A/N: Yeah, I know it's July. It's not even near Christmas (in either direction). But, I still like this story. It's not angsty like my other ones…. Think of it as spreading holiday cheer all year! --cheesy grin-- (--gag-- lame…)
And you'll read this and go "Why did you use Kaede?" And all I say to that is that "I wanted to. So nyah!" --sticks out tongue-- (That's the Gackt UK "nyah", just so you know. )
And beware other weird character roles. I might stick someone unexpected in an adult role, since there aren't that many people to qualify as aunt/uncles.
Also, I'm trying my best to keep everyone IC, but in order to make the story move smoother and stay more humor-oriented, a lot of the smaller characters will have their quirks exaggerated. (You'll see what I'm talking about.) So, if you see a character you like showing up as a family member, don't be disappointed if their character isn't fleshed out. Do you know how insane that would be? Oo………
And, please Sesshoumaru, stay IC! Please! (Hard to make him "nice" (to Rin) and IC at the same time…)
Another Note: If someone hasn't figured it out yet, Asako is supposed to be Kagome's mother from the series. So when I mention Izayoi, she isn't Inu's Mom. Don't want to confuse people…
Chapter Four: When Family Comes on High…
December 20
When Sesshoumaru finally gathered enough bearings to go out in the front foyer—and his cousin had left the damn window, smug and all—he walked out into a proverbial sea of humanity. The front door was open and he could hear his father's voice, along with the cold wind outside. Yet, gathered around the door were the children, all seemingly excited at whatever was happening.
Although he highly doubted they even knew what it was.
Kagome was having quite a time trying to keep them from running out the door, and Inu-Yasha and Miroku didn't seem to be helping any. Inu-Yasha was too busy laughing and Mirkou was holding on to Souta, who looked as if he wanted to bolt. 'Jii-san didn't look any better, being as pale as a sheet. Miroku had a hand on him too.
"Catch him!" Kagome cried, exasperated, as soon as Sesshoumaru exited the study. She indicated the same dark-haired boy from the morning with her elbow, who was making a beeline for the front step. She had her hands busy with the other kids. "Help me here, someone!"
Already extremely agitated from the events in the office, Sesshoumaru merely spun around and snagged the child by the arm, dragging him bodily across the floor to land on his rear at Kagome's feet.
"There." Giving the boy a deadly glare just for good measure, he added to Kagome, " You should have just kept them in the other room."
"I wanna see you try holding down so many excitable kids!" she growled at him, reaching around to snag a girl by her shoddy overalls.
He was going to comment on that, telling her that it was her idea, her responsibility, and therefore her damn problem, but he never got the chance.
"Inutaisho! Do you have to live where it's so cold?" A familiar voice asked outside with a patented commanding tone.
Sesshoumaru flinched. He knew that voice—regretfully.
"Mother, you know this is where I work," Inutaisho replied, graciously.
"I still don't like it."
There was a whimper behind Sesshoumaru and he didn't look to see who it was. Instead, he turned slowly where he stood in the middle of the foyer, bracing himself for his inevitable fate.
Which came sooner than he was ready for. All of a sudden a familiar, small, stooped figure came trudging into the house, dusting snowflakes off her gray hair. A young woman with long black hair followed, lugging two suitcases over the doorframe with an unpleasant scowl on her pretty face.
"Grandma, did you really have to pack so much," she complained, her voice derisive and caustic, just as Sesshoumaru remembered it to be.
"I'll have no whining out of you, Kagura," the matriarch of the Hakamatsu family replied, off-handedly, as she took off her scarf. Her eyes moved away from her granddaughter to sweep the room, coming to stop on Sesshoumaru immediately.
Forcing himself to form some sort of a quasi-smile on his lips, Sesshoumaru inclined his head slightly. "Grandmother Kaede."
"Well, if it isn't the eldest," the stout woman remarked, coming up to stand before him, leaving wet tracks on the newly scrubbed floor. She raised a hand and poked him forcefully in the chest. Sesshoumaru blinked in surprise, leaning back, away from the abusive finger. "And the most successful, I see," Kaede said, at last. "Nicely clothed, looking just as young as I last saw you, " she snagged the front of his shirt and pulled him down to her level, taking his chin in her wrinkled hand. He did his best not to flinch away. "The hair's still too long, and you need to sleep more, but all in all, rather well done."
Sesshoumaru blinked, taken aback. No matter how many times the old woman did this to him, it always managed to amaze him. And, surprisingly—or maybe not—there wasn't a single snicker behind him, not even from the children. Everyone knew, or had at least learned, better than to laugh when in Grandmother Kaede's presence, unless she made the joke or laughed herself.
"Err…thank you, Grandmother," Sesshoumaru responded, awkwardly, trying to disentangle himself from her grip.
She patted his cheek with her free hand. "Certainly. And you should eat more," she added, finally releasing him. "You're far too skinny. Muscles mean nothing when you're still thin as a twig."
"I'll remember that…"
"Grandma!" A male voice shouted outside. "Why do we have so many gifts?" A dark-haired man appeared in the doorway with a brimming pack that almost resembled Santa's slung on his back. He tossed his long hair out of his face, tiny snowflakes fluttering to the ground. He was followed by a small white form that Sesshoumaru recognized as his youngest cousin, Kanna. And after her came Inutaisho, carrying two other suitcases, and Asako, who was rubbing her hands up and down her arms to warm up.
The bag-toting man's reddish-brown eyes met Sesshoumaru's and he grinned, smugly. "Hey ya, Sess. Did I scare you?"
