bruises, her cuts, the haunted look in her eyes…
He didn't realize he was growling until Sesshoumaru cleared his throat. Locking eyes with his brother, he had no doubt that the inu youkai knew exactly what he was thinking. "Keh! I know Kagome knows what she's doing. It's those other bastards I don't trust."
"I believe the last time something like that happened, she handled herself well enough," Sesshoumaru reminded him impassively. "I believe Mr. Nikko is still in his coma?"
Rei's eyebrows furrowed; he nudged Inuyasha with an elbow. "Who's Mr. Nikko?"
"A dirty bastard."
"Oh."
They were getting nowhere—this Sesshoumaru knew. And he was far too busy to socialize in a shamefully impaired room with an ignorant hanyou. "Rei has informed me that you had something to discuss with me," he reminded him, checking his outrageously expensive wristwatch for dramatic emphasis.
"Yeah. I need your help—" He was cut off when Sesshoumaru held up a hand to stop him. "Wha—"
"—Shh. It may take a moment for that to sink in."
Inuyasha sighed and looked to Rei. "Your father's a bastard, too," he said matter-of-factly. And for once, Rei was inclined to agree with him.
"You say you need my help? With what, might I ask?"
Crossing his arms, Inuyasha scowled at the ceiling. "I need you to help me buy a ring for Kagome."
A single eyebrow was arched as his pompous ass of a brother stared smugly at him. "A ring?"
Sesshoumaru suddenly deserved the scowl more than the ceiling. "A ring that tells humans she's off limits. Does Kagura have one?"
Sesshoumaru chuckled. "Of course she does, baka, but unfortunately, I cannot help you today. Rei will go with you."
Black dog-ears perked at this. "Father," he began calmly, "last time I took Inuyasha shopping, he pinned a man to the wall for measuring his waist for a tux…"
Inuyasha pounded a fist in his hand while Sesshoumaru merely looked at him. "Keh! The man was staring at places he shouldn't have been."
"Oh, he was not—and measuring clients is his job."
"He was looking at you too. You didn't even buy a tux," Inuyasha reminded him smugly.
Rei blushed. "Whatever."
Sesshoumaru checked his watch again. "On second thought, I will go."
"What do you think of this?" Kagome held up a cute teal footsy outfit with tiny black Scotties all over it. "It's cute, right?"
Rin took the tiny outfit from her and examined it. "It's not cute, Kagome—it's adorable!"
Kagura peered over her shoulder. "And it's not 'girly'…"
Kagome blushed, knowing full well that Kagura was teasing her for a certain baby suit she had picked up. "Plenty of boys wear purple," she grumbled.
Rin shook her head, folding the teal clothes and draping it over her arm. She began to rummage through more clothes. "Not that shade of purple…"
"It was adorable!" she complained.
Neither of the women argued with her. "It was…for a girl. I don't think Inuyasha would have been too happy if you'd brought home lilac clothes for your baby boy." Rin had no problem pointing out the obvious. She lifted up a red one piece, complete with a tiny hood, and smiled approvingly at it before thrusting it at Kagome.
The miko grinned. It reminded her of Inuyasha's fire rat fur—that was his color.
"What do you think?"
Kagome laid it over her arm. "I love it. What do you say I go ahead and pay for this, and then we can go grab some lunch? I'm starving, and we've got a long day ahead of us."
Nodding, Kagura reached for both of the baby outfits that Kagome had chosen. At the miko's questioning stare, the youkai explained. "Today is my treat."
She winced. "Oh, Kagura, I can't let you do that. There's no telling how much I'll b—"
"Nonsense, Kagome." Kagura walked up to the cash register and laid the outfits on the counter. "Since I've yet to hear about a baby shower, today is our gift to you." She handed the salesperson her credit card.
"But Kagura…" Kagome watched helplessly as the woman ran the card through the machine.
The wind sorceress smiled at her sister-in-law. "You and Inuyasha are our only family. It's only natural that we would want to celebrate such special times with you. And the money is no issue, whatsoever, Kagome. Please don't worry about it."
