Make You Well
Chapter 3
The Owl & The Bartender
'Thoughts'
Flashbacks
"Speaking English" / "Speaking Japanese" / "Hablando Español"
Original Publish Date: 4/28/2017
"... How long has all this been sitting here?" Inukimi asked, perfectly manicured purple claws casually flipping through a folder.
Inuyasha shifted uncomfortable in his seat before replying, "Month and a half."
Those yellow-gold eyes drifted up from the paperwork and met his, and damn it, there was no question where Sesshomaru got his cold glare from. "And why is that? Where is my perfect son, little hanyou?"
"He went to take care of Naraku. You know how he is! He ran out without a word because Naraku was talking mad shit." Inuyasha waved it off, "He's still out there, doesn't want anyone's help and all." The demoness hummed in acknowledgment before her attention was directed back to the papers.
He didn't lie.
Sesshomaru did run out to deal with Naraku. He was out there, as in, not in this country. And he didn't want anyone's help... because he didn't remember anyone. But those details weren't important!
"Why would he leave you in charge...?"
"Uhm..." Inuyasha scrambled mentally, trying to form a decent answer. "Its more of a no-one-is-appointed-and-you're-family kind of thing... Maybe he thinks he would be back soon, maybe he thinks he's hot shit and everyone else can just sit on their ass and wait for him whenever he is ready."
Inukimi leveled him with another hard look, "Are you capable of speaking without profanity?"
He crossed his arms and slouched back into the chair, unwilling to submit to her icy gaze, "Keh, its just us. What the hell does it matter?"
Her painted lips curled into a frightening smirk, one thin silver brow quirking up as she replied, "You believe you have the right to speak to me so comfortably?" 'What? What the hell is that suppose to mean-'
"HEY!" He hissed when the daiyoukai appeared at his side, grabbed his ear and pulled up, forcing him lift his rounded back.
"Sit up straight!" She snapped, and let go once she was satisfied with his posture. "Now listen to me..." Her youki suddenly blanketed the room in a suffocating heat, "You seem to have forgotten who you are speaking to. I am the Queen Empress of the demon empire, and I decided to heed your call for help out of the goodness of my heart -"
'Now that was some bullshit right there.'
"- You will treat me with the respect my status deserves, little hanyou."
'Why. Why. Whyyyy.' Was all he could think of as he relented and submitted to Sesshomaru's mother, wondering if he would even make it out alive from this experience.
:~;
Rin scribbled her notes on a clipboard as she made her way down the hall, concern etched on her face as she thought on the situation of one of her patients. Samantha was diagnosed with neuroblastoma after her parents brought her in for abdominal mass about 2 years ago. She had removed the growth then and treatment was going well, the cancer was gone and she was discharged. The child has returned yesterday during her day-off and now is a high-risk after the cancer has returned on a different section of her body. Samantha would start her aggressive treatment in a couple of hours.
She sighed, making a note to speak to Dr. Gonzalez, a radiation oncologist, later in the day to find out how well the treatment went. She noticed she wandered into the oncology wing due to her thoughts, then hearing Sesshomaru's and a little boy's voice. She peeked around the corner and saw both, sitting outside the glass walls of a patient's room, wireless video game controllers in hand. The quarantined girl inside the room also had a controller, smiling, as the three played. What really caught her attention, was the head of silver hair the girl had.
"Your boyfriend is very kind."
Rin eep-ed in shock at the voice behind her, turning to greet Dr. Emilia Gonzalez, "He's not my-"
"Sofia was gushing to the nurses about him and his hair every time he passed by. They told him about it and one of them mentioned about hair donations and wigs... He asked more about it, she gave him Yura's number and next thing you know..." The older woman pointed her chin towards Sofia, "There was so much of it, Yura made two, a long one and a short one. We haven't figured out who to give the short one too yet, maybe Jayden. That boy used to have gorgeous blonde hair like his mother's and I think he would really appreciate it."
"He didn't tell me that's why he cut it." Rin mumbled, looking back at them when she heard the Sofia's muffled laugh through the glass and the boy yelling excitedly about how he was so close to winning. "He said because it was too humid."
"Men generally have a problem admitting to doing nice and selfless things... and he isn't wrong." Dr. Gonzalez joked, "It is very humid to deal with that amount of hair. Will you be taking lunch soon? Dr. Asano was looking for you."
"Oh, that's right! Thank you for the reminder." Rin said, smiling, "It was nice chatting with you!"
:~;
"They just keep teetering on the edge, waiting." Shizu scowled from the dining hub, staring off not too far in the distance at the low-level youkai she knew were watching the two female doctors just a little away from her position, enjoying lunch.