"Naraku," Sesshoumaru greeted, trying his best to stay cordial. What came out was a kind of strangled growl and he frowned.
And then someone slapped his arm. Surprised, he looked down to see his grandmother scowl at him. "Don't do that," she commanded. "It makes you look like a crotchety old man."
That seemed to be the last straw. The unmistakable sound of Inu-Yasha's snort sounded behind him, and Kaede's head whipped around.
"What's so funny, boy?"
Sesshoumaru turned just in time to see his half-brother jump. "N—Nothin', Grandma."
"I thought so." Leaving Sesshoumaru's side and approaching Inu-Yasha, who blanched, she added. "Now that I have your attention, let's give you a look-over."
"Do you know how much of a pain in the ass it is to drive with her?" Naraku's voice asked, behind him. Sesshoumaru turned around only to have a bag tossed at his feet. "Nag, nag, nag," his cousin grumbled under his breath, before tightening his scarf. "And now I must go move the car. If you'll excuse me."
As Naraku disappeared back into the snow, Inutaisho finally got the idea to round up the herd. Sesshoumaru stepped to the side as his father moved towards the center of the room. He cleared his throat, interrupting his mother's Inu-Yasha interrogation, as well as the renewed chatter of the children, who didn't seem so afraid anymore. "Why don't we all go into the living room? Mother, I'll help you take off those boots…"
Sesshoumaru watched the gaggle of children scamper away after Kagome and the fleeing 'Jii-san. Souta was quick to follow, nearly dragging Miroku after him. Then went Kagura, dropping her suitcases at the foot of the stairs, followed by Kanna, who drifted after them all like a shadow. Inu-Yasha appeared to be stuck helping to hold up his grandmother as she took off her boots, an expression of pain clear on his face.
Sesshoumaru only shrugged as Inu-Yasha's panicked eyes fell on him, before bending down to take up the bag at his feet. Although he felt somewhat demeaned to be appointed errand boy by his younger cousin, he was willing to swallow his pride if it gave him a reason to not have to go into the living room. He knew where the gifts went: into the front family room, or, as the children (and teenagers) dubbed it, the 'adult room'.
Turning around to go into the adjacent dining room and then to the family room, he almost stumbled over the small, dark-haired girl who stood directly behind him. She gazed up at him, a question in her eyes. Taking a quick glance over at the three still left at the hall, and finding that they were still occupied, he gave the girl a small nudge with his foot. "Come on."
He'd never seen someone smile like she did. Her whole face lit up like the sun, her mouth opening wide enough to show that she was missing a tooth. Spinning around, she ran into the other room, before turning to see if he was following.
Sesshoumaru drew his eyebrows down in puzzlement as he watched the girl. What was it with her? Deciding to think on it after he escaped The Family, he followed her. She waited until he was right beside her before starting again, taking two steps for every one of his strides.
The dining room was a masterpiece in room décor—or at least Inutaisho thought so. It was done up in shades of blue and gold, with a impressive redwood table situated directly in the center, polished to a mirror-like radiance. There was enough room for twenty people around its immense girth; tall, handcrafted chairs lined up like sentinels around the edges. A three-tiered chandelier was suspended over the table; its crystal charms glimmering even without the lights turned on. The floor was wooden, with a colonial style area rug under the table, going in tune with the wall hangings and the old-fashioned paintings. A glass-front cabinet towered over the whole scene in the corner, with a credenza running along the opposite wall, close to the kitchen. It was a majestic setting; besides the fact that the outer windows were now covered with tacky flashing Christmas lights.
"It seems that you don't like all of those people either," he responded, casually. Of course, he did not get a verbal answer. But the girl—Rin, he reminded himself again—did glance up at him and her forehead furrowed in a slight frown. "Nothing you really have to worry about," he told her, readjusting the weight on his back. No wonder why Naraku dropped it so quickly, he thought, ruefully. "You're not related," he finished, bitterly.
Rin blinked up at him, before looking to the side and sighing quietly.
"Don't tell me you want to be part of something like that?" Sesshoumaru asked her, raising an eyebrow.
The girl looked up at him again, her eyes sad. Sesshoumaru stopped halfway around the table to study her. They stayed in silence for a long moment before it hit him. He couldn't help but grimace, slightly, at his earlier callousness. "I suppose it would be better than having no one…" he relented, awkwardly.
Rin gave him an unreadable look, before smiling crookedly. "Mm," she agreed.
Feeling slightly uncomfortable to be having such a deep conversation with a mute girl –although not as much as he'd expected—Sesshoumaru started for the family room again, Rin trailing after.
And it was like walking from a prestigious, ancient palace (with Christmas lights) to a cheery, pastel, old country house (with Christmas lights). This was certainly Asako's design, with the mint green walls, white couches with green pillows, two cream whicker chairs, and the paintings of flowers on the walls, the largest being hung over the brick fireplace. The floor was covered in a plush green carpet, with the usually country-style throw rugs replaced with dark green and red Christmas holly berry rugs. An oak upright piano stood to one side decked out in garland and candlesticks. Garland also hung from the windows to twine within the white curtains; the usual knickknacks in the quaint curio cabinet situated in the corner were replaced with figures of Santa Claus and snowmen. Fake snowflakes were pressed against the mirror over the long couch.
And, the greatest Christmas addition of them all, crammed in the corner by the window that overlooked the driveway, was the Christmas tree. It wasn't decorated yet, except for strings of multicolored lights that cast a festive light on the otherwise dim room. It would be The Family's job to decorate it later on in the week.
Regretfully.
It was a real tree, a monster that touched the ceiling and made the whole room smell woodsy. And it also dropped pine needles everywhere, especially after everyone took a part in decorating (or mutilating, take your pick) the tree.
