Disclaimer: See Author Profile.
Rating: R, for language and eventually for adult situations.
Summary: Kagome has just had about the worst week in her life. Throw in a dramatic rescue involving three very good-looking guys… and things just might start improving. [AU][Kag/Inu/Mir/Sess ??]
Inertia is defined as "Resistance or disinclination to motion, action, or change" (Webster's Dictionary).
Iron Lotus presents:
Inertia
*
Chapter Four:
Beautiful Tradition
*
Rin combed her fingers through her hair and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Atsue liked her hair loose, so she was making a point of wearing it down tonight. She had a feeling about tonight. There had been something in his voice when he had asked her out to dinner – nothing too pronounced, no, but it was there. She had a feeling about tonight.
It was funny how things had changed between them since that dinner party. How long had it been now? A week? Two? Either way. Since she had met his daughter – Kagome, was it? – things started to feel more… serious. More involved. And now…? Suffice to say that she had a feeling about tonight. Something extraordinary was going to happen, she just knew it.
Blinking, she glanced at her reflection once more, a pleased smile coming onto her face at the way she looked. She was wearing a little black dress which accentuated her curves, a delicate watch on one of her slim wrists, and a pair of black shoes with a discreet heel. It was elegant and suitable for a night like tonight. She was itching, just itching for him to pick her up. He was always punctual, and had told her he'd be at her door in – how long was it, now? Five minutes. Five excruciatingly slow minutes.
The second that the clock's second hand passed the '12', her doorbell rang. A small yip escaped her mouth as she stood, checked her reflection one last time, and ran out to meet her boyfriend.
She opened the door and was pleased to see him there. He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the forehead, grabbing her wrist with one hand. He led her wordlessly through the door, letting it close behind them without bothering to lock it. The apartments in this building were guarded securely on the ground floor and there were no security problems. She could leave her apartment unlocked for weeks without fear of a robbery.
Atsue didn't say a word as he pulled her into the elevator, pushing the button for the lobby with one hand and pulling her into his arms with the other. He held her against him the entire way down, tenderly rubbing her arms with his large, soft hands.
It was only when they got into his car that he spoke. "How are you tonight?"
"Happy," she replied simply, gracing him with a dazzling smile of hers.
The place that he took her to was a small, quaint restaurant, with no more than twelve tables and only a few waiters. Atsue knew them all by name. He had been coming to this place for the past seven years, whenever it was time to celebrate a special occasion. One of the waiters, a tall, sturdy-looking gentleman, seated them upon their arrival.
They dined, their conversations as they ate idle and unimportant. Rin's stomach was twisted up in knots that wound tighter as the night went on. He was acting as though nothing was going on, but she was feeling it differently. He was hiding something from her, and the thought struck her suddenly that maybe the something she suspected was going to happen tonight wasn't the something she thought it would be.
She ordered a slice of thick chocolate cake for desert, hoping the creamy, dark chocolate would help ease her anxiousness. Atsue merely asked for a coffee, and watched as Rin took a delicate bite out of her slice.
Rin really did look beautiful with her hair down. He watched as it bounced slightly, swishing around her when she turned her head to glance out the window. It was everything about this girl that drove him crazy. After the dinner party, Kagome had asked him what on earth he had been thinking, dating a girl her age. He hadn't really an answer that would satisfy her, so he asked her simply in reply if age was really an issue. He loved her, and that was all that mattered – legalities aside. She had looked at him for a long moment before a small smile spread over her face, recalling the moment when they had met at that inconspicuous little café by her high school.
"Is the great Seitaka Atsuo falling for schoolgirls now? That'll be your downfall, you know."
But there was no way about it. Looking at her, the way her mouth and jaw moved as she chewed, how her eyes lingered closed for an imperceptibly small amount of time every time that she blinked… it was everything about this girl that drove him crazy.
He loved her, and that was really all that mattered.
"Rin," he started, taking a small sip of his dark, steaming coffee.