"Waiting for a chance to strike after they leave. We're lucky these two aren't alone more often." Sango responded into her hidden mic as she read flipped through her phone quietly while sitting on a bench outside the children's hospital building. She wore sunglasses and heavy fruity perfume to cover up her original scent.
"We're lucky Naraku is not so reckless to attack in the middle of day with tons of witnesses." Shizu replied, taking a sip of iced coffee.
"Yet."
"Don't jinx it."
"He's heading your way." Sango warned, watching a head of silver—wait. "Oh my god."
"What happened?" Shizu asked, her eyes now frantically searching for either her partner or Sesshomaru- "Oh my god."
"His hair!" They both exclaimed, simultaneously covering their mouths in shock. Sango could no longer see him but Shizu tried her best to not let her staring be too obvious, and the daiyoukai sat at the small glass table with Rin and a friend of hers, Dr. Sara Asano, according to their files.
"You know what? I like it." Shizu said with finality, after giving him one last look over. "He looks less pretty and more handsome."
"I'm sure Sesshomaru-sama would love to hear your opinion when his memories return and he realizes he cut off one of the symbols of his lineage and bastardized tradition." Sango stated, "Of all the things... you know how long its going to take to grow that back out?"
"Probably, what, 60 years?" Making sure her flash was off, Shizu snapped a sneaky picture before sending it off in a group chat titled 'Operation Fluffy', that currently included Satoshi, Sango, Kagome, Inuyasha and herself.
Sango studied the photo for a moment, "I'm sure Inuyasha will love this."
And, as if on cue, both their phones vibrated with a new message in the group chat from the hanyou, "Hooollyyy shit. This makes it all worth it."
"OMG NOOOO! WHY?!" Was Kagome's response, coupled with a few crying emojis.
Sango shook her head and rolled her eyes while Shizu let out a small chuckle before bringing her attention back to the group that was chatting a few tables away. She couldn't hear them from her spot, but the owl daiyoukai, Satoshi, in a miniature version of his true form was in a tree across the way and would be able to hear them just fine. Unfortunately, his English was moderately poor due to lack of practice but his Spanish was perfect and would surely come in handy at one point.
They did have plenty of youkai that spoke English but... they had to be picky with their choices. They needed to keep the circle of those who knew of Sesshomaru's condition small. It was bad enough one enemy was aware, they didn't need human competitors of his company, or demons that have been veering to run the inu-daiyoukai off his throne, to know he was disabled in any way.
Being an old friend of the family, and a respected demon, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that Satoshi would be careful, discreet, and deadly should Sesshomaru be threatened.
Shizu watched as Sesshomaru said something to the older of the two, and Dr. Asano blushed and laughed shyly. Rin seemed to tease her friend about her reaction, who jokingly snapped back and caused the other women's face turn bright red. The two began taking shots at each other, all the while laughing and blushing, as Sesshomaru's eyes darted between both of them with a curious look on his face. Then she heard what sounded like an owl laughing through her ear piece. Being in an owl form, Satoshi could not speak to them, but they still gave him a tiny headset just in case.
At least, Shizu assumed it was laughter. Not like she ever heard an owl laughing before.
Rin glanced at her phone and gave them a few words in parting before sprinting back to her building, leaving the daiyoukai and her friend alone. Shizu simply kept drinking her coffee and looked through any updates on the special forces team they had in the vicinity that were going to take care of the other youkai. They thought they were protecting Rin for the most part, not Sesshomaru, and considering how often they were together, it all worked out. That's when she heard Satoshi hooting again, but in an annoyed kind of way...?
"I see she went back inside." Sango said, after Rin ran past her. "What's wrong with Satoshi-sama?"
Shizu looked over and saw Dr. Asano had gotten closer to the daiyoukai, a mischievous look in her eyes as she whispered to him. The doctor then placed her hand over his thigh under the table, but the daiyoukai just looked at her in confusion, and Satoshi kept hooting angrily. Shizu guessed Dr. Asano must be flirting with Sesshomaru.
"Satoshi-sama – Snowy Owls never come this far down. Make too much noise and someone is going to see you." Sango commented.
It made Shizu look over the large tree he was in and, sure enough, there were a group of staff members ooing and ahhing at the exotic bird. He did try to hide in the leafy branches, but his perfect white feathers stood stark against the dark bark and deep green leafs. She began to stand, knowing the owl was going to get more pissed as it was much harder for a youkai to reign in emotion and instinct in their true forms, but Satoshi made a move first, flying down from the tree at incredible speed and taking a warning swipe at Dr. Asano head.