Lugging the now very annoying bag over to the tree corner, Sesshoumaru allowed it to fall gracelessly to the floor, draining down like lumpy porridge to sag on the ground. This was the drop-off; he didn't really know where the bags of gifts went after this, but they were gone before the kids could sneak in here and did not appear until Christmas morning.
"Uh!" Rin cried, unexpectedly. Sesshoumaru turned around to see her hovering near the couch, staring up at the tree with wide eyes.
"It's only a Christmas tree, Rin. The only thing it could do to you is fall over."
The girl jumped, turning to face him with an expression close to surprise on her cherub face. And then she grinned, pointing at herself. Then she pointed at him then to herself again and her smile widened.
Sesshoumaru didn't even have to stop to think about what she was trying to say. Instead he shrugged, easily. "Of course I know your name. Kagome told me, remember?"
"Ah!" Rin exclaimed, before giggling. It was a bubbly, happy sound that seemed to fit the girl very well, although it did sound a bit unused, as if she hadn't done so in a long while.
Sesshoumaru gave the girl a wary look as she began to laugh even more, her large eyes scrunched up in glee. He didn't really see what she was getting so worked up about. "And what is that all about?" he asked her, crossly.
Rin stopped giggling a second to point at him again, beaming. Then she clasped her petite hands over her chest, one curled over the other neatly in an almost prayer-like position.
"Mm-mm-hmm," she hummed, quietly, gazing up at him.
"I do so hope that is a compliment," Sesshoumaru replied, airily, kneeling down to try to put some sense of order in the limp lump of a bag.
He didn't even hear Rin come up behind him, only noticing her when she stood directly behind him to peer over his shoulder. He could feel her hovering over him slightly, swaying back and forth as if she was standing on her toes to see and yet did not want to use him to keep her balance. He found himself shifting to the side minutely so that she wouldn't have to glance over his shoulder. He turned slightly to speak to her.
"I wouldn't be surprised if there was something here for you, knowing Grandmother." When Rin gave him a questioning look, Sesshoumaru took the time to elaborate; shoving one of the square packages under the other in an attempt to organized them somewhat. "Grandmother always knows what's going on in this family, even if you tell her or not. She undoubtedly knew that Father would have all of these children here."
The girl's eyebrows drew down in a confused frown that anyone else would have called adorable. As it was, Sesshoumaru couldn't keep the amused shadow of a smile off his face. He shook his head slowly, long hair fluttering over his shoulders. "Don't think on it that much."
"Unh…?" Rin muttered.
"It's something you just accept," Sesshoumaru answered, replying to the unvoiced question. He sat back on his heels, giving up on the lump of presents. "It's part of the Hakamatsu curse."
He rose to his feet in one fluid motion, giving the unruly bag one last glare before turning to leave. There was an abrupt tug on his pant-leg that made him stop immediately. There was no way in hell he was going to let the expensive things tear.
Glancing down at the little girl who had her left fingers nestled securely in the dark fabric, he was about to ask what the hell she thought she was doing, when she suddenly pointed over at the piano. Sesshoumaru looked up at it, one eyebrow raised. "Yes, a piano. My father adores them; this one has been here for years."
Rin grunted again, pulling on his slacks once more. Once she had his attention she brought her other hand around to poke his leg, before pointing at the piano again.
"Yes, I do play," he answered, easily, before maneuvering out of her now slackened grip. He fought down the urge to smooth out the wrinkles. "I've been doing so for over twenty years."
"Ah!" Rin cried, her tiny fingers making facsimile piano movement in the air. She hopped once, before scurrying over to the bench and hoisting herself up.
"No, not now," Sesshoumaru admonished her, stepping forward. Without even thinking he reached over to pick her up to take her off the seat. The dark-haired girl stiffened immediately, drawing back the slightest bit.
Sesshoumaru stopped, hands hanging in midair. He frowned, lightly, as the little girl looked down. "What?"
She looked up and recognition flashed behind her dark eyes. Then she smiled, shakily. "Hmmm," she hummed, giving him what looked to be a mix between a pleading and unsure look.
Feeling rather stupid standing as he was, Sesshoumaru decided to finish his action, raising the girl's slight weight off the seat. This time she didn't even flinch.
It was almost as if for some reason she'd reverted back to old memories. Memories that did not seem to be all that good at all. Something almost cold twisted inside of him, making Sesshoumaru stare at the child that dangled in his hands for a moment, before he placed her gently to the floor. Trying to shake the odd feeling, he pushed her ahead. "They'll come looking for us soon if we don't get out there."
The girl looked up at him, before nodding. But she didn't move, seeming to be waiting for something.
Shrugging mentally at the girl's odd mannerisms, Sesshoumaru stepped out into the hallway between the family room and the kitchen. Rin followed, right at his heels. Sesshoumaru stopped, gazing down at her as she halted right by his leg. She blinked up at him, innocently.
Sesshoumaru didn't understand this child at all. She was similar to a little puppy, following him around the way she was. It was far past bizarre; he hadn't even had this happen to him with his own siblings, for all of Inu-Yasha's earlier hero-worship.
At this thought, he lifted his head and peered down the hallway, into the kitchen. He could see Asako moving about near the island, putting the finishing touches on some party trays. The constant chatter of adults and children wafted through the house, with the occasional shriek and the music from some old Christmas movie. Sighing quietly, he moved forward again, Rin directly behind.