Rin wrapped an arm around Kagome's shoulder and began walking her to the door. The pregnant woman was still reluctant about the arrangement. "Mother and Father have enough money to buy the mall, if they wanted too, sweetie. And after all that morning sickness, don't you think you deserve a treat?"
Kagome wrinkled her nose, grinning. She thanked Kagura for her generosity when the woman strode up to meet them once again.
"I did the same thing for Rin the first time she was pregnant."
"And it was so much fun," the young woman gushed, grabbing Kagome's wrist to get her attention. She pointed into one of the shop windows at an adorable red diaper bag.
Four minutes later, the three women walked out of the store with the said diaper bag.
Kagome took it out of the bag and slung it over her shoulder. A small smile graced her lips, and she let her hand fall to her protruding belly. "I like the feel of this," she admitted quietly.
Kagura patted her back gently as the food court appeared before them. "Of course you do, dear. You're starting your own family."
Rei stood by his father's side as the youkai continued to discuss monetary issues with the museum curator. Four clay pots, as well as an ancient bow, rested on the glass counter.
"I'm sure you'll understand, sir, but we can't just give you the money. In the past, we have spent generous amounts on what have turned out to be cheap imitations." The curator nervously shoved his glasses back up the length of his nose as Sesshoumaru's unwavering gaze bore into him. "These are in such good shape, I have to wonder how old they really are."
"And I've told you," the inu youkai drawled, repositioning himself so that he stood at his full height. "They are from Sengoku Jidaii."
The curator nervously took in the immaculate suit and the tall stature of the man before him. No doubt he was a superb businessman.
The tiny man gulped. Or mob boss.
Sesshoumaru never took his eyes off the man. "I'm sure we can work something out. You see, we're in a bit of a hurry."
Tearing his eyes away, he glanced over the other two men in the room. One with long black hair looked as though he would rather be anywhere other than here at the moment. He might have been two inches shorter than the man in the suit, and was slightly less intimidating. The third man on the other side of the room, however, actually made him groan. There was no doubt in his mind that this was the first gentleman's brother—his eyes and hair. But this one was openly scowling at everything his eyes landed on as he leaned against the wall, arms and ankles crossed. He was ready to leave, too, obviously.
Beside Sesshoumaru, Rei was indeed growing restless. Something about being in a room filled with priceless artifacts and Inuyasha… "I don't see why we can't just give him the money to buy the ring," he whispered, glancing over his shoulder to make sure his uncle hadn't heard him.
"Do not be foolish, Rei. Inuyasha may lack a lot of things, but pride is not one of them. Would you want anyone else to buy an engagement ring for the woman you'll mate?"
The youkai grunted a 'no', drawing the curator's attention.
"Besides," Sesshoumaru breathed with a slight smirk, "I'm impressed that he put this much thought into it."
The hanyou had, indeed, thought of pretty much everything—including a way to get his own money. He had stashed a few goods from the other side of the well all throughout the Higurashi's house, ensuring that Kagome wouldn't find them.
With a sigh, the curator looked back up at Sesshoumaru, shoving his glasses up his nose once again. "What did you say your name was?"
"Sesshoumaru Takenawa."
That drew a gasp. "Oh, of course, Sir, I apologize for the earlier inconvenience. I-I-I'll find a place for them. If they are from Sengoku Jidaii, they should be worth—"
"We really are in a hurry. I care not about bargaining. Give us the amount you find suitable, and if you find they aren't worth that, you know how to reach me."
"O-Of course, S-sir."
Sesshoumaru chuckled as the man hurried away. The donations that his family had given, and continued to give, this museum, had, without a doubt, made his name well known to the staff. Not that he needed donations to make him recognizable.
"This is damn near aggravating." It was the first thing Inuyasha had said since he entered the museum. "If humans weren't so stupid and dishonorable, then Kagome wouldn't need a fucking ring."
Rei carefully hid his snicker. "Don't let Kagome hear you say that."
"Keh!"