… Maybe discreet was not the best word to use to describe Satoshi.
The doctor yelped and ducked down to the ground, but Sesshomaru stayed in his chair despite how close the lethal talons had gotten and seemed more interested in the owl itself instead of the woman's distress. "Oh god..." Shizu started, a hand covering her face in complete disbelief at what she witnessed as people started to gather around the doctor in concern.
"What happened...?" Sango asked, having heard a bit of commotion and seeing some people run over the outdoor dining area.
"Satoshi-sama just tried to take Dr. Asano's head."
"WHAT?!"
:~;
Sesshomaru was inside one of the playrooms for the younger children at the hospital that was getting a bit of an update. They needed help removing all the old furniture, and the woman in charge asked for him and one other volunteer. While the two quietly moved everything according to the manager's instruction, Dr. Beckett was passing by and asked the woman, "Need anymore help?"
"If you aren't busy!" She replied with a smile.
Sesshomaru glanced at him, he was wearing normal clothing so perhaps he had been leaving, but paid him no more mind. He went to securing the drawers of a small entertainment center so he can move it without the bother of emptying it. They were waiting for a maintenance man to bring a dolly but that was awhile ago and only a few more things needed to be moved before they were done. It was not heavy for him anyway. That was when John approached him, "I can help you with this."
He looked at the blonde man, if Rin's reactions to his strength at the gym were any indication, he would not be able to help him at all. The piece of furniture was well-made, solid wood unlike some of the other pieces the other volunteer was taking care of, and all the toys, games, etc. weighed it down further...
But the doctor appeared to be well-muscled. Surely it would be fine? It was a bit bulky and would be a bit of a pain to take on his own, even if it wasn't heavy. Sesshomaru just nodded at him, and they both stood at opposite ends before lifting it off the ground.
… In a way. While the doctor was able to get it off the ground, he had trouble getting it up to a more comfortable carrying position, and certainly didn't have the strength in his arms or grip to walk with it. They set it down and the doctor frowned, "Is there still stuff inside?" Sesshomaru nodded, and the blonde man chuckled, "Then of course its too heavy. We got to empty it."
He obviously didn't notice he had zero problem lifting it as is. "That is unnecessary. I can carry it."
John frowned again, "No, its too heavy and wide for one person. I don't want you to throw your back out, that would upset Rin."
Sesshomaru just stared at the man for a moment and then ignored the blonde, moving to the center of the wooden piece, crouching down and tensing his quads and hamstrings before he lifted the furniture clear off the ground. He didn't see John's look of shock as the manager lead him to another room and pointed to where he could drop it off before going back.
After setting it down, he turned to head back as well when John, who had followed him inside, stopped him. "You must work out..." Sesshomaru shook his head but it seemed his honesty annoyed the man. "Oh, come on. There is no way you would be able to lift that if you didn't. What's your regimen like?"
"I do not 'work out'. I went to the gym once with Rin, that was all."
"Fine, don't tell me." It was end of that conversation and the three finished moving everything when John spoke to him again after the manager thanked them and departed. "You and Rin seem close." Sesshomaru said nothing, waiting for the man to continue. "Are you two dating?"
"No." He replied, parroting what Rin had been telling the rest of the staff. And just like the rest of the staff, he didn't seem to believe him.
"You two are together every chance she gets. You even go home with her sometimes." ...How would he know that? "You can't blame me for not believing you."
"Its not my concern if you don't. I told you we are not." Sesshomaru stated with finality, a bit annoyed when the blonde followed him down the hall. He had another task requested of him that involved moving a disabled obese child to the bath so the nurse can wash him. Under normal circumstances, this wasn't a volunteer's job, but certain people had taken to calling him 'Superman' and asked him for strength-related tasks more frequently. After that, his shift was over which should line up with Rin's shift ending also, if no emergencies came up.
"Then its safe to assume you wouldn't mind if I ask her out, right?"
There was a tick in his jaw; the thought of her laying with someone else like they innocently had the other night made his fangs grind together – and the thought that it would be not-so-innocent with someone else like John made him want to dig his poisonous claws into the man's chest... but that was not his business nor did he understand why he cared so vehemently. She is a friend. That is all. "She is free to be with whoever she pleases."
"Well, in that case..." The doctor said, but was cut off as a familiar dark-haired woman rounded the corner and into the same hall as them. "Rin! What a coincidence! We were just talking about you."
Rin blinked in surprise at John, and gave a quick smile to Sesshomaru, before asking the blonde, "Talking about what?"
John shrugged, a hand scratching the back of his wild blonde hair, "Nothing really!" He grinned at her, "Are you leaving soon?" He asked, noticing that she had changed out of her scrubs and only had her coat over her civilian clothes.