Asako was the one who noticed them first, unsurprisingly. Her eyes widened at the sight of Rin beside him, but Sesshoumaru only lifted his chin, haughtily ignoring her. She smiled, enigmatically, before disappearing from view into what had to be the sunroom. Adult voices came from that section, while the childish shrieks and teenager grumbling was to the left.
Sesshoumaru stopped in the doorway, looking over both scenes with a critical eye. The sunroom was taken up with one of Grandmother's commanding narratives—she already had 'Jii-san trying to inch away behind her back. Inutaisho was nodding politely, but his eyes were somewhat glazed.
Meanwhile, on the other half of the room, the rugrats were reaping havoc on unsuspecting furniture and cousins. Not to mention the damage the relatives were doing to themselves. Already, Inu-Yasha and Naraku, who had apparently come back in, were glaring at each other across the short distance of the couch. Two children were happily bouncing away between them, but neither seemed to notice. The one, that redhead Shippou, was even making strange faces at them with each jump, but there wasn't so much a twitch from either male.
Hopefully they'll freeze that way, Sesshoumaru thought, bitterly, as his eyes drifted over to Kagome, who was busy trying to steer Kanna away from trying to 'play' with the other children. And he couldn't blame her; Kanna never really played anything. She set out to maim.
He could still remember that time when she'd set out to beat him down with a stuffed animal once. Now, that had been an interesting day...one pale deranged child insistently slamming a small white lizard against his ankles. Everywhere he went. Constantly.
Locking her in a closest for a day had been such a pitiful revenge. Although, it did bring upon enough trouble from his father to last him the whole week. And then add the fact that she hadn't stopped even after a whole night with her uncle's old boots.
That had been when he still lived here full-time. The girl seemed to have grown up some, but he still didn't trust her. Especially when she was carrying a pair of scissors…
Sprawled in the recliner was Kagura, reading some magazine and pushing inquisitive children away at the same time. She even had to push away an inquisitive Miroku once or twice, even as Sesshoumaru watched.
Sesshoumaru sighed. Either way was a level of hell. No matter which way he looked at it.
Yet, looking at his father's blank stare, perhaps perpetual boredom was much more tolerable than the hellions.
Besides, he didn't want to look like he was able to spend time with those children…
That thought reminded him of someone. Looking down at the little girl glued to his hip, he gave her a nudge towards the living room. "Go find Kagome."
The girl didn't budge. She glanced up at him once, then around the kitchen, her small fingers finding his pant leg again.
"Rin."
Still nothing. She gave him a longer, steadier look this time, before fisting her hand even tighter.
That was it. He didn't take this type of disobedience from children. Living for years with a household romper room had taught him that. He wasn't the least bit perturbed by punishing the little brats. He'd actually had a great bit of fun trying to discover some painful ways to get Inu-Yasha.
But, when he opened his mouth to order her again, he found himself saying something else altogether. "If you insist. Just let go."
To his utter surprise, she did. She even smiled happily.
Sesshoumaru sighed. This girl was going to drive him crazy.
Trying to ignore her the best he could, he made the long hike over to where the adults were clustered. Asako was standing behind her husband, squeezing his shoulder in an attempt to wake him up, while Kaede was talking. He caught the end of the rant.
"And to think that that good-for-nothing boy had to be in jail for Christmas! Not only does he give me responsibility for his kids, but then he goes and gets himself arrested! Honestly! I don't know why your father adopted him in the first place!"
Sesshoumaru slowed his approach, taking the opportunity to learn more about the mysterious Uncle Onigumo. He was positive that was the man she was speaking about. As far as he knew it, the Hakamatsu family had adopted Onigumo when Inutaisho had been a boy. Other than that, Sesshoumaru didn't know very much besides the fact that he took no interest in his children. He'd only seen him once or twice throughout his whole life, and that had been when his mother was alive.
It seemed that every family had a black sheep, if what Grandmother said was the truth. Which it most likely was. That explained his cousins then…
Inutaisho seemed to take interest in those last few lines of the conversation, although to a much different degree than his son. "Don't talk about that idiot, mother," he ordered in a flat tone. He frowned, forbiddingly, glancing out at the falling snow. "I don't want to think about him."
Grandmother looked affronted, while Asako looked worried. "Inutaisho!" The elderly lady shook her head, firmly. "That was rather rude!"
Inutaisho actually scowled, making Sesshoumaru stop in his tracks. "I don't want to talk about him, mother. Just drop it. He wouldn't be welcome here, anyhow. "
Kaede huffed. She turned to Asako as Inutaisho got to his feet. "Here I thought you were mellowing him out, dear."
Asako only shook her head wordlessly.
Inutaisho turned to leave the conversation, but he stopped as soon as he spotted Sesshoumaru standing only a foot or so away. For his part, the young man had the strange urge to slink away behind the kitchen counter, but he pushed it away.
The two only stared at each other for a brief, tense instant before Inutaisho's angry countenance faded into something softer. "Ah, being the Christmas elf this year, Sesshoumaru?"
Sesshoumaru snorted, delicately. His eyes rolled over to the group in the living room. "Hardly…"
He was startled by his father's laugh. Inutaisho seemed to be eager to forget about the earlier conversation, going so far as to reach over and wrap his arm about his son's shoulder, pulling him closer. Sesshoumaru was never happier that the brats were enraptured by the television. There was no way in hell he'd let them see him stumble like he just did. And, undoubted he had a look of shock on his face—he felt enough of it. He vaguely heard Rin make a sound of surprise at his feet.
Inutaisho's attention snapped to her. "Who's this?" Putting off what he had been about to say to his son, he squatted down to Rin's level. The girl automatically hid behind Sesshoumaru's leg.