"I can't believe you came to buy an engagement ring without knowing what size Kagome wears." Rei stared incredulously at the half demon, who looked anything but happy right now.
Inuyasha sent him a scathing glare. "How the hell was I supposed to know they came in sizes!"
"It's for her finger, Inuyasha! Of course they come in different sizes! Look at yours, and then think about how small Kagome's fingers are."
"Damnit! Wait…what are you doing looking at Kagome's fingers?"
"Oh, for God's sake…just figure out the damn size!"
"I don't know it!"
The woman behind the counter looked alarmed as she watched the exchange. "I—um…I'm sure we can figure out something," she hurried to say, trying to calm the two men before more of her costumers left.
Next to them, Sesshoumaru crossed his arms and leaned back against the counter, watching the exchange between his son and his brother with something akin to amusement.
Rei sighed and flipped his cell phone out of his pocket. "Want me to call Mother and have her ask Kagome?"
The instant look of panic that crossed Inuyasha's face was enough of an answer for him. He sighed again. "Guess that'd be a 'no'…"
The hanyou rubbed the back of his neck and stared at his nephew. "Kagome's not stupid. She'll know if I ask what size ring she wears…"
The saleswoman tried once again to be of assistance. "Well, do you know if her fingers are the same size as mine?"
Peering curiously over the counter, Inuyasha studied the woman's hand before scoffing. "Your fingers are too fat."
The woman's face exploded in an indignant flush; she glared back at him.
Pinning the lady—who wasn't exactly big as much as she was square—with his famous blasé stare, Sesshoumaru said, "Don't mind him. He can't help it. Turrets."
Inuyasha pointed a finger at Rei. "What the fuck did he just say?"
The Inu no Taisho used this to his advantage. "See?"
The woman nodded sympathetically. "My cousin, Steve—"
"—Bastard," Inuyasha growled, glaring at his brother.
Rei quickly interrupted his father's upcoming retort. "Why don't you go ahead and pick out the ring you want to get her."
"I—Oi!" Whatever Inuyasha was going to say was quickly forgotten when he glanced out the shop window. In an instant, he'd left the store.
"What…what just happened?" Rei stepped up to the window, peering through the glass with narrowed eyes.
Sesshoumaru, who'd yet to move a muscle from his position against the counter, finally deemed it fit to raise a single expectant eyebrow. "Well?"
"Hm…he's talking to a girl—a youkai." Several expressions fleeted across his features before he settled for a grimace. "He appears to be…dragging her back in here…"
"Pardon?" Sesshoumaru stood and was about to join his son when his brother returned with a struggling kitsune.
"I just need a quick favor," he insisted finally releasing the poor girl's wrist once they'd reached the counter. She didn't seem to notice the others in the room as she squared her shoulders and jabbed Inuyasha accusingly in the chest.
"I said I'd do it! You didn't have to pull me in here like some barbarian! 'Me Inuyasha'," she grunted in a caveman-like way, "'Me hate words. Use force. …Punch out mate's obstetrician.'"
He merely stared down at her. "Are you done?"
She took a moment to consider continuing her Inuyasha impression, but decided against it once she noticed she was in a very nice and shiny place. "Are we…in a jewelry store? What are we doing here?"
For the most part, the hanyou ignored her, once again grabbing her wrist and holding it up to squint at her hand.
"What are you doing?"
Inuyasha's eyes darted from her hand, to her face, and back to her hand. "Will you stop squirmin'? I'm trying to concentrate."
Her frustration was evident as she heaved a heavy sigh, finally stilling her hand. "I don't see how Kagome puts up with you," she admitted.
"It took several years of practice on the miko's part, I assure you."
Eri started; she hadn't realized there were other costumers in the shop. Prying her hand from Inuyasha's, she turned to face the man responsible for the impassive drawl. She took in his silver hair, golden eyes, and cold façade. "Oh," she murmured quietly, and then she realized who it was. "Oh! You're Sesshoumaru, aren't you?" She stared hard at him. "You are! You tried to kill Kagome!"