"Yes, I just have to speak with one of my patient's parents before leaving. Then I have plans with Se—Yuki." They didn't actually have plans but... He tried not to care too much about John's crestfallen expression, but he couldn't deny the spiteful enjoyment he got from it. When a nurse waved him down from the end of the hall, he excused himself from the two and went on to complete his last task.
When he emerged from the room, he found Rin waiting against the wall next to the door, playing with her phone. "We should get you a phone. I've been meaning to get you one." She said, not looking up just yet. "There's a cellphone store in the shopping mall across the street from the apartment..." She slipped her phone into her coat pocket, before she smiled up at him. "Ready to go?" He nodded and they quietly made it to the train station just in time, then boarded, opting to stand by the opposite doorway instead of sitting.
Rin venting about work a bit until they got to the Brickell stop. "Let's head home first. I want to change." As they walked the short distance from the station to her apartment building, he heard a strange, buzzing noise coming from the alleyway right beside it, but when he looked down the way as they strolled past, there was nothing unusual. He frowned and put it away from his mind as they made their way into the apartment.
:~;
"Satoshi-sama... You can't just attack anyone you don't like." Sango scolded the older immortal being, now in his humanoid form, sprawled out in the backseat of their car. He was about a thousand years old, at least he believed he was – he never kept count, but appeared to be around his early-50's.
They were heading to Rin's apartment. It wasn't far, but traffic made the ride much longer than needed. The men they had on foot would likely get there before them, and a couple joined Rin and Sesshomaru on the train so they were not left unprotected.
"She is a harlot, and I'll do as I please." The daiyoukai responded haughtily, running his hand through his short, wild snow-white hair as he adjusted his long legs once more, barely having enough room in the back to accommodate his long and lean 6' 3" frame. They were going to need a bigger car.
Shizu laughed, "Mind telling us what happened? You might have heard wrong..."
"I assure you this Satoshi did not misinterpret that woman's intentions. The moment the lovely lady left, that harlot's tone changed drastically and she was making some preposition to him of meeting later and -" Satoshi was cut off by the sound of another driver honking at them, though they were the ones running the light and nearly collided with them. "What in the world? You are clearly in the right. You have the light! What is wrong with these people?!" He huffed, "This is why I stay in the arctic."
"Regardless of what she said, Satoshi-sama..." Sango started once the drive quieted down, "You still can't attack her. She is just a human woman. She is no threat to Sesshomaru-sama."
"Not a physical one, no." The owl replied, "But I like the other woman more, Rin, yes? And so does he. I will not have that harlot interfering."
Shizu scrunched her brows in confusion, moving in the passenger seat so her side was against the back and she could look comfortably at the daiyoukai, "Interfere with what? We are only here to protect him until Inuyasha deals with Naraku or whatever Naraku did to him."
"Oh, I am aware, but perhaps we can get a little more from this. He likes her. She likes him. Inukimi would be thrilled that her son has finally showed interest in something other than inflating his own ego."
"Even if he does, he isn't Sesshomaru-sama right now. He is... someone else. It doesn't count." Sango said, "Also, we won't know what happens when his memories return. He could even forget all of this."
"He is going to be very angry if he can't remember where his hair went." Shizu commented before adding, "But I agree with Sango-chan. And if he finds out we did nothing, or worse, encourage him to be in a relationship with some no-name human woman..."
"We have done nothing to push them together but they still smile and giggle together like two school children. They live together for goodness sake!" Satoshi exclaimed as he slammed a fist down on the leather seat, "What man accepts a woman's invite into her home if not for intimacy!"
"Things aren't the same around here..." Shizu tried to explain.
Sango added, "Things haven't been the same for awhile anywhere. If you didn't isolate yourself so far north and away from the world for decades at a time, Satoshi-sama, you would know."
"Whether he picked her or the other way around, his youki is far more than just comfortable around her. Its too late. The brat will just have to deal with it."
Sango grumbled, "That's easy for you to say. He won't hurt you."
"What do you mean about his youki?" Shizu asked.
"The boy has her wrapped like a pup protecting his new toy. You have a monitor for aura, don't you?" She nodded. "Pull it out once we see them again. You will see what I mean."
"Satoshi-sama, you have to give me your word you will attack no one else." Sango pulled the vehicle into a street parking spot a block away from the Cadem Apartment building. "We don't want to attract too much attention."
The owl released a large, dramatic sigh, "Alright. I'll keep my talons to myself."