She looked up at him and her eyes widened. There was something in his face – a sort of serenity that for reasons unbeknownst to her seemed alarming. It was a look of acceptance, of calm, of resolve. As though he had resigned himself to his fate. 'Oh my God,' she thought, her breath catching in her throat. 'It's over.'
"It really can't be helped," Atsue said. He reached across the table and took one of her hands into his own, intently studying her knuckles. Wordlessly, he slid something cold and metallic onto her left ring finger.
It was golden, and beautiful. There was a simple square-cut diamond set into the gold band that was a thin wave around her finger. Rin found herself unable to breath.
"Marry me?"
***
Miroku set down his cup of coffee and looked across the table at her. He had asked to meet her, yes… but why on earth had he gone and done that? She looked at him intensely, waiting for him to answer her question. Why had he asked her here? He knew that it would subject them both to an uncomfortable atmosphere, awkward questions, and inevitably resentment and friction.
Sighing, his eyes went back to the dark coffee swirling with the thick cream inside of his mug. It was a new one – he had bought it on his own, in a small used book store near his old apartment. It was a color somewhere between blue and purple and black. He had laughed when he saw it – it fit him perfectly at the moment. Purplish black for his bruised pride and bruised heart.
"Inuyasha's," he replied at last.
Sango's eyes went down to her own mug – the one that Takeda had given her. "Are you sure you'll be alright there? I mean… it's far from where you work…"
He nodded and brought the mug to his lips. The coffee poured into his mouth, hot and delicious, running down his throat as he swallowed. "I'll be alright. Your apartment wasn't really that much closer. When are you moving back in?"
"Tomorrow," she stated simply.
There was an awkward silence as they both stared into their respective mugs. After a moment, Miroku couldn't take the tenseness of the air between them and opened his mouth to speak. "How's he doing?" he asked before he could think. Stupid. Made it worse.
"Inuyasha?" Sango asked absently, before she realized who Miroku had been referring to. "Well. I haven't seen him yet. We talked on the phone once, briefly. We're going out to dinner tomorrow night," she said hopefully.
"Okay, stop it," he set his mug down on the table and looked at her coldly. "I appreciate that you're trying for the 'let's be friends' angle, but I don't need to hear about that, and I certainly don't want to hear about it."
"What are you talking about? You're the one who asked," she replied acidly, her eyes narrowing. "You're the one who asked me here."
He gripped the sides of his chair underneath the table and his eyes narrowed as well. "You know perfectly well why."
"Oh, do I?" she practically spat at him.
Grabbing a key from his pocket, he tossed it across the table at her, noticing with a twisted pleasure the surprised and somewhat disappointed look that crossed her face. "Have your fucking key back," he said, and stood. Her eyes had widened unimaginably now. Had he ever cursed in front of her like that before? Only Inuyasha had heard such obscenities leave Miroku's mouth before, and that was only when he had been in the throes of a drunken fit.
He grabbed his mug and left her behind, sitting still and very pale in the booth they had shared only seconds ago. He had been stupid, he would admit. He just wanted to return her key to her, but somehow he had invited her in for coffee. Could he help it? They had been together for so long he couldn't just stop loving her on command.
He knew that they had been too involved with each other for them to salvage anything after their breakup. They would never be able to remain friends – while it was a pretty dream, the reality was harsh. Friendship between them was not a possibility simply because they had been so close.
Hell, given a few months and some hard liquor, he would have proposed.
But alas, it was not so.
He sighed and took another small sip of his coffee. He really had messed up, today. He had antagonized her to no end. There was no fixing it now. The already fucked up situation was broken beyond repair.
Maybe he should call Yura? Getting laid might take his mind off of things. The feel of a woman's body moving under his… oh yes, it would be enough to take his mind off of things. Temporarily.
