Comfort Over Style
Prompt: My parents are coming over in 10 minutes so please put some clothes on
Universe: Post-canon (modern era).
Genre: Humour
998 Words
Kagome was comfortably nestled in the corner of the sofa, engrossed in her book. At least until the dark taint of powerful youki pulsed in the air, causing the hair at the back of her neck rise in an instinctive response. She sighed, regretfully tearing her attention from the trashy novel to meet the golden weight of her mate's stare.
"You know I hate it when you do that," she said, wrinkling her nose.
"I called your name three times, and gained no response," was his flat reply.
"Even so, we've talked about this. Trying to intimidate someone isn't the way to go when you want to get their attention. Besides, I stopped being scared of you a long, long time ago."
"Hnn."
Kagome pouted. Five hundred years and she still hadn't fully cured him of the monosyllabic grunts.
But then, she conceded, some things would never change.
"What is it, Sesshoumaru?" she asked.
"Mother's visiting today."
Kagome blinked. "Yes," she replied evenly, "I know. You told me last week and reminded me yesterday." She glanced at the clock on the wall. "She should be over any minute now, really."
"Exactly. Perhaps you would like to get dressed before she arrives," Sesshoumaru said, his eyebrow arching.
Kagome returned his stare.
"I am dressed," she countered in a deadpan voice.
"I beg to differ," Sesshoumaru scoffed. "It is almost one in the afternoon and you're still wearing your pyjama bottoms."
"Because they're my comfy everyday trousers! I don't see why I should change; I doubt your mother will mind or insist of formalities."
Sesshoumaru's lips formed a thin line. He obviously disagreed, but also knew that her pig-headed tenacity matched his own. His narrowed golden eyes flashed as his gaze flickered pointedly towards her chest.
"At least put on some underwear."
Kagome glanced down her shirt and grimaced.
"Do you have something against comfort?"
"No, but I am for propriety."
"Hah!" Kagome rolled her eyes. "You know I survived over three centuries without proper underwear – and so did your mother," she pointed out.
"That is true, but this is Heisei, not Tokugawa period," Sesshoumaru replied stiffly. "Perhaps your lack of underwear would be appropriate if you were dressed more traditionally – but you are not."
Kagome bit her lip to keep her amused smile from spreading. It was curious how easily one adapted to the status quo, despite all the years one carried. In some ways, Sesshoumaru was even more attuned to the present day than she was – though he still felt uneasy with technology and didn't find it trustworthy.
Kagome sighed and set her book down, before casting a long, searching look at her disgruntled mate. She supposed she could put on a bra. She didn't really see the need for it, she didn't think her braless state was that obvious from under her hooded sweater – though even if it was, Sesshoumaru's mother had surely seen breasts before and wouldn't be scandalised by something so trivial. But since it seemed to affront Sesshoumaru's sense of propriety, she'd do it just to appease him. Because any lasting relationship – and theirs had lasted for a very long time – was built on compromise.
Kagome had just got up on her feet when a key turned in the lock and Sesshoumaru's mother strode in from the front door.
"Hello, children!" she greeted them, her lips curved in a playful smirk.
"Hi!" Kagome smiled. That was something else that never changed: despite the number of grandchildren they had bestowed to her along the years, to Sesshoumaru's mother she and Sesshoumaru were still children themselves. At least she had stopped calling her "little one" after Takeshi had been born.
"Mother," Sesshoumaru intoned neutrally, inclining his head in greeting. "I hope the trip went well."
"It was as dull as always," the demoness sniffed. Then, she turned her attention from Sesshoumaru to her.
"Kagome," she purred as she walked over and pulled her into a tight hug. Kagome's eyes sought Sesshoumaru over her shoulder. His posture had already had grown rigid, as it always seemed to do in his mother's presence. The fact that his mother visited them less often here in Tokyo was one of the upsides of this apartment, even though Sesshoumaru preferred their house in Kyoto. Kagome in turn liked being close to her own family and he was kind enough to oblige her.
Sesshoumaru's mother pulled away, resting her clawed hands on Kagome's shoulders. Her piercing golden gaze flickered down, much like Sesshoumaru's had done moments earlier.
Should've known that nothing escapes her notice, Kagome thought wryly to herself.
"Comfort over style," the demoness observed.
"She refused to change," Sesshoumaru explained, his voice saturated by disapproval.
"I didn't think I'd need to dress up just because you were coming over," Kagome clarified, ignoring the glare Sesshoumaru sent her way.
"Quite right, dear," his mother nodded. "We are family, you need not bother on my account."
Kagome had to bite her lip to hold back the I-told-you-so, though she slanted a quick and gleeful glance at Sesshoumaru.
"In fact, I can understand perfectly why you would forgo such a disagreeable piece of clothing." Sesshoumaru's mother sighed. "Fashion was much simpler before we opened the country to the Westerners and started adopting their customs."
"You look very stylish, though," Kagome assured her. "That blouse is lovely."
"Alas, the beauty comes with a price, as always." The demoness grimaced. "The underwire of this infernal bra has been digging into my side for the past hour."
Sesshoumaru's expression was growing more pained by the second.
"Perhaps you should get comfortable, too," Kagome suggested with a small grin.
A strangled groan escaped from Sesshoumaru's throat. His face grew pinched, like he had just eaten something very sour.
But his mother's eyes lit up, glimmering with amusement. "I very well might," she agreed. Her red lips quirked to mirror Kagome's grin.
Sesshoumaru's sullen gaze flitted between the two of them until at last his shoulders slumped in resignation.