:~;
He heard the buzzing again, this time there in the outdoor shopping mall as Rin picked out a phone that he persisted he didn't need, especially after seeing the cost. But she reasoned they didn't leave at the same time everytime, that it would just be a better way to stay connected in case something happened, and many other reasons that didn't seem very strong. Perhaps she was just in a shopping mood and was using him as an excuse.
"Blue or white?" She asked, pointing to two flat phones on display.
"White." Sesshomaru replied, still trying to pin point where the buzzing was coming from... but there was too much noise between all the people in the mall and the train not too far in the distance. The sound vanished once they left the store and Rin caught his attention when she grabbed his hand, giving him a curious look.
"Is everything alright? You seem distracted."
Now he was, feeling the shocking warm of her touch. "Yes, everything is fine."
She nodded at him and then seemed to be considering something, the index finger of her other hand tapping against her chin as she looked around the mall. He heard the whispers of a few women passing by, making comments on his appearance. While cutting off his hair helped with the overall amount of attention he got, his exotic colorings still garnered much scrutiny. His gaze flickered to the soft hand clasped over his, she still hadn't pulled away. She must have been too preoccupied with her thoughts... but he made no move to pull away either.
"Do you think I can get away with eating out? I know Dr. Lopez said the rest of the day was mine and I don't have to come in until tomorrow afternoon but..." She frowned, "I just haven't in such a long time. I ended up sleeping the whole day away yesterday... I'm so used to being called out of nowhere."
That was when he closed his hand around hers, making her flush in realization as she peaked at him from the corner of her eyes. "I believe you should. Where would you like to go?"
"Ah... Uhm... L-let's -" He couldn't help the smirk that curled his lips at her cute stuttering and she cleared her throat then pointed east, her face turning red. "Let's go that way. There is a pub I haven't been to in awhile. I have a friend who works there."
They made their way into an Irish pub that appeared very up-scale and modern on the exterior but held more a traditional look inside. Rin seemed to be searching for someone as she lead him to the bar on the second floor, the words CONFESSION BOX hung over the area, then she waved at a brunette woman behind the counter who just finished serving two patrons. "Oh my god, Rinnnn!" The woman squealed, running up and hugging her across the counter. "I feel like its been years."
Rin smiled, "Its been a few months now..." She sat down on a stool and he sat beside her. "How are things?"
"Oh, same old, same old, blah blah." The brunette leaned over the counter and not-so-discreetly asked Rin, "So who's the hottie? New boyfriend finally?"
"H-he isn't my boyfriend!" The woman turned red again and, despite how much he liked it, he was beginning to wonder if that was healthy. "His name is Sesshomaru but everyone just calls him Yuki. Sesshomaru, this is Estephanie."
"It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Oh, with that voice and those looks..." Estephanie smirked at them both, then leaned over by him as she rested her chin on her hand. "So, are you single, Yuki?" He swore he heard an owl hoot angrily in the distance.
He saw Rin tense and purse her lips before he replied, "I am."
"Maybe we should exchange n-numbers a-and-pffft- ahaha!" The brunette began to burst out laughing, looking at Rin. "You look like you want to carve me open."
She paled, "I do not!"
"She's a surgeon so I'm sure she knows the best, most efficient way how." Estephanie grinned, "Relax, Rinny. I'm ain't gonna reproach on my girl's territory." ...Her territory? He heard the buzzing again, it sounded like a large insect, but then a moderately loud snap and the noise ceased. 'How strange.' Something about it sounded familiar...
"He's n-not -"
"Ooh, we are still in stage one – denial. I see. One or two Old Fashions should fix that right up." Estephanie winked at him but he wasn't sure why... "Hungry?"
:~;
Rin ordered food for herself only as he wasn't hungry – and drinks for both at Estephanie's insistence – anything to get the woman off her back. She should have known she was going to tease her about him! She glanced over at Sesshomaru, thankful that he didn't seem to mind all that much. Probably used to it by now, she thought, with everyone at work always having something to say.
Estephanie set their drinks down first, mentioning her food will be ready soon before scampering off to the next customer. She grabbed the drink with a bit of hesitation, when was the last time she had something alcoholic? An Old Fashioned didn't seem the safest thing to start with. She took a sip and grimaced when the burning liquid flooded her mouth before swallowing. That was stronger than she last remembered. When she looked back at Sesshomaru, he already finished half of his drink and looked at the glass with curiosity.
"Like it?" Rin asked. He nodded. "Careful, go too fast and Estephanie might take that as challenge." She braved another sip of the strong drink, "What were you and John talking about before?"
"He asked about our relationship, to then ask you out."
She sighed, "I'm sorry. I keep telling him no... he gave me a box of chocolate when you left, he just wouldn't let me go without taking it."