He groaned and altered his course to head toward the park. He didn't even like Yura – in all actuality, he couldn't stand her. He hated the way that she obsessed over her hair, and he hated the skimpy clothes that she wore, completely devoid of class. Skimpy was fine once in a while, but every day? That was one of the things that he had liked about Sango. She had been refreshingly un-superficial, dressing tastefully and not marketing her body as though it was a product for sale.
Miroku approached a bench and sat down, setting his mug down by his side. He closed his eyes and focused. Meditation was an activity that he indulged in occasionally – he found that it helped calm his anger and deal with his sometimes turbulent emotions. He exhaled slowly, through his mouth and relaxed his shoulders.
His heart-rate dropped as he let himself fall into the recesses of his mind. Deep, even breathing was the key.
"Miroku-san?" At the sound of her voice, his heart doubled in speed and his eyes snapped open. Yes – there she stood, leaning over him her breath heating his face, and her delectable lips just mere inches from his own, ripe for the taking.
"Kagome-san," he said, pulling away. She did so as well and seated herself on the bench by his side. "How are you?" She was looking very pretty in her day-clothes: a pair of plain back sandals, a short dark denim skirt, and a summery-looking dark salmon-colored blouse.
She smiled in response and looked ahead of her wistfully. "I'm alright. Taking my mind off of my troubles by immersing myself in my friends'… you know how it is." He gave her an inquisitive look and she continued. "My friend Sango broke up with her long-time boyfriend a little while ago. She's the one I used to share an apartment with," she said, adding the last part as an afterthought.
She didn't know? If Kagome in fact did not know that he was the ex-boyfriend that she was speaking of, then…
"Hey, Miroku-san? Why don't you come to my place for dinner tonight? My father and I take turns cooking and it's my night, so…"
Things are looking up, he thought, smiling. "It's Friday today, right?" She nodded. "Well, how about we make a deal, you and I?" His eyes lit up with a shine to them that, had she known him better, would have been a great deal disturbing. "I just moved in with some friends of mine and I don't really want to cook dinner – Friday is my night – and since you're offering to cook, why don't you, you know, come to my place and make dinner?"
They both laughed, and he apologized, saying he was joking. Kagome couldn't help it, though. "If you really don't want to, I guess I could go over there and make dinner for you guys."
Miroku's eyes grew as big as saucers. "Ah! Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru will be *thrilled*!!" He paused. "Did I forget to mention I moved in with them?"
She laughed. "It's fine. I haven't seen Inuyasha in a while."
***
Inuyasha tried not to yell at the old geezer for his embarrassing behavior. It hadn't been enough that he had practically begged for both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru to go to the airport to pick him up, but when they got there, he had launched himself at them and hugged them as indiscreetly as possible, proclaiming loudly so that everyone could hear how he loved his sons for being so good as to go and pick him up after so long and unbearable an absence.
As if.
Sesshoumaru had not been so reserved. He had smacked the old man on the back of the head and silenced any complaint with a glare that could have frozen the sun. They had made it to the car without further incident. The car – one of Miroku's – was parked in a nice, shady handicapped-parking spot close to the exit out of baggage claim. Inuyasha knew that Miroku wouldn't be pleased that he had borrowed his car without permission, yet again, but hey. Inuyasha didn't make the rules.
"Isn't this Miroku's car, Inuyasha?" Sessue asked, seating himself in the passenger seat and buckling his seatbelt.
"Yeah. Don't worry about it though, Dad. It's one of the perks of having him move in. … The only perk." Inuyasha pulled out of the parking space.
"He moved in?" Sessue asked, not waiting for an answer before launching his next question. "What about that girlfriend of his – Sango-chan? He just moved in with her, didn't he?"
"Aa…" Inuyasha responded. "They had some issues, apparently, so he moved out of there a few weeks ago and moved in with us." Sessue remained silent for a while after that, processing the new information. Inuyasha waited a moment before asking, "How is that crazy old man doing?"
"Toutousai?" Sessue barked a laugh. "He's alright. Nothing's changed with that old geezer, he's eccentric as always. I'm very pleased with him," he said, the last part sounding oddly thoughtful. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru both quirked eyebrows at him and Sessue said vaguely, "He's working on something for me. Gifts for you two when your old man dies away."
