Chapter 3: Inuyasha Crew...in my house?!

Everyone congregated under the small overhang of the barn while I closed it up and locked the doors. I noticed that, for the most part, everyone seemed tired and hungry. Sesshomaru looked very agitated and constantly let low, rumbling growls escape his throat whenever someone got too close. I sneezed, and the whole group turned to look at me. I grinned tiredly.
"Sorry. We're gonna have to run for the back porch," I said, repositioning the hood of my sweater over my head. Everyone silently agreed, some nodding.
I took off, sprinting through the heavy rain towards the covered part of my back porch. The others followed close behind me. I quickly opened the back door and allowed everyone inside. I had let them into my art studio, a good sized room that housed my canvases and painting supplies. I found the light switch and the track lights came on. Now I could see the damage. Everyone's clothes were so heavy with water; they all looked as if they were melting. I excused myself and headed for the bathroom. I grabbed all the clean towels I could and stacked them in a laundry basket. I then carried them back to the studio, where I found many of my guests were already removing extra layers of clothes. "I'll get something for you to change into," I said, setting the basket of towels down, grabbing one for myself and turning to leave again. I immediately headed for the hall closet. 'I know mom put that box of spa robes in here somewhere,' I thought, opening the door and searching the writing on each box. "Ah-Ha," I said, pulling the large box from the bottom of the closet. "I just knew she put them here." I opened the box to inspect the robes. Ten brand-new cotton terry spa robes, blue and ankle length.
"Perfect..." I said, dragging the box out of the hall, through the kitchen and into the studio. The gang looked up as I drug the box inside. Without warning, I felt my foot catch on a sheet and I screeched as I tumbled backwards.
"OW! Snap-ski, that hurt!" I whined, getting back to my feet and turning to see how everyone was doing. Kagome had Shippo wrapped in a towel and I could hear him giggling as she fluffed him with it. Inuyasha's hair was now a wild mess of silver and he had stripped his haori and undershirt off, exposing his bare chest. Sesshomaru had removed his armor and was drying his hair. Rin was running after Jaken with an extra towel. Sango was sending threatening looks at Miroku, who was obviously being as perverted as always. Kirara was curled up inside a towel on the floor near Sango's feet and Kouga sat in a corner drying his legs.
"Alright," I said, clapping my hand," I brought some robes for you. Boys stay here and change and the girls come with me." Sango, Kagome, Rin and Kirara got up and walked towards me. Kagome smiled and stopped in front of me.
"May Shippo come, too? I can't leave him with Inuyasha, or else they'll fight." I giggled.
"Of course," I said, smiling. Kagome turned and called Shippo to her. The little kittson bounded out of Miroku's arms and into Kagome's waiting ones. I picked up four robes from the box and handed them to the girls.
"The rest are for you," I said to the group of guys staring at me. "When you're done, you can come out here," I said, indicating the kitchen. I then led the ladies through the kitchen, down the hall and into my room. I flipped a switch and the lights brought the room to life. The soft blue walls glowed slightly and the silver silk sheets gleamed in the dim light. "Your room in beautiful," whispered Kagome, glancing around it. I smiled.
"Thank you. You're welcome to use the bathroom to freshen up and my hairdryer is on the counter. I'm gonna change really quickly and get back in the kitchen. I'll make some snacks and warm drinks for you." Kagome and Sango both smiled at me.
"This is so kind of you," Sango said, "You've taken us in and you have no idea who we even are." I laughed nervously and rubbed the back of my neck.
"Well, actually, I DO know who you are, but I'll have to explain everything later," I said. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Rin hugging Shippo and Kirara. Kirara mewed happily and Rin giggled. I couldn't help but grin even more. Sango and Kagome both looked a little confused, but began changing into the robes I had provided for them. I went to my closet and slid the door open half way. Reaching in, I grabbed my kimono-style robe and began changing, The micro-fiber and silk was so warm and it was a relief to finally be wearing something dry. I picked my towel back up and began fluffing my long hair. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me," I said, heading for the door.