Behind her, Inuyasha snorted, ignoring the gasp of the forgotten saleswoman. "That's because he's a bastard, Eri. And bastards enjoy doing bastardish things. Like killing mikos," he ground out.
Sesshoumaru spared him a solitary glance. "Your range in vocabulary astounds me yet again, Inuyasha. And you, girl—that was a long time ago."
The kitsune suddenly noticed there was another man in the small store. A man with dark hair, but identical eyes was leaning casually against the window with an exasperated frown. "You!" she gasped.
Rei's eyebrows shot up when the youkai took a step toward him. "Me?"
Sending a fierce glower at Inuyasha, Eri muttered, "He doesn't smell mated."
Cheeks exploding in crimson, Rei frowned pointedly at her. "That's because I'm not."
"And I thought Shippou was a kitsune like me," she suddenly remembered, pinning Inuyasha with a steadily strengthening glare.
The woman behind the counter wasn't even paying attention at this point. She went to help another client before these strange people scared him off, too.
The hanyou's brow furrowed. "Ship—?" Eyes widening, a grinned claimed his face. "O-o-o-h! Eh, Shippou ain't here; this is Rei. But he can be as much of an ass when he wants to be."
She smiled smugly, casting another glance at the baffled inu youkai before asking, "All right…what was that favor you wanted?"
"I need to know what size ring you wear." Inuyasha folded his arms and stared at her expectantly.
Eri opened her mouth, but then closed it and stared at him strangely. "Eh…what?"
He rolled his eyes. "Your ring size—what is it?"
Snatching her hands to her chest, she glared at him suspiciously. "Why? You aren't still two-timing Kagome, are you? How could you! And I'm her friend! You-you-you insufferable ass!"
Rei started choking on his laughter, but Inuyasha looked a tad bit disgruntled.
"Oh, my G—It's not like that, stupid! I'm getting a ring for Kagome, and you have the same size fingers as she does! Gah…'cheat on her'" he grouched dourly, glaring at the now speechless woman before him. "Not hardly."
"Oh. Well, that's…kind of sweet, actually…"
Inuyasha just glared at her. "I swear every last one of you fucking kitsunes are crazy."
"I want her."
"But—"
Crimson eyes flashed dangerously as Naraku whirled on his incarnation. He glared down at her over his nose. "I did not ask for your opinion, Nazakaki," he seethed. "You have no say in this matter."
The woman bowed her head in respect. "I understand, Master. I will most certainly see to the miko's demise. But I can do it without the help of Kikyou!" she insisted in earnest.
Naraku's glower went unnoticed by the youkai, as she'd yet to lift her eyes.
"She failed last time she went to the miko Kagome. She deliberately disobeyed your orders—"
"I did not order her to kill Inuyasha's miko," he reminded her. "And I haven't yet. And you seem to have forgotten the mishap with Sesshoumaru and Kagura."
The woman paled—that had been a critical error in her part, believing that Sesshoumaru was dead. "I have not forgotten, Master. I will not make that mistake again, I assure you. The miko will die."
"Make sure that she does," he demanded coldly. "This is your last chance, Nazakaki. Mess this up, and your life is mine."
"What shall I do about Inuyasha? He is sure to be guarding his pregnant mate at all times."
Naraku laughed at her, his lip curling up in a cruel sneer. "Do not worry about that. Watch for the miko, leave Inuyasha be for now—the miko must come first. And…I want her shards. Do not forget them."
"I will not forget." Bowing her head, Nazakaki turned on her heel, intent on finding Kikyou and setting some ground rules.
"And Nazakaki…"
The dark youkai froze.
"I want their disgusting spawn, too. They will not build a family while I am alive."
A dark smile lifted the corners of her lips, and she left Naraku to his brooding. 'So darkness will be the end of the miko of light…'
She liked the sound of that.
Quotes of Randomness:
"Chancho, when you are a man, sometimes you wear stretchy pants in your room... It's for fun." --Nacho Libre
"Reserving judgement is a matter of infinite hope." --The Great Gatsby