Sesshoumaru found it hard to hold back a snort. "Why did you not request that your driver come and pick you up, father? I have better things I could have been doing with my time."
Sessue turned so that his could see his oldest son. "We're eating dinner tonight as a family, Sesshoumaru. We haven't gone to Fiero's in a while – how does that sound?"
Had it been anyone else, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha would have fought tooth and nail to get out of dinner that night. But alas – it wasn't just anyone, it was their father. And Sessue, though he seemed easy-going and aloof, was a bastard when it came to getting his way. Once the decision was made, there was nothing anyone could do about it. Both of his children had learned that the hard way and were resigned to accepting his decisions, however bitterly they detested the idea.
Inuyasha coughed and glanced at his brother. "Um, Dad. How about we just eat at home? I really should get the car back to Miroku… since I borrowed it without asking and all." Sessue looked at his youngest and saw him glance back at Sesshoumaru before covertly mouthing, "Rin."
Oh, he thought. So that's how it is. Atsue and Rin were eating dinner at Fiero's. If Sesshoumaru saw them together, he was likely to go ballistic. That was one thing that neither Inuyasha nor Sessue understood – Sesshoumaru's relationship with Rin. There had been a period of time when the two wouldn't so much as look at each other, but now Sesshoumaru was like a fiercely overprotective father to the girl, disapproving of anyone and everyone that she brought him, most likely due to the subconscious fear that whoever that someone was would wrench her away from him.
Sesshoumaru, however, was entirely unaware of the covert exchange between his father and half-brother, being busy contemplating how on earth he was going to get out of this family dinner thing. He was not keen on spending any 'quality time' with either of his relations, and spent as little time with them as he could get away with. His only possible salvation was the hope that Miroku would be home. Sessue liked Miroku to a degree that he considered the boy something akin to a son. Heaven knew that those two had for more in common than Sessue and Sesshoumaru did. If Miroku was around, the obnoxious idiot would fill in well for Sesshoumaru's absence.
It was, after all, Miroku's turn to cook dinner tonight.
Blast. Knowing that idiot, he would find some way to weasel out of one his only chores about the apartment, leaving Sesshoumaru no hope at all in escaping the 'quality time' his father so desperately wanted to inflict upon him. If this was the case, Sesshoumaru would throttle Miroku's scrawny ass to teach him a lesson about responsibility. Especially when ditching said responsibility would leave Sesshoumaru to a night of torture that could easily have been evaded otherwise.
He was screwed though. The rat would find some way out of it. Blast.
***
The ring-tone of her cel interrupted the calm silence of her room. Sango had rearranged everything, in hopes of altering the feel of the apartment. Once Miroku had left the café that afternoon, she had been possessed by an all consuming irrational anger that had compelled her to try and wipe everything clean from memories of him.
"Have your fucking key back."
She had never, ever heard him speak like that. There had been a bitter, incensed flavor to the words, and it had shocked her. The way he had spat the words at her, as though she wasn't worth a second thought – had she ever heard him curse like that before? Miroku was not one for vulgarities in language; he was always keeping peace with others and himself, and he found that words of that nature did nothing for the keeping of the piece.
Oh wait, she thought. He frequently referred to Inuyasha as "you prick" or "you ass"… oh. And when Miroku was drunk, or even tipsy, he could curse like a sailor.
But he had been entirely lucid in that café – sober – and she doubted that he had mistaken her for Inuyasha. "Have your fucking key back". So much spite in so few words. And the sting of it was more than she would ever have expected from the serene man she had dated for so long.
The ring-tone ran on incessantly and she was no longer able to ignore the annoying bleeps. Grabbing the phone from where it lay beside her on her bed, she answered it. "Hello," she demanded, unable to keep the agitation from her voice.
"Sango-san? Ahh… I'm sorry if it's a bad time… I'll call again later."
