Chapter 3:
Drunken Inquiries
The third season of Inuyasha had come to an end, and the wrap party was this evening. Kagome's mother had offered to watch Rin for her, wishing her a great night. She was very proud of her daughter for dealing so well with the cards she was dealt; glad that she had done so well for herself and little Rin. As she watched her daughter race down the stairs, she thought aloud "so much can happen in 5 years, my dear Kagome. I can't wait to see what the next 5 years will bring".
He couldn't remember how his half brother had coerced him into being present as an event as public and informal as this. though the whelp had quite the selection of high quality shochu. heh.. If I didn't know well enough, I would think I've grown soft. He looked around the room at all of the guests present; most of which were already heavily intoxicated. He saw Sango, living up the night away from her children, hanging onto Inuyasha's arm. Beside them was Miroku, looking quite jousted and rather rose coloured. He counted the heads, and found one to be missing. He grabbed the bottle of shochu Inuyasha had so exuberantly given him and made his way to the only place he thought she might be.
The party the production team had thrown together was more then she could have imagined. They had obtained the sky room at 'The Peninsula,' a beautiful 24th story banquet hall over looking Tokyo bay, filled with the most high end furniture and floor to ceiling windows. It was breathtaking, yet she found herself wanting to be away from all of it. As she peered over the terrace railing, she had this odd sensation of flying, far above the city. The view out here was amazing. "This is much better"
"I couldn't agree more"
Kagome glanced over her shoulder at Sesshomaru, who took up a position by her side, one arm behind his back. As he looked out over the city and the bay, as if bored by it all, she couldn't help but ask a question that's been on her mind for a while, now: ".. Sesshomaru-sama… I've been wondering.. how long have you lived here in Tokyo? What I mean is.. It's been much longer then myself.. Hasn't it?"
He peered over at the young woman. "I think you may already know the answer to that question, Miko."
She was stunned, not even expecting an answer from him at all, she replied "so it's true.. Inuyasha.. You.. Naraku? That would mean that.. You have to be like.. At least five hundred years old, right?"
"In fact, I am much older them that... Are you surprised?" He turned a little more to face her. "Tell me woman, do you fear me, the great dog demon; the lord of the western lands; the killing perfection?
She contemplated him for a moment, and then glanced back inside at the rest of them. "actually.. I'm quite relieved. I thought that I was going crazy. The director telling all of us.. Humans that it was all just pop and flash.. But I could have sworn... Well I for one am glad that I'm not crazy. Thank you.. For telling me. I really appreciate it." She smiled up at him and turned to take a seat at a small yet elegant patio set. She motioned for him to sit down, and for a moment, he just stood there, staring at her. After a few moments, he choose to sit next to her, placing his bottle of shochu on the table along with a set of glasses.
Kagome smiled at him again. "Were you planning on sharing with me, Sesshomaru-sama?"
"I admit that I came prepared. When I noticed you out here, alone, I thought a bottle of shochu would make good company."
"A demon lord doesn't make bad company, either."
He began pouring them each a glass. Sliding her glass over towards her, he picked his up, and brought it to his nose. Taking a long inhale, he then sipped on the drink. Kagome watched, and then did the same. As she pulled her cup away from her mouth, she giggled. "It's so good! I can't remember the last time I had shochu. It's always had a tendency to make me feel so warm." She smiled at him, for the third time in the last ten minutes. Perhaps I've gone mad, or I've had a little to much to drink, but he's being so much more sociable then normal.
"It has been my preferred drink over the last five hundred years." He took another slow sip of his drink. He felt relieved, now that someone knew his secret, and accepted it so easily. She certainly doesn't see me quite like Rin, but maybe she would. she is a very perceptive girl.He placed his glass on the table. "I've also been meaning to ask you a question."
She blinked as him, not surprised by him for the first time tonight. "Oh, alright. Go ahead."
Getting straight to the point, as he so often did, he asked "Rin's father; Where is he?"
"Oh.. Well.." She looked away from him, off into the distance" I haven't heard from him since Rin was born. He lives in the States, and since his excuse was always about time and money, I'm not really surprised and I'm actually kid of glad that he's no longer in our lives." She turned to look at him. "If he was, I never would have taken this job and I never would have met.. All of you."
She smiled sadly, her emotions playing so clearly across her face. Hurt, sadness, and then hope. He had to look away from her. "A man that can walk out on his family is not a man. He is the scum of this earth, and not deserving of them or their sadness."
She continued to watch him. Noticing for the first time how slack him face had become. He didn't wear the usual cold and unflinching look, but the look of a man who had been broken himself. Somewhere inside, he was hurting too, and it was all too obvious.
He's drunk, isn't he? she smiled widely to herself, but quickly straightened her face, not wanting to scare the man back under his shell. She placed her hand on the table next to his, drawing his attention back to her. "thank you, Sesshomaru. For everything tonight."
Kagome's mother was tucked her Granddaughter into bed, sang her a lullaby, and as she was getting up to leave, Rin reached out tugged gently on her grandmothers hand; "Obaa-chan.. Do you think mama will give me a bother?". She looked so innocent and sincere, that Kagome's mother couldn't help but laugh. "We'll see, little one. Your Obaa-chan has high hopes that your mom will find great things soon."
Rin looked as if she was contemplating something, when she looked up at her and suddenly confessed " Rin like's Sesshomaru-sama a lot. Do you think mama will marry him?"
She didn't exactly know how to take that. Children can be so forthcoming.. Leave it to my little Rin to come up with that. The best way to deal with these things is to be just as bold. She kneeled down to Rin's level and professed truthfully " We all do what makes us happy in our hearts, dear. Your mom loves you very much and you make her equally as happy, but that kind of thing is up to her to decide if someone like Sesshomaru-sama can makes her happy too." She smiled at the complexity of emotions running through the five year olds eyes. Rin finally smiled back up at her "O.K. obaa-chan. Rin understands. Mama will take some time to choose the path that she believes in and to see Sesshomaru-sama how Rin see's him, and that's ok with Rin."