He wanted to groan. It just figured that his father would notice. And comment on it.
"You're Rin, aren't you?"
Sesshoumaru felt her fingers dig into his leg once again. Then something else was pressed against his knee, and he felt her head nod slowly. So, now she was hiding her face, too.
By the way she was acting, you'd have thought he was her father.
Sesshoumaru looked down at the shy little girl, finding that thought very disconcerting. He'd only known her for less than a full day so far. You would think that a girl in her situation wouldn't be so trusting. Or clingy, for that matter.
This girl was really beginning to give him a headache.
Time to just get it over with. "Yes, that's Rin. The one who doesn't talk. She's been following me around since yesterday."
Inutaisho looked up with a puzzled expression. "Following you?"
"Yes," he tried his best to keep the irritation out of his voice. "I don't understand it either. We all know I'm not the most child-loving man in the world."
"No, that's not what I was wondering about, exactly." Inutaisho smiled down at the little girl, who hid even more. "I was curious as to why you've let her follow you around."
Sesshoumaru blinked at him. The thought had never occurred to him. "What did you expect me to do?" he demanded, crossly—and a tad bit defensively. "Throw her down the stairs?"
Inutaisho was about to make a reply, but Asako, who slid easily into the conversation, cut him off. "Dear, I think someone else has pulled in."
He glanced up at her, then at the relatives, who were slowly pulling themselves out of the family room at Grandmother Kaede's orders. "Well, I've certainly missed things." Inutaisho went to move off his knees, but stopped and leaned forward towards Rin once more. The girl's grip tightened, her whole body pressed against Sesshoumaru's leg. Yet she seemed willing to listen when Inutaisho whispered something to her in an undertone.
Sesshoumaru tried to hear what it was, but it was a futile effort with all the commotion carrying on in the hallway. He did manage to hear Rin giggle, shyly. And he certainly didn't miss her hug his leg like it was some sort of stuffed animal.
Grinning rather slyly, Inutaisho got to his feet, dusted off his knees, then started for the front hall. "Come on. Don't wanna be late."
Sesshoumaru watched his father and stepmother walk away. Only then did he look down at the little girl attached to him. She was gazing up at him from where her cheek was pressed against his leg. He sighed.
"You're all going to drive me crazy. There's no doubt about it. None whatsoever..."
Rin only smiled sweetly.
"We're heeeeeeere!"
It was a battle cry that made Sesshoumaru wince. Stationed out in the hall with everyone else, he was now more grateful than ever to be at the back. Not only did he have a little girl shadowing him, but now the first wave of the other half of the family had touched down. Asako's half.
A springy young man was the first to appear, happily bouncing in through the doorway with a bright blue and pink bag slung over his shoulder. "Hello!" he waved at everyone.
A shorter male with long braided hair came in after him, shaking his head in dismay as he dragged in an enormous suitcase. Following him were Inutaisho and two other men carrying the other bags. One was slim with stark black hair while the other was pudgy with a cleanly shaven head. The smaller of the two was laughing at something as Inutaisho pursed his lips in irritation.
Coming up behind them was Asako, who only shook her head. "Hiten, really. Leave my husband alone."
"Ah, but Asako, we just want to make sure he's treating our little sister right, eh Manten?"
The other man lifted his head and grunted in what may have been confirmation.
Sesshoumaru had to empathize with his father's look of longsuffering. Uncles Hiten and Manten could never seem to see Asako as anything else as their little sister. The wedding was example enough.
The moment of annoyance was broken by the bubbling mass of young adult that tossed itself into Asako's arms. "Auntie!"
"Hello, Jakotsu," Asako managed to murmur, breathlessly, as her nephew squeezed all the air out of her. It was almost a ritual, these bone-crushing hugs.
"Ugh…he's so annoying!" Sesshoumaru glanced to the side and saw Inu-Yasha making a hasty retreat to the living room, dragging Miroku behind him.
Sesshoumaru was going to make him suffer just as much as he was going to. There was no doubt there. "And where are you two going?"
Both boys stopped, turning to look at him like deer in headlights. Inu-Yasha was the first to gather his bearings. He smirked. "Asks the guy in the back of the crowd."
"I don't have to greet him at all, unlike you. He's not related to me."
That was a very small shot that got him every time. "Fuck you!"
"I'll have to pass. Wouldn't be a pleasant experience on my end."
Inu-Yasha stared at him. Miroku was much quicker than his friend was and he burst out laughing. After a minute he managed to gasp out, Inu-Yasha glaring at him all the while: "Ah, I envy you! You're the only one I know who can get away with saying that and not get trounced by someone in this house!" He sniffed, pathetically. It was ruined somewhat by his huge smile. "I never mean any harm, and I nearly get killed! It's really not fair…"
"It's all seniority," Sesshoumaru threw in, offhand, before doing something that Inu-Yasha was going to kill him for. Raising an arm up, he pointed down at the two teens. "Jakotsu!"
The bouncy visitor--who was now trying to strangle his Uncle in his version of a hug--looked up. A few other heads turned as well, surprised at hearing him raise his voice. Before anyone could say anything, Sesshoumaru continued. "Your cousin is trying to hide from you over here."
That was enough to send Jakotsu on the scent. Inu-Yasha realized this and glared at his brother as he slowly tried to edge away. "I hate you."
"I hate you too, little brother. Don't feel so special."
"Inu-Yaaaasha!"
It was all over. Sesshoumaru couldn't help but wince as the Jakotsu missile landed square on, almost smashing Inu-Yasha against the wall. Miroku had run long ago.
