Disclaimer: I do hereby disclaim all rights and responsibilities for the characters in this meandering Saturday morning… especially for the one who's nearly late for her lesson. A nod of recognition is bent towards Rumiko Takahashi for her creative prowess.

Family

When Sango showed up two hours before her shift on Saturday, Inuyasha did a double-take. When she explained why she was early, he glared in the direction of the back room and growled, "Shippo, run the register for a while; Miroku, you're in charge of the coffee." Fixing her with flashing golden eyes, he said, "I'm going in with you."

Sango frowned in confusion and asked