"Okay. Thank you," I heard Kagome say. I closed the door behind me and headed down the hall to the kitchen. None of the guys had emerged from the studio, but I could tell they were all still in there. Jaken's annoying voice screeched inaudibly as he spoke to Sesshomaru. I rolled me eyes and walked over to a set of cabinets.
Opening the doors, I grabbed a large tea kettle and a pot. I filled both with water, set them on the stove and turned on the heat. 'Now...some snacks' I thought, turning to my left, toward the pantry. I opened up the doors and stepped inside. Rows of shelves lined with food towered over me. I glanced around and grabbed some chips and cookies. As I was about to step out of the pantry, I heard the door to the studio open and I peeked out to see who it was. I found myself staring back into a pair of big, golden eyes. Inuyasha was peeking out of the door, a look of mild confusion on his face. I stepped out and smile at him.
"Please come in. It's alright," I said. He opened the door enough to squeeze himself through comfortably, but I managed to see the far walls of the studio and a glimpse of Sesshomaru's bare back. I took in a quick breath. Even though it had only been a brief exposure, I could clearly see the lines of muscle that ripped over his shoulders and down to his waist.
'God, he's gorgeous...' I thought, lost in a daze. I soon realized that Inuyasha had already closed the door and was now giving me a weird look.
"Are you okay?" he asked, sounding irritated. I shook my head to clear my mind and smiled at him.
"Yes, I'm fine." Turning my attention back to the bags of food on the counter. I found a large bowl for the chips and a plate for the cookies and set them out.
Once I had the snacks all set out, I began to pull coffee mugs from a shelf above the sink. I also grabbed a tin from another shelf, which contained several different varieties of tea and a few pouches of hot cocoa mix. I turned to look at Inuyasha, but was surprised to see everyone standing around, mostly staring at me. I giggled nervously and blushed.
"Wow, that was...fast. Is anyone hungry?" I asked, indicating the plate of cookies and bowl of chips. Before I knew it, they had practically pounced on the food.
Sesshomaru, Kagome and Sango were the only ones who stood back. As usually, Kouga and Inuyasha fought over the chips, while Miroku, Shippo and Jaken tore apart the cookies. I looked up at Kagome and sighed.
"Allow us," said Kagome, rolling up the sleeves of her robe. "Inuyasha...SIT!" came the command from her mouth. Inuyasha went crashing to the floor. Sango grabbed Miroku by an ear and Shippo by his tail. Most surprising, though, was Sesshomaru, who grabbed both Jaken and Kouga and flung them back away from the counter. Pieces of chip and cookie littered the counter top and I began scooping it into a trash bag. Kagome helped, ignoring the muffled curses coming from Inuyasha. Once everything was cleaned up, I went back into the pantry and came back out with another bag of chips, some dried fruits, a bag of marshmallows and some gram crackers. I set down my finds and picked up the tea tin. "If you want tea, feel free to choose which one you want," I said, opening it and taking a pouch of green tea out for myself. Everyone began to browse through the assortment in the tin. I picked up the pouches of hot cocoa and smiled at Rin and Shippo.
"I have something special for you two." I picked up two mugs and filled them with hot water, then adding the cocoa mix. After stirring them up, I handed a mug to each of two children.
"Careful, now. It's hot," I said, smiling as Rin and Shippo both began to blow on the contents of their cups. I watched them taste it and they both squealed in delight. I turned back to the counter and filled the rest of the mugs with hot water. Everyone chose a mug and put their tea bag in the water to let it mix. I took a small bowl from a cabinet and got a carton of cream from the refrigerator. I poured a generous amount in the bowl and placed it in the microwave.
"And here's something for you, Kirara," I whispered, setting the warmed bowl of cream on the floor in front of her. She mewed and began lapping it up anxiously.
"Let's go in the living room! There's much more room there than there is here." We all moved out of the kitchen. I made a left and went down a few steps to where the lounge area of my living room was. Two large black leather couches sat parallel to each other. A glass coffee table was placed in the center on a faux fur rug and the fireplace lay to the left. A few armchairs dotted the room as well.
"Make yourselves comfortable," I moved towards the fireplace and, taking a few logs from the nearby rack, began stacking the wood in preparation for a fire.