There was a tiny gasp at his feet, and Sesshoumaru looked down to see Rin staring at the scene with huge eyes. "Come on, girl. You don't want to watch that."
He wandered off into the crowd, knowing she was following him. Kagome gave him a grin as he passed. "Now that was cruel, Sess."
"And painfully easy."
While everyone else was occupied with laughing at Inu-Yasha's misfortune, Sesshoumaru slid up beside the young man who'd come in with Jakotsu. He was staring at the scene with a look of jealous dismay. "You are a very brave man, coming here."
The young man visibly jumped, before spinning to face him. "Umm…are you another relative?"
Sesshoumaru nodded, trying to ignore the little body plastered to his leg again. "Yes. Something like a half-cousin, I suppose you could say. Inutaisho's my father; Asako's the stepmother. And, you are?"
The young man didn't seem at all put out by the brisk, unemotional greeting. "Bankotsu. I'm a…friend of Jakotsu. He asked me to come."
"Boyfriend, you mean?" When Bankotsu's eyes popped open wide, Sesshoumaru nearly shrugged. "Not that big a secret." Glancing over at the Family, he shook his head. "Very brave indeed, to willingly enter the Hakamatsu hell. Either that or very stupid."
Sesshoumaru was surprised when Bankotsu nearly laughed. "I had to ride for miles with Jakotsu and his two Uncles in a very small car. At least this house has some square feet to it. I think I can manage here." He smirked. "Besides, my family's huge, too. Lots of brothers. But, thanks for the warning anyhow, umm…" He glanced over, his eyes questioning.
"Sesshoumaru."
"Ah. Well, thanks." Then, to Sesshoumaru's amazement, he smiled. "That's a cute little girl you have there."
"What?" He couldn't help it. He was far too startled to keep his mouth shut. Glancing down at Rin, he saw her peering up at him. He turned back to Bankotsu. "She not my kid."
"She's not?" He frowned in puzzlement, a line appearing between his eyes. "Then what's she doing glued on you like that?"
"Hell if I know. She's been following me ever since I got here."
Bankotsu went to answer, but was cut off by a very happy young man bouncing up to them. "Ah! Making friends already! I'm so happy, Banny!"
Bankotsu colored immediately. "Jakotsu!" He hissed, in warning.
"Oh." Jakotsu touched a finger to his bottom lip in a childish gesture of innocence. "Sowwy."
Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. Might as well get it over with. "Finally found someone to put up with you, Jakotsu?"
Jakotsu bounced up and down once on the balls of his feet. He didn't appear the least bit offended. "Yep! Banny is such a sweetheart!" Before his boyfriend could protest again, he continued. "I'm soooo happy you're being nice to him, Sesshoumaru! I know how hard that is for you!"
Ah. Here was his reputation, coming into play. Sesshoumaru shrugged. He stiffened, knowing what was coming…. "I was just warning him is all. Even I'm not cruel enough to leave him blind."
And that got him an armful of cousin. Or, rather, half-cousin. For someone so frail looking, Jakotsu had quite a grip. Any tighter and Sesshoumaru expected to hear bones crack. "Aww! So nice!" Jakotsu sniffed. "Sessy's being such a sweetie!"
There were many things he wanted to do at this moment. First and foremost was to get the cousin clamp off of him. Second was to tear out a whole bunch of eyes that were staring at them. And thirdly, he wanted to gag.
Which would probably end up being the first thing he did if Jakotsu didn't let him go. Either that, or he'd pass out from lack of oxygen.
Finally Bankotsu spoke up; when it seemed that all the prying Sesshoumaru had been trying couldn't get the black-haired leech to come off. "Umm…Jakotsu…maybe you're being a little too enthusiastic…"
"Hmm?" He finally released. He grinned, sheepishly. "Oh, sorry!"
Sesshoumaru didn't do anything. He just concentrated to trying to get circulation back to his legs. Maybe Jakotsu should become an assassin…a little more force and he could kill someone without any blood.
"Aww! Look at this sweetie!" Jakotsu had Rin up in his arms before Sesshoumaru could fully react. He stopped halfway into the action, wondering why he'd wanted to grab her back so quickly in the first place. Perhaps it could be the panicked look the little girl was sending his way. "It's another one of Kagome's kids! Such a cutie!" Jakotsu held her up over his head. He grinned, in a way that would beguile most little kids. "What's your name, hun?"
Rin only stared at him with wide, frightened eyes.
He'd had enough. "Put her down."
Jakotsu started, glancing over to Sesshoumaru. He appeared startled by the cold, frosty tone. "What?"
"Can't you tell that she'd frightened? Put her down."
Jakotsu looked up at the little girl. He let his arms drop. "Don't like heights, little one?" He asked, softly, almost apologetically.
Rin, of course, didn't answer. She wriggled out of his grip to the floor, before dashing over to hide behind Sesshoumaru again.
He didn't say anything when she grabbed his leg this time.
Jakotsu looked at her, sadly. "I didn't mean to."
"Rin isn't like the other children, Jakotsu," Sesshoumaru informed him, quietly. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the most of the attention was on the two Uncles.
"I can see that…"
Sesshoumaru nodded. "Yes. She has a much different temperament. And, she wouldn't have been able to answer you, anyhow."
"Why not?" Bankotsu was the one to ask this, leaning over.
Sesshoumaru looked down at the little girl who was using him a shield. He hesitated a moment before saying anything. It seemed somewhat rude to do so in the girl's presence. "She's mute."
Understanding blossomed in both pairs of eyes. "Ah, I see…" Jakotsu smiled, sadly. "Poor little thing." He shook his head. "That has to explain why she's with you."