"Takeda-kun?" She cried, before he could hang up. "It's not a bad time. How are you?"
"I'm alright," he responded, chuckling a little nervously. His voice was deep and smooth, she noted, but…
It was most likely because she had just had a falling-out with Miroku that she wasn't so delighted at it being Takeda that she was on the phone with. She had broken up with Miroku because of Takeda, but she didn't love him in the least. To her, he looked like an ordinary man – the average Joe – plain and unoriginal and only moderately intelligent. She didn't know him well enough to know if she liked his character – she really didn't know him all. And yet, she broke up with Miroku, her long-time boyfriend, because of him.
"You have to what?" she asked, her heart clenching for a moment.
"I can't make it to dinner tonight – my sister is having her baby. I'm heading there in a moment. To the hospital." He paused, listening for a reaction. The other end of the line was deathly quiet, so he kept on talking. "So, since this was sprung up so suddenly, I was wondering if I could take you to lunch instead of dinner, today."
Sango's heart resumed beating and the anger that had been building up inside of her dissipated. "Wait, what?"
"Would you like you like to come for lunch? I'd have to pick you up now, though…"
A small, pleasantly surprised smile shone brightly on her face and she voiced her assent. She certainly had not expected for him to up and do something spontaneous – it didn't fit with the homey, bland image of him that she had created for herself. When they hung up she hurried about her apartment and threw on a decent outfit and grabbed her purse. True to his word, Kuranosuke was prompt in arriving to pick her up for lunch.
The restaurant that he took her to was one that was relatively close to where she lived. It was a family-owned business, and Sango realized within seconds that it was the little restaurant that belonged to Hojo's parents. They were seated quickly, and served promptly after they made their order. Sango was hungry – she was so busy eating that she didn't take the time to speak, and the air was filled with a contented silence.
At one point during the meal, Sango looked up to study her companion. When she did allow her gaze to drift up to look at him, her eyes became locked with his. Her cheeks reddened when she realized that his intense eyes were staring straight into hers. She averted her eyes, a little shame-faced for having been caught staring. After a moment, she realized that his gaze lingered intently on her. "Ano… is there something on my face?"
He blushed and looked away. "It's just… when you chew… it's cute."
Sango felt a little surge of happiness course through her. She smiled, and continued eating. Silence settled between them again until she had finished her meal. As she was watching him finish the remnants of his, she murmured, "I broke up with my boyfriend."
Kuranosuke looked up at her, his eyes wide. He had expected a great deal of wooing would have been in order before that would come about. Hadn't she just moved in with her boyfriend? She said that they were very serious, but… without having gone out with Kuranosuke once, she had chosen to break up with her boyfriend? He blinked a little stupidly. "Why?"
Sango looked thoughtful for a moment. "I don't know. You."
***
Miroku realized in the car that Kagome had worked just as well as meditation would have, in keeping his mind off of things. Kagome fiddled with the radio, changing the presets, wondering aloud who had chosen such terrible stations, and he half-listened with an amused ear to her cheerful banter.
He was busy, with the other half of his mind, remembering every detail of that night. How her hair had splayed out about her, how he had had her in his lap the entire ride…. The way her creamy, sweet skin had been illuminated by the dim light in the parking lot, how her chest rose and fell as she breathed, how her lips had been slightly parted in sleep.
In that precise moment, there had been no woman in the world more beautiful than she. A goddess in the night.
"What would you like for dinner?"
"Oh, I don't know," he started, hearing himself speak. "Anything is good. I mean, judging from those omelets, you're a pretty good cook." He smiled, she laughed. The air between them was comfortable; they felt that they had known each other forever, even though it was only the third time that they had spoken.
"Sesshoumaru mentioned that you applied for a job at his company," Miroku started, glancing at her briefly before turning his attention back to the road. "Two, actually."
"Yeah," she laughed a little bitterly. "And I didn't get either one." She paused, thinking back to the time she had spent in his living room a few days prior. "He wasn't so bad about it though."