"So...how do you know us?" asked Kagome, sipping her tea and settling into the couch. I lit a match and began the tedious task of lighting the logs.
"Yeah! That's what I wanna know," growled Inuyasha, folding his arms over his chest and glaring over at me. "I've never seen or smelled you before in my life"
The kindling had begun to smoke and tiny flames licked at the larger logs. I tossed the match into the small blaze and, standing up, turned to look at my company.
"I guess I better explain myself," I whispered, picking my mug up from the coffee table and stepping back again. "But first, I need to introduce myself.
My name is Victoria, or Vicki for short. I'm 20 years old and I'm a figure skater, but I'm studying medicine. As for how I know you...I'll just have to show you"
"Wait, what's a figure skater?" asked Miroku, grinning and looking a little intregued. I smiled and picked up a picture frame from a side table. Holding it up so everyone could see, I said,
"This! I put on these special shoes that allow me to glide across the ice. It's pretty fun!" The picture I was holding was one of Eric and me holding hands and skating backwards around a curve together. It was my favorite picture of us. It also was the first competition we ever did together. I looked up and noticed Kagome gazing up at me with wide eyes.
"You're so lucky! I've always wanted to know how to ice skate," she said, a dreamy look crossing her face. I smiled.
"Well, maybe I could teach you sometime. Hey...where are my boys?" I questioned, looking around. I hadn't seen Blitz or Rupert since I came in.
"Your...boys?" asked Sango, looking a bit confused.
"Blitz! Rue! Come, boys!" I called. The sound of claws against wood floors reached my ears as both my dogs tore out of the far hallway and barreled towards me. I barely had enough time to set my mug down before being bowled over by my feisty canine friends. Blitz barked happily and bowed playfully. Rupert gave a small howl and wiggled around. Both licked my cheeks uncontrollably and I giggle.
"Sheesh, I was only gone a little while you two. What's gotten into you?" I sat up and ruffled Blitz's fluffy coat. Standing back up, I brushed dog hair from my robe and sent the dogs to their beds in the far corner. I noticed Inuyasha sniffing the air in the direction of the dogs. I suppressed a giggle, as he turned back to face me. I turned to the left and opened the door of a wooden storage case. Inside was my Anime DVD collection. I grabbed for an Inuyasha DVD and stood up.
"Oh, good!" I said, closing the doors while looking at the DVD case in my hand. "This has my favorite episode on it." I walked to the wall opposite of the fireplace,
where my Plasma TV hung on the wall. I turned it on and put the DVD in the player below the TV. Grabbing the remote, I looked back at the group.
"Now...I can answer your question," I said, pressing the play button on the remote. Immediately, images of the various characters began to appear on the screen as the intro to the series started playing. Instead of watching the TV, I studied the expressions of the company. Kagome, Sango and Miroku only showed mild surprise, while Inuyasha looked as if he'd just seen a ghost. Shippo and Rin seemed to enjoy the moving pictures. Jaken muttered to Sesshomaru, who watched the screen without expression and Kouga glared at the screen as if irritated by it. I soon found my eyes wandering back to Sesshomaru, taking in every detail of his face. His skin was indeed a very pale tone, but a slight pink flush seemed to float just below the surface. His eyes were, without a doubt, his most striking feature. They were a deep golden color, with slight flecks of yellow. His eyelashes were medium length, but grew thick. Fine, dark eyebrows set just right framed everything. The amount of intelligence was immeasurable in his gaze. He seemed to take in everything around him, as well as the movie. I sighed, a little louder than I wanted to, and soon found myself staring into the eyes I had just been studying. My heart began to race. He showed no change in emotion, except for a glimmer in his eyes as he narrowed them slightly. Something about him made me uneasy and, at the same time, relaxed.
I snapped back from my daze and focused my vision, looking back at Sesshomaru again. He had never broken eye contact. For a second, I thought I'd seen a smirk cross his lips, but then it was gone, and he redirected his gaze back to the TV screen. I shivered and shook myself.
"Are you alright, Vicki?" asked Kagome, glacing over at me. I nodded. The episode on the DVD ended and I stopped it. Turning off the TV, I turned to look at my company.