"He has been trying for months you have said before. Is there a reason you don't find him appealing?"
"I wasn't ready then, I think." She downed a big gulp, determined to get through the drink to order something less harsh after... But it felt like she was going to fail. "Baggage from previous marriage and all." She was thankful when her friend returned, setting down her Guinness BBQ wings.
"You already done with that?" Estephanie asked, pointing to his near-empty glass, "You want another or maybe I can interest you in an Irish Breakfast shot? Its only $5 for happy hour!"
He glanced at her, questioning, and she nodded, "I'll take one too." That wasn't any less harsh... but a shot and chaser would be a lot easier to drink.
Estephanie pointed to her half-full glass, "You finishing that?" And she hung her head in defeat, making her friend laugh out loud. "I'll be right back."
"Are you ready now?" Rin blinked in confusion, her mouth currently occupied with a delicious chicken wing. "You said you weren't ready for a relationship then. That implies you are ready for one now." Crap… Is that what she said?
"I, uhm, I guess, maybe...?" She laughed nervously, "I don't know. I should move on already... But I'm probably too dedicated to my work to be able to have a decent, stable relationship with someone." Her eyes drifted to the large windows that spanned the entire opposite walls and she noticed a fluff ball of white in a tree, remembering a rumbling in the staff earlier. "I heard Sara got attacked by an owl...?"
Sesshomaru told her what happened as she ate, and she snorted at her friend's luck. The two continued drinking with a few inappropriate comments from Estephanie sprinkled in their conversation for every time she passed them that would leave her stammering. It didn't help that he wasn't embarrassed by them... He encouraged it, giving her that stupid smirk that made her heart pound and her breath hitch, and it only got worse and worse as the night continued.
When the clock hit 10:00PM, she realized they had been there for nearly 3 hours and she needed to stop the drinks if she wanted to be useful tomorrow. Thankfully, she wouldn't need to go in until 2PM. She nearly tumbled to the floor when she rose from her seat, severely underestimating her now poor tolerance, but he caught her before her face meet the floor.
"Are you alright?" The words died on her lips when she looked up at him, his arm still around her waist as his golden eyes flickered with concern. She never noticed how there was a darker ring of color in the outer edge of his iris, or the subtle pointed ends of his pupils that was almost cat-like, or -
"Oh, she definitely is now." Estephanie snickered, causing Rin to step back too suddenly from him... and having him catch her again, saying something about returning home before she hurt herself. "Buenas noches! Don't be a stranger!"
When they walked outside the bar, she noticed the white blob was still in the tree and she pointed at it, "Look! Isn't that the same owl?" 'I mean how many white owls are there in Florida?' The owl hooted once before it took off, and Rin frowned in disappointment, "Aww, he was pretty..."
Rin then nuzzled the firm bicep of the arm that was linked around hers, and a took a deep breath of his scent, finding the woodsy smell calming. She did that a few times before he spoke, "Do you hear that?"
"Hear what...?" She tried to focus her impaired senses but to no avail, besides super hearing was probably just anoootheerrr thing the man possessed. She squealed in shock when the white owl suddenly returned, taking down a large wasp-looking insect that must have been hovering in the small canopy of trees over them. It beheaded the insect with its talons on the ground before it looked up at them both and saluted...? Before it flew off again. But Sesshomaru looked at the carcass like it was something he had seen before.
"Did... Did the owl just, with its wing... and... what?" She rubbed her face with the her free hand, she must have drank too much. "Let's hurry back."
:~;
"SA-TO-SHI-SA-MA." Sango grounded out into her mic, "WHAT. ARE. YOU. DOING."
They had been taking down saimyosho all night while the other soldiers found their nests and burned them. They did so without rousing any suspicion from Sesshomaru, Rin, or any of the civilians around them. Until the owl spotted a rouge insect a bit close to them. It was fine that he killed it. She could even excuse him from doing it in front of them. He is an owl, they hunt and kill – not in the city – but its fine.
She couldn't excuse the winged salute he gave Sesshomaru before flying off.
Still in his owl form, he just hooted at her, but it sounded arrogant and it was enough to grind her teeth in annoyance. It didn't help that Shizu found it hilarious, having seen the act through her binoculars.
"What?!" The woman exclaimed when Sango's glare turned to her, "It was cute!"
Sango exhaled, pulling her silenced rifle back from the edge of the roof once she saw the couple safely enter the apartment building, but not before Rin successfully tripped over the front steps. That was when Satoshi joined them, returning to a humanoid form. "You worry too much. Everything is fine. The woman is intoxicated, she will dismiss it as a figment of her imagination."