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"
Jakotsu gave him a sly grin. "'Cause you talk about as much as a brick wall! You two can get along fine."
Sesshoumaru didn't reply to that. He had no idea what to say. So he just glared. Jakotsu laughed. "See!" Then he waved at them both. "Nice seeing you again, Sess, and nice meeting you, Rin!" He was off after that, dragging Bankotsu away for introductions.
Sesshoumaru stood, watching him go. He couldn't help thinking that maybe he was--oddly enough--correct. Perhaps that was why the girl liked him so much. He just couldn't understand her at all…
There was a familiar tug on his pant leg. He looked down to a beaming little face.
That was another mystery. Why was that child always smiling?
And why was he beginning to…appreciate it?
"Oh, Auntie Asako, I forgot to tell you this earlier! Auntie Izayoi called us before we left and asked that we tell you that she'd be late. She won't be here until tomorrow!"
How Jakotsu could bounce so much in a chair without toppling over, Sesshoumaru didn't know. As it was, Bankotsu had to reach out and hold on.
The Family and their extras had somehow been corralled into the dining room, where Asako had set up a family size lunch. All of the "older" members --Asako's interpretation of that was rather broad-- sat at the main table. Souta, Kanna, Kagome and all her little kids were at a smaller table that had been set up near the kitchen entrance. And, strangely enough, the brats were actually behaving. At least as long as they were still shoving their faces.
Which, glancing down the table, looked strangely similar to what Inu-Yasha and Naraku were doing. Imagine that.
Miroku, who had been invited to stay, visibly deflated. "But…that means lovely Sango will not be here today!"
"I'm surprised she even shows up at all, you pervert," Inu-Yasha mumbled around a mouthful of his sandwich. He waved the food at him. "All you do is touch her ass."
It came in stereo. Grandmother and mother. Two-times as deadly. "Inu-Yasha!"
Inu-Yasha dropped his sandwich and almost choked. Coughing, he tried to slink down under the table. Miroku snagged his shirt and stopped him.
Sesshoumaru winced, but not for Inu-Yasha. Seated near to the head of the table, he was directly beside his Grandmother. She could shout rather loudly, too… He knew better than to complain to her. Inu-Yasha would get it later.
Inutaisho was quick to keep any bloodshed off his table. He put down his fork, trying to hide a sympathetic look at his youngest son. "Inu-Yasha, you know better. And, yes, Miroku, it is rather sad that they won't be here today." He turned to Jakotsu. "Did she say why?"
Jakotsu shrugged. "Not much at all. Just said that they'd miss breakfast tomorrow, too."
"Miss breakfast!" Asako frowned. "But we have a reservation for all of us!"
Inutaisho only shrugged, before dipping his spoon in his soup. "Doesn't matter, dear. We'll fix it."
Sesshoumaru sighed internally. That was right. There was the Family Breakfast tomorrow. Another tradition. Another chore. Dragging all of this morning-hating family out of the house was almost pandemonium. The only one who was ever awake was Inutaisho. He must have gotten some sort of abnormal genes somewhere along the line. He actually rose early. And liked it.
It was probably going to be ten times as worse now that they had all these children here. Sesshoumaru didn't even contemplate the blessed idea of leaving them behind. Asako would never let that happen.
Thinking of the children made him turn towards them. A familiar little figure caught his eye, and he noticed that Rin was seated so that she could look at him, even if it meant being nearer to the children at the table with her. She was calmly chewing on a sandwich, watching all of what was going on at the head table with apparent interest even as her peers chattered away behind her. The girl noticed him looking, and waved her free hand, smiling happily.
Sesshoumaru turned away immediately, as if burned. He picked up his fork and speared his salad with enough force to scrap the bottom of the bowl. Why was she doing this to him?
He just could not understand this girl. And he didn't like it one bit.
Inutaisho was talking again. "Now all we have to do is wait for the next batch to arrive, and then we'll all be accounted for."
Sesshoumaru stared at his lunch, not feeling very hungry anymore. He was really starting to become sick and tired of people today.
Everyone was busily talking together, chatting about some nonsense here, and even more of it there, as he pushed the lettuce around. Not able to help himself, he glanced at the head of the table, where Inutaisho and Asako were discussing something. Asako was laughing, her cheeks turning a rosy color as Inutaisho grinned.
Tightening his grip on his fork, Sesshoumaru took the opportunity to spear the largest cucumber. It wasn't very rewarding. He was still bothered. He didn't really know if he was angry or annoyed. They all seemed to go together when he was with these people.
Inutaisho leaned back, suddenly, his head tilting to the side. "I hear a phone ringing," he stated. "It's not one of ours." He turned his eyes on Sesshoumaru. "Is it yours? It's from the office."
Ah, damn. He really thought about just ignoring it. Telling his father that he was hearing things. But, hell, he might as well just add to his bad mood. Who knows, maybe it would get so terrible that it would become a good mood.
"I'll get it," he ground out, pushing his chair back. He left the table, noticing Asako give his nearly untouched lunch a worried look.
She'd always been far too motherly.
The walk across the entrance hall to the office only made him more irritated. So when he finally found the shrilly ringing hunk of plastic they called a phone, he decided it would be safest to stand outside. That way no one could hear him cuss out the idiot who was on the line.
Grabbing one of his father's old coats from the nearby wall hook, he marched outside. Moving as far away from the dining room as he could, he finally answered it.
"What?" He snapped.