"See? You're all cartoon characters. Very popular, too!" I said, taking the DVD out of the player and placing it back in it's case. I looked at the group and returned to my chair.
"May I ask a question now?" I asked. The group seemed to agree together. I leaned forward a little. "How did you all get here?" "Well," started Kagome, "We were in the middle of fighting Naraku and...I think he cast some kind of spell on us. The next thing we knew, we were here." I thought for a second.
"Why do you think he'd do something like that," I asked.
"I don't know," whispered Kagome, yawning drowsily. I smiled and stood up.
"It's late. I'll show you all where you can sleep"
"No thanks," Kouga droned, stretching as he stood. "I'd prefer to sleep outside." He sauntered towards the door, hands clasped on the back of his head. "Feh!" muttered Inuyasha "Go ahead and drown, yah damn wolf." Kouga didn't even stop when he muttered,
"Shut your face, mutt boy." Kagome glared at both of them.
"That's enough out of both of you!" She hissed. She wasn't in any mood to hear more of their bickering.
"Inuyasha, can you not show courtesy to our host," came the smooth voice of Sesshomaru. He gazed expressionless upon his little brother and Inuyasha glared back.
"Feh! Now you decide to hide your true side?! Don't play this game with her, Sesshomaru," Inuyasha growled, pointing to me. I looked between Sesshomaru and Inuyasha and could tell the tension was building.
"True," said Sesshomaru," I do not normally accept such kindness, but since we are in such a strange place, I feel it necessary to." Inuyasha didn't reply. He knew if he opened his mouth to argue, he'd get a scolding from Kagome.
"Well," said Miroku, "shall we proceed to our quarters?" I smiled weakly at the monk.
"Yes, let's shall," I replied, as the whole group stood and began following me through the house. One by one, I showed them each to a room. When I finally reached the last room, I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Now, who's last?" I whispered, turning to see. I was a little surprised to see Sesshomaru standing there, glowing slightly in the dim lighting. He began to move towards the door, but then stopped and turned to face me. I was now between him and the wall with only 1 1/2 feet separating us. My breath caught in my throat as he made eye contact with me. It felt like I was floating, almost as if in some strange dream. I bumped against something and I found myself standing alone in the hallway by Sesshomaru's room. I shook my head to clear it and returned to the art studio. The guys' clothes were scattered everywhere, save for Sesshomaru's, who were folded neatly and placed in a pile. I proceeded to pick up the drenched clothing, placing it in the now empty clothes basket and retrieved the clothes from my bedroom as well. Taking the now heavy basket to the laundry room, I sorted the clothes and tossed those I deemed washable into the washing machine, added soap and turned it on.
"Phew!" I sighed, wiping my face on the sleeve of my robe. I turned to look at what need hand-washing. I glared at the pile of white silk that was Sesshomaru's clothes.
"Are you trying to tell me something?!" I yelled at the ceiling, quite perturbed now. I took a deep breath and relaxed. "You've gotta wash them, Vicki. He can't exactly walk around naked"
'Or can he?' said a little voice in the back of my head. My eyes grew big as the thought began to register. "No! What am I doing?! I can't think like that! ARGH!" I growled, flinging the heap of silk into the clothes basket and heading for the kitchen. Finding a large bowl, I put a small amount of mild laundry detergent in it and filled it with water. Piece by piece, I placed the clothes into the bowl and left them to soak. After mopping up the water in the studio and cleaning the counters, I returned to rinse Sesshomaru's clothes. Placing them back in the basket, I returned to the laundry room and put the clothes from the washer into the dryer. I hung Sesshomaru's garments on hangers and put them up so they could dry. After all the clothes had been dried and put up, only then did I proceed to my own room, exhausted and hungry. I flopped down on my bed, enjoying the cool feel of the sheets below me. I smiled to myself and closed my eyes.
'No one will ever believe this..." I thought, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

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Okay, sorry it took so long to finish. Well, while over viewing it, it comes across kinda corny in some parts. All the boring crap is pretty much out of the way now. I hoping to start getting more into the whole plot of the story soon. Also, I apologize for the crappy titles. Please R&R and be nice! Thank you to all you wonderful readers so far. I'm really enjoying writing this.