"I suppose. She did call you pretty after all." Sango retorted as she slipped her weapon back in its case, and Shizu snorted at Satoshi's insulted face before he cleared his throat and scoffed,
"You are lucky I find you to be a ravishing woman, Sango-kun, or I would find your words deeply offensive."
She completely ignored his comment, "Our men haven't found who planted those nests but appeared to burn them all. I'm making them do one more round around here to ensure none are left before they rotate shifts. We are going to be in the Hilton a block from here. Are you coming with us?"
"I do not require rest yet. I can join the watch."
Sango shrugged and gestured Shizu to follow, "Suit yourself."
:~;
"Oww." Rin hissed once they were inside her apartment and she crashed on her sofa, the broken skin on her knee burning from the scrap against the concrete. She was almost here too. Sesshomaru reappeared rather quickly, kneeing before her and wiping the dirt and blood off with a soaked cloth. She winced at the contact but drifted her attention to his face once he was oddly still. "Sessho—AH! Hey!"
He just licked her knee. She didn't know what to do or say, and shivered when his tongue swiped over the damaged skin again, "Wh-What are you doing!?" She squeaked, her hands flailing in front of her, not sure if she should stop him. But she didn't stay like that for long as he pulled away, lowering her leg back to its original spot. Curious about the tingling feeling left behind, she inspected her knee to find it a bright pink, the superficial scrap gone. "What... What did you do? How?"
But he simply shrugged, as if it didn't surprise him. He must have done it before maybe? "Are you better now?"
"Yeah, but... Can... can I have a sample of your saliva?" He cocked his head in confusion and she shook the thought out of her head. The doctor in her was dying to take a sample of his blood since they met, and now his saliva!, but she was afraid of any repercussions that could take place. It would not be fair to have him agree to tests or trials when he was not in the right mind to do so – with no memory of himself. Maybe one day! "Don't worry about it. Thanks though!" She then shifted gears,
"So... that huge bug... That wasn't normal." Rin stated, testing the man... because if something wasn't normal, it probably had something to do with him... and she noticed him tense as he rose back to his feet. Miami was filled with mosquitoes and other insects – but absolutely NOTHING of that size. "Okay, so it was real. And you know what it is." She patted the cushion next to her, "Come on, let's talk." She hiccuped.
The man sighed before he sat beside her a bit gracelessly, she realized, wondering if the drinks were finally catching up to him. "I've heard those annoying bugs before I met you." She gasped, was... was he actually going to take about before? "There was a woman... her name was Kagura. I could only hear her voice for the day I spent with her, there was a poison in my eyes, she said, her English was a bit broken... She told me she needed to get me out of the country, that a spider was going to kill me."
"... A spider?"
Sesshomaru reluctantly nodded, "I believe that is what she said. My hearing was also impaired, unfortunately. We were riding on something light and soft through the air for hours. She didn't say much to me." He scoffed, "I did hear her say I was a 'pain in the ass', and I better appreciate the risk she took stopping him from absorbing me... I didn't have a chance to ask what she meant. We had landed. She suddenly shoved a pair of swords in my hand and told me to run, the... hanyou? Was coming."
Her heart jumped at the Japanese word, "Half-demon?"
"Is that what it means?" She nodded. "There was loud buzzing again, a large amount, like that insect from before. I heard his laughter, and her screaming and the smell of her blood. My vision was returning but it wasn't enough.. I couldn't..." He shook his head, "The wind blew away and I landed somewhere quiet. I don't know where I was, but I couldn't feel her or him anymore. I buried the blades when I realized they brought too much attention, I didn't want them to be taken away. Then wandered for a few weeks, I met you and you know the rest." Rin tapped her finger against her chin, mulling over his story, before he stated, "I realize that my story is more stranger than I originally thought, now that I have been living a 'normal' life with you. I wouldn't blame you if you don't believe me."
Rin didn't like his tone and placed her hand over one of his fists, "Sometimes... when he thought I couldn't hear him, whether on the phone or in his sleep, I heard my ex-husband mutter about things about... hanyou, and youkai, and mikos. It was one of the main reasons why our marriage didn't work out. He had so many secrets..."
She swallowed the lump in throat, hating to dig up old memories, and she rested her head on his shoulder for some comfort. "It was like he lived another life at work. I could never know what he did, or how long his job would keep him, sometimes it would be months! He couldn't even tell me how his day was... And then he – Ugh, I'm going off-topic... I believe you, Sesshomaru, I just wish I knew how to help you."