"Are you involved with anyone, Sesshoumaru?"
"Yes."
"Figured," she replied, just as blandly, not looking fazed in the least.
Sesshoumaru looked at her for a long moment afterwards, and then stood, setting his coffee down. He reached down, grabbed her mug and set down on the table beside his before tugging her to her feet. She had been confused, but he had pulled her from the room, his hand releasing its grip on her wrist and sliding down to her hand so that he held it within his own. Their fingers intertwined – subconsciously perhaps – as he led her down the hall to what she assumed was his room.
He shut the door behind them, releasing her hand as he moved across the room and headed toward his desk. From there, he shuffled through some of his papers and pulled out a small, rectangular card. "Here," he said, handing it to her. "In case you need anything."
He called a cab and showed her to the door. She never even got to finish her coffee.
"… not really that bad," she heard Miroku saying as she zoned back into reality.
"I'm sorry?"
He glanced at her again as he signaled to turn. "Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha both seem to have some sort of social disorder, if you think about it, but they're not really that bad. It stems from their childhood, I guess… but that's not something I should be talking about. If you really want to know, ask Inuyasha. He's the more likely of the two of them to say something."
She leaned back in her seat and let her thoughts stray to the two Youtoru brothers. Before she could really get lost in her thoughts, however, Miroku pulled into a parking space in the underground parking to the apartment.
***
Kagura's cheek stung like nothing else. She glared up at his cold, dark eyes in defiance and he repeated the motion, slapping her with force and contempt, sending her flying backwards and tumbling into the wall. There was nothing as cruel and beautiful as he; hateful to his core with the countenance of a gentle, ordinary man. It was rare that his face betrayed its calm mask to give way to a demon's face, contorted with rage and dangerous intent, as it was now.
"You stupid bitch," he spat, raising his hand as if to strike her again but thinking better of it and pulling back. "Get up."
Kagura stood shakily, her knees trembling slightly and her face on fire from the impact of his hand.
He looked at her coldly, his mind running through thousands of possible scenarios he could pick and chose from. He settled on basic intimidation and graced her with a small, wicked smile before speaking. "I use women because they are so much easier to manipulate… more loyal," he said, hissing the word right into her face before moving out just a little more. "But you… you disappoint me. So much so that I think I just might kill you."
Fear seized her heart and it stalled for a brief moment before she pushed herself away from him. Kagura ran from the room, ignoring his mocking call for her to come back. I think I just might kill you. The bored way in which he had said it might have sounded like an idle threat to anyone else. It might have sounded like a bad joke, like he wasn't serious. But to anyone that knew him, it was apparent that he wasn't joking. He was never joking.
She was surprised that he hadn't ripped her heart out right then and there, while standing over her like a predator standing over fallen prey. It was a good enough comparison, she thought. Like a predator, he was just waiting to go in for the kill, for her body to spasm in its last, primal attempts at self-preservation, blood oozing in thick currents down her throat and out of her mouth. Waiting for the last signs of resistance to fade so that he could be rid of that disappointing, disloyal woman that was under his command. Why continue to deal with a constant thorn in his side when there were others that would willingly pledge their lives to him and take over the vacancy that her death would provide?
Kagura knew why he did it, of course. He enjoyed the resistance she put up against him. He enjoyed watching her squirm. He enjoyed watching her writhe beneath him as he pleasured her, enjoyed hearing her pant out every hateful word, every possible insult she think of to keep from moaning out his name and surrendering to him. It was fun to torment her, fun to threaten her, fun to punish her when she was bad.
Even when following his demands, even when obeying his word, she defied him. Openly, secretly, awake and in dreams, she was always defying him, betraying him. And secretly, when she was alone for nobody else to hear, she praised all the gods in heaven for not letting him get it in his mind to try and break her. And she thanked the gods in heaven for not letting him try and kill her.
