"You should eat." InuYasha was insistent about that -even though the izakaya they booked served food. And Kagome, playing a character that Sango had never met, insisted that she was simply too full from lunch.
Sango didn't think it was right to point out that she hadn't been 'too full' when she ate Sango's sandwich a few minutes ago. But whatever.
"I'm telling you-," he insisted, "things can get kind of wild and I'm sure that you don't want to be carried home."
Poor, innocent, dope. Nothing would give that girl more pleasure, but -again- Sango decided to mind her business.
"You're Sesshomaru's new assistant? The one I can hear screaming all the way from my office?"
The man at her side made her feel more like a rabbit than a woman and radiated pure, predatory energy. Fanged smiled. Slit pupils. Pointed ears. She took an inadvertent step backwards, accidentally running into Sesshomaru in her haste.
He was built the same way, she supposed, but lacked that overwhelming energy. Somehow, he felt like the safer option.
"I am."
She decided not to rip off the hand that urged her away from him. It wasn't like she wanted to be within spitting distance.
"How are you liking him? Is he treating you alright?"
That energy was more friendliness than anything, she realized. He was like a lab, energetic, friendly, slightly manic.
"He's a jackass," she sighed finally. To continue lying would be a crime and she simply wouldn't be caught dead committing it. "But we are slowly finding our way to mutual respect."
He chuckled, leading her to a seat near the head of the table. There were already two women seated nearby -one of which looked remarkably similar to the bane of her existence.
"My son has never been particularly kind. I'm just glad you've found a way to deal with him."
She decided to keep their little tussle between them and searched for her friend. That little jackass, however, was very busy tucking her hair behind her ear and dropping not-so-subtle hints.
"Wait until she finds out he's engaged." Sesshomaru was heavy handed in casual settings and she found her bones hadn't been able to stand against him shoving her downwards.
"Your brother is engaged?" She didn't know why that came as such a surprise.
His double leaned closer to join the whispering, "to a lovely woman named Kikyo. She's entirely out of his league -if I do say so myself."
"Thing is," a shot glass was placed before her and they all took a moment to swallow the burning liquid before he continued, "we're all pretty sure she's a lesbian."
"Pretty sure?" She shifted, trying not to let his proximity disturb her too much, "where are you getting this information?"
His doppelgänger sighed into her chaser at the same moment that Sesshomaru snickered. Her words, "we have no solid proof," died on her lips as she nearly leapt out of her seat. "My dearest son, if you've been holding out on me-."
Sango nearly screamed. Son. The woman at her side barely looked a day older than Sango herself. To claim that she'd birthed the man beside her was startling.
"You declined my invitation to have lunch last week. What else could I have done?"
"You could have called me you rotten bastard."
He had not yet vacated her presence and his cologne was becoming dizzying. More than once she considered saying something, but -steadily- she was losing her discomfort. "Shall I offer you my findings or will you continue to insult me?"
Sango's phone buzzed and she saw that Kagome had sent her something; are you alright? (Knife emoji).
Fine
Immediately, her hands buzzed again; he's so close… are you sure? I have a butter knife.
We're gossiping. No worries.
"May I continue or should I go and tell Higurashi myself that I'm not harming you?"
She pushed him back by his forehead, "no one said you could read over my shoulder."
"No one said I couldn't."
"You are the most infuriating human being-."
"Can we not be insulting?" He scoffed, "infuriating? Sure. Human? I wouldn't be caught dead."
Sango was tempted to ask Kagome for that butter knife, "how does anyone stand you?"
"There's a nice coat closet near the bathrooms if you both want to get it over with?" His mother was refilling shot glasses, looking as cool and collected as ever. "But if you don't intend to go and ...duke it out… by the bathrooms then finish the story."
He scowled at the both of them, choosing to swallow the offered liquid instead of cooperating immediately.
"Just so you know, I am only so near to you because humans have abysmal hearing and I won't risk being overheard for the sake of your 'personal space'."
His arm came around the back of her chair and his tie -unsurprisingly silk- brushed her face.
"Kagura went to see her last weekend. I couldn't tell you what the plan was originally, but they ended up staying in with wine." He fished out his own phone and began scrolling through walls of text.
Sango took the time to repay the favor, reading their exchanges as they went by.
"So is Kagura your girlfriend?"
He looked as if he'd been punched, "I would sooner stick my tongue in a blender than ever consider taking that harpy as a mate."
His mother added -after his monotone theatrics evened out, "they've been friends since they were young."
"'Friends' is a touch too generous." He grumbled, but then he was moving on, passing the phone to his mother so she could analyze the photos.
"I don't know." She passed the photos back, "Izayoi and I sit in a similar position often and it doesn't mean much."
The look on his face nearly killed Sango. His nose was scrunched and his eyebrow jumped with disbelief.
"Mother. Were you -or were you not- the very reason he saddled up with a human to begin with? I do recall you telling father that you'd fulfilled your duty in having me and you would not be touching him that way ever again."
"Her exact words were 'find a woman we can both enjoy'," his father added, "oh, and don't forget 'love me from afar, darling'."
His mother took the teasing in stride, "all I'm saying is that the positioning isn't all that intimate."
Sango took it upon herself to investigate. The two wer g. Legs interlocked, arms wrapped around one another, she didn't know which was which, but the woman with the dark eyes was nestled in the other girl's chest like a baby bird in a nest.
"I beg to differ," she flipped through the pictures cautiously, making certain to not go too far lest she stumble upon something sordid. "Kagome and I have been friends for twenty years and we have never been this close."
"Which is proof enough for me." Sesshomaru decided finally. He moved away from her, leaving the air around her cold and a little lonely.
They argued the point a bit longer before Sango found herself falling into easy conversation with his mother. She was reasonable and straight forward, good at keeping conversation moving and graceful.
Once upon a time she'd have had the same kinds of conversations with her own mother and she found herself helpless against the desire to know her.
It wasn't until the night had stretched on too long that they were joined by two more women.
They were proud and bold and
One leaned down to capture InuYasha's mouth in a kiss. Her movements were confident, almost mechanical -as if she was doing what she knew she should- and Sango couldn't help leaning into Sesshomaru to whisper, "doesn't look like a lesbian to me."
"Oh please, there's no way you're falling for that." He leaned on her as he whispered -almost into her hair.
"Please tell me you're not still in that 'Kikyo is a lesbian' kick? You can only be so jealous of your brother for finding love before it gets pathetic." She pressed her blood red lips to his temple and took the empty seat at his side.
"We analyzed those photos and our resident straight has spoken."
Sango waved, meek in the face of Her sudden attention. Her eyes matched her lips.
"Oh?" She leaned across Sesshomaru, completely at home in his presence, "then I probably shouldn't say anymore...at risk of damaging her reputation."
She had to have known that she had everyone's attention and she put her glass to her lips in a coy manner, smirking devilishly into the amber liquid as if she were ever so pained and the thought of gossiping.
"Out with it, child. I'm aging in anticipation." Kimi's urging was all she needed to fall over the edge, sighing heavily as if they'd truly forced her hand.
"First. I need a volunteer from the audience." She said solemnly, "a control factor, if you will."
"Use the human," Kimi said dismissively. She was blinded by the gossip