"That is what you have been doing..." She felt him nuzzle the top of her head, the affection bringing a smile to her face momentarily but she rebutted,
"You're sweet, but we aren't closer to your memories." She lifted her head off of him and stared into his expressive eyes, "What if... What if you never remember?" He had been with her for about a month now, and he hadn't gained a single memory.
He looked away, "I will leave when I become too much of a burden."
She 'tsked' and nearly rolled her eyes, not failing to notice he said 'when', not 'if'. "Shut up." She nearly laughed at his shocked face, "You can always leave if you want to, but don't use me as an excuse because I don't want you to leave." She mumbled the last part, her mouth running faster than her mind. She enjoyed having someone to come home to after being alone for so long, and was no where near ready to give that up.
His hand snuck around her and gripped her waist, pulling her closer. "Then I will stay for as long as you want me." She relished the feeling of his closeness for a few moments before her eyelids began drooping. She cracked a yawn.
Rin pulled away and stood, raising her arms overhead as she stretched her back. "We'll talk more tomorrow. I'm going to bed. You can have the other side if you want."
"Are you sure you are comfortable with that?"
Now she did roll her eyes, "...Do you want to sleep on the pull-out bed alone?"
"No." He responded far too strongly and far too quickly. He looked away, and she swore she saw a tinge of pink coloring his cheeks.
Rin laughed and grabbed his hand, pulling him to his feet. "Then let's go to bed."
:~;
"This marks the 14th missing child this past month. Authorities have said the only thing that links these missing children together is, oddly, illness -" Shizu shut off the TV once she heard her partner's phone ringing.
"Inuyasha, you look terrible." Sango commented the moment the hanyou answered the video call from her. Her and Shizu were in the Hilton hotel, just a block away from Rin's apartment and giving him a call to give their daily report. Shizu came over curiously and sat beside her while looking over at the phone.
"She's right."
The hanyou glared at them, "Shut up! That's not why you called -"
"Your tie is torn, your suit is wrinkled, your hair is sticking out everywhere – have you been pulling it?" Sango asked, her brows furrowed with a tinge of worry. She could imagine how stressful running his brother's company would be – since it was also a front for everything youkai-related in Japan. The position was political as much as it was business.
Of course, it could have been easier for him if ever bothered to swallow his pride and learn the basics from Sesshomaru before he needed it but...
"NO! Now, what's -"
"You have! Look, there's a bald spot next to his ear!" Shizu exclaimed, pointing to the screen.
"Inuyasha, is everything alright over there...?" Sango pushed again and another person appeared from behind him.
"Sango!" Kagome waved excitedly, before answering. "Don't worry about Inuyasha. He is taking lessons from Sesshomaru's mother and well..."
"Ohhh..." Both Sango and Shizu said, before shaking their heads in pity for the hanyou. No further explanation was needed.
"Damn it, just tell me what's going on!" Inuyasha growled, obviously irritated by the sympathy.
Sango explained the events of the day, making sure to let him know that Satoshi was doing whatever pleased him and that he had plans to play matchmaker. "... Seriously?"
"Yes." She also mentioned the amount of saimyosho that appeared and asked if there were any new developments back in Japan.
"I can answer that!" Kagome reappeared on screen, snatching Inuyasha's phone. "Tsukuyomaru-sama found a few, strong trails of miasma in the Oki Islands, he believes they all lead to Chiburijima but he's still checking it out. The sea winds make it hard to follow the trail."
"I'm glad to hear he is alright." Shizu said warmly and Sango nodded.
Abruptly, the call switched to voice-only, the video cutting off. Sango and Shizu looked at each other quizzically before Sango put the phone in between both of their ears. "Kagome?" They heard Inukimi's voice scolding Inuyasha and Kagome's nervous laughter.
"Uhh... We'll talk more tomorrow. Bye!"
"Bye...?" The two woman replied before the call cut.
"I hate being away from my mate... but I'm glad we aren't over there right now." Shizu mumbled, getting off her partner's bed and jumping into her own. Sango chuckled, agreeing with her before she also settled in bed. Her last thought was praying that Satoshi will behave while they were gone before sleep took her.
End of Chapter 3
Author's Note: I wasn't expecting to have this out already but it just happened so yay!
Thanks to: Esmereilda, kagomeLove2, PAMILA DE CASTRO, WildHeart44, Taraah36, Guest #1, Ildik0 and Guest #2 for reviewing!
There was a question about the length of the story (and that's the only question I can answer, sorry!). Its only a estimate that could change, I don't think it would take too long to resolve this and I'm worried about dragging it on. My chapters are generally longer than most so keep that in mind!
Also thanks for the all the favs and follows from my silent readers! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! :D