And he had just said he would. Calmly, passionlessly, as though he was talking about the weather, he had threatened her very existence.
He would end everything. She didn't know how, she didn't know when, but she knew he would. He would snuff out the candle of her life. She would die, and there was no way she could prevent it.
Unless…
Kagura kept running. She wasn't running away from him anymore, however, but running to reach a certain, definite destination which could – if things went well – aid her in her quest for self-preservation.
***
Sesshoumaru unlocked the door to the apartment and opened it, his eyes immediately assaulted with the face of a grinning lecher. I'm saved, Sesshoumaru thought, pointedly ignoring Miroku as the small group moved inside.
Miroku noticed a look of relief on Sesshoumaru's face, albeit it was only there for a split second, and immediately knew what was up. He and Sesshoumaru weren't particularly fond of each other, but there was a sense of wary mutual respect between them. Seeing the guest among them, Miroku brightened and pulled Sessue into a hug. "Sessue! How was your trip?"
Sessue laughed and waved off the question, and the small group migrated into the apartment, heading toward the living room.
"Something smells good," Inuyasha noted, sniffing in the scent.
"That would be dinner," Miroku replied, "I invited the young miss Kagome-san to come and she graciously offered to prepare the meal. Should I go tell her that Sessue is eating with us?" Miroku asked, looking pointedly at Sesshoumaru to indicate that it was his chance for escape.
Sesshoumaru, however, needed no such prompting. "That will not be necessary," he informed the group before excusing himself. "I will convey the message." When nobody argued, he left.
Kagome was standing over the stove, her face slightly flushed from the heat, sautéing some onions. He watched her silently for a moment before moving into the kitchen and heading toward the fridge to get a glass of water. She turned around when she heard footsteps. "Miro- ah. Hello, Sesshoumaru."
He opened a cabinet and selected a glass before responding. "My father will be joining us for dinner tonight as well. He and the others will be by shortly to greet you." With that, he topped off his glass and left for his room.
Kagome turned to survey her progress. There should be enough for five, she thought to herself before resuming her previous activities.
Miroku, Inuyasha, and his father wandered in the direction of the kitchen when it became apparent that Sesshoumaru would not be coming back to join them. The aroma of the night's meal was thick in the air, spicy and delicious, making their mouths water. Inuyasha couldn't help the smile that popped on his face when he saw her.
She was stirring something over the stove in a classy, discreet outfit with heels – reminding him greatly of the women in the 60's who would clean and vacuum their houses in pumps. Her hair lay loose against her back, pulled into a ponytail at the nape of her neck with a yellow rubber band that Miroku had scrounged up for her serving as a scrunchie.
Sessue sighed. She was like something our of a dream… It figured that this gorgeous creature was one of Miroku's friends, and not one of his sons'. It was a shame, really… they really were hopeless.
The pretty thing that they were watching turned and paused in her motions when she saw them standing there. She smiled in greeting before motioning for them to join her in the kitchen. Stepping away from the stove, she launched herself at Inuyasha, giving him a quite unexpected hug.
"Inuyasha," she said in greeting, before backing away and looking at him with the same intense, thoughtful gaze she had given him the morning after he had rescued her at the club. "Long time no see."
He blushed a little embarrassedly and murmured something along the lines of 'Yeah'.
Miroku stepped in and diverted attention from the flustered Inuyasha to introduce Sessue. "Kagome-san, this is Youtoru Sessue, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's father."
"Pleased to meet you," Kagome murmured politely. Sessue took her hand in his and brushed his lips gently against her knuckles.
"The pleasure is all mine," he replied and Inuyasha smacked him on the back of the head to keep him from continuing. Sessue was as big a pervert as Miroku was, and there was no need for Kagome to see that, lest she think worse of his children. "How did that dirty lecher con you into cooking him dinner?" Sessue asked instead, watching as she returned the preparing of the meal.