He'd never known someone could freak out as much as this temporary. A pure wave of screeching sound came at him, full blast. "MR. HAKAMATSU!! Thank the heavens!! Are you okay? You're not dead, are you? You didn't answer! I waited and waited for you to pick up!! Are you lying beaten somewhere in the street? Are--"
Patience was a long since dead virtue. "What the fuck do you want?"
That shut him up rather well. "Mr. Hakamatsu?" He attempted, after a silence. There was another pause, then: "AHH! I KNEW it! He IS dead! HOW DARE YOU USE HIS PHONE, YOU VILE SCOUNDREL? I should call the--"
Must not throw phone. Must not fly to New York and strangle him. Must not explode. Even that running mantra wasn't helping. "SHUT UP!"
The other man squeaked.
Taking a breath that didn't help him at all; Sesshoumaru felt his hand tightening on the phone. He spoke slowly, reigning in the desire to kill. "What...did...you...call...me...for...?" It took more effort than he was willing to admit to remain calm.
"Uh…you are Mr. Hakamatsu?"
"Jaken." Please let me kill you, Sesshoumaru added, mentally.
For some stupid reason, that seemed to do the trick. "Ah! You have to be Mr. Hakamatsu. Only you can say my name like that!"
Sesshoumaru didn't want to dwell on the way he said that last line. "Tell me why you called…"
"Umm…let me think a minute…"
His criminal record should be thanking God on its knees that this simpleton wasn't close by. "You don't know?"
"Yes I do! Your cleaning lady called today. She told me to leave a note for you, saying that she needed to talk to you when you came back about changing her vacation dates!"
The maid. He'd called him about the maid. "If she wanted you to leave a note, why did you feel the compulsion to call me now?"
There was a silence. "I wanted to make sure you knew you had a message."
Even Inu-Yasha wasn't this stupid. He did his best not to swear. So much so that what he said next sounded almost robotic. "I'm hanging up now. If you call me again with something this stupid, it won't be good for you. Don't ruin my office. Goodbye."
"Mr. Ha--"
After disconnecting from the bane of his existence, Sesshoumaru had the urge to throw the cell into the street. Then maybe even run it over with the car. Many times.
But he didn't. Tantrums were more Inu-Yasha's style.
But it would have been so wonderful stress relief…
As he stared out over the frost-covered lawn, he was dimly aware of a black sedan pull into the driveway. It was only when it stopped that he took notice.
A familiar head popped out of the window. "Hey! What are you doing out here?"
"Hello, Kouga."
His cousin gave him a wolfish grin. "Nice to see you, too, Mr. Stickass."
This was not what he needed. It was a physical strain to remain civil. "Everyone's been waiting for you all to show up."
Kouga rolled his eyes. "Lovely. See you there, then."
Sesshoumaru went to go back into the house as Kouga rolled the window up. But that didn't stop him from hearing a female voice from inside the car.
"I don't know, hun. About the stick thing. But it is a nice ass."
Sesshoumaru chose to ignore that comment. Let Kouga have a fit again over his girlfriend. He wasn't going to get into it.
Stopping himself a few scant seconds before slamming the door, he ripped off his father's jacket and hung it back in the study. Then he stalked into the dining room, where everyone was finishing.
"What was the problem?" Inutaisho asked as soon as he appeared. He actually looked worried. "You were gone for a while."
"The rest of the brood has shown up," was all that Sesshoumaru was willing to say. He stopped just to the side of the door to wait as everyone got to their feet for the welcome committee.
As they all filed past, Asako somehow managed to slide up next to him. She gazed up at him steadily. "Why don't you stay in here and finish eating? I could get you something else if you want it."
Sesshoumaru barely glanced at her. He was far too pissed off to be civil if he did. "No, thank you."
Asako hesitated next to him for a few seconds before apparently giving in and going into the next room.
He remained where he was, back to the wall, as the strays finally came in to mix with the herd. Kouga's voice was just a shade quieter than Uncle Rouyakan's, who was greeting his brother rather heartily…and loudly. Ayame, the cursed girlfriend, was not quite as boisterous, but even more obnoxious. The only one he didn't hear was Uncle Myouga, but then again that man never did say very much when in the press of bodies that occupied the front foyer.
He was really starting to get sick of this. And it was only the first full day.
Realizing that he still held the damned cell phone, he let it fall to the floor. A second later he felt something tug at his pant leg. Again.
It was Rin, holding up the phone that he'd dropped with a tiny smile on her face. "Mm?"
Sesshoumaru stared at her, teetering on the edge of pulling his hair out in frustration or breaking out into hysterics and screaming at the little brat until he keeled over. This was simply driving him insane! This family, this girl!
But he did neither.
Reeling in his stressed out emotions, he accepted the phone from her. "Thank you."
Rin only smiled kindly, not the beaming happy grin from earlier, but one more sympathetic and peaceful. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around both his legs in a hug, pressing her cheek against his thigh as she patted his knee in what had to be a calming gesture. Then she pulled away, smiled up at him, and disappeared out into the hallway.
He didn't know what to say.
---
End! Of this chapter anyway.
This was such a bitch to write! Dumping a whole load of people on you isn't fun for the author either, let me tell you!
Poor Sesshoumaru is getting really stressed now. The poor thing has many days to go, too…
I hope the amount of Rin in this chapter made up for the lack many of you mentioned in previous chapters.
About Rouyakan. He's that forest demon near Inu-Yasha's forest that was corrupted by the jewel. He spit up the wolves. Why did I use him? I got the idea from InuOtaku2003's story Reflected Past. I needed more adults, and so he was used. I got the spelling from that story, too. (You should all read it! )
Let's see when the next chapter comes out…
Oh, and thanks for the beta, Kits!