"Who's a dirty lecher?" drawled a voice from behind him, which Sessue immediately recognized as Sesshoumaru's. "I believe you were the one to impress your dirty, lecherous habits onto him." There was tension in the air for a brief moment before Kagome chuckled and asked that they set the table because she was done with the heavenly smelling food.
And so began a beautiful tradition. Friday nights were Kagome's night to cook, and Miroku's turn replaced take-out Sundays. The meal was always good and the conversation was always lively, though it seemed that some people did by far more talking than others.
Kagome stayed at the apartment until very late that night. It was perhaps around one when her phone rang. Startled, Kagome had checked her watch, and wondered aloud, "Who would be calling this late?" She looked at the display on her phone but didn't recognize the number. "Hello?"
The group watched as a look of horror swept over Kagome's face. "H- Hojo…?"
***
In Chapter Five: Don't laugh, onee-chan … "What the hell are you doing here? Get out! Get OUT!" … Her head tossed backwards and she laughed a cold, bitter laugh … Atsue didn't like the man one bit, but if Honoe loved him, what could he say? … It wasn't as though he hated Inuyasha …
AN 5964 words!!! Sorry for the long wait – had a blast when my bro came back, and didn't really do anything productive at all!! Then I had midterms… gah. I wrote a little one-shot (which I may expand… eventually) to commemorate the New Year. Please read it!! It feels lonely, being unsure if people have read it.
As my dear friend Katie pointed out, Sesshoumaru is a tad OOC… okay, maybe a tad more than a tad. This will be covered in the following chapter, where we will discover more about Inuyasha and his relationship as brothers. (Cue Silver_Cerberus for wild applause… here.)
Instead of arguing that because this is an AU, the OOCness doesn't really count and that it's my prerogative anyway, I have a more legit reason. Because this is an AU, I have taken some license in altering their past as a family. Because circumstances as they grew up in my story differ slightly from those in the series, their characters are altered slightly. I wanted to stay true to both the personalities that were provided in the series – because if they were too OOC, they would be the same characters in name and face only – and also to the past that I have written for them. Does that make sense? Whatever.
Love and Kisses to
Miserymistmenthe: Yeah, he is pretty creepy, isn't he? When I saw him in the anime, I was pretty freaked out as well. I'll think about the San/Mir coupling for the future… it all really depends. I'm with ya on the S/K though – one of my favorite couplings!
Deka Dieche: Ooooh, you flatter me! Thank you so much for taking the time to reviewwwww, I really appreciate it. Heehee, I hope this chapter doesn't let you down!
Bubbles: Why, hello, puppet! I'm guessing by your inconspicuous wink-nudging, you slightly favor the M/K, eh? Just teasing, just teasing! I know you're an avid… er… Inuyasha-family/Kagome fan. Mehehhee… see ya in C or F, baby.
Hikari no Sekai: I'm happy that you enjoyed it. Look forward to chapter 5!
Dark Fire Phoenix: It is pretty screwed, isn't it? But don't worry… things get better. Please read and look forward to the next chapter!
Silver_Cerberus: Thank you! As to the Inuyasha/Sesshoumaru conflict, there will be some of that, as well as a little explanation as to why it isn't so pronounced as people are used to seeing…
Bottom of a Bottle: I'm glad you like it! Please read this chapter and enjoy it as well. It would be interesting if she got all three of them, though, ne? Imagine… Inuyasha gets her Mondays and Thursdays, Miroku Tuesdays and Fridays, and Sesshoumaru Wednesdays and Saturdays… Sunday being the day of rest. Lol. Interesting fix.
Small Fry: I was wondering if anyone might catch on to that. She doesn't know that Miroku is Sango's boyfriend – leaving much space for oodles of romantic conflict (teehee).
Fayrie: Thanks so much for reading my storrrrryyyy! As for the lemon… I'm not so sure. Maybe I'll write a side-story with some lemon in it, but so far I don't think there will be one.
Amyfushigiyugi: Cookies from Sesshie? No way!!! SEND HIM OVER RIGHT NOW!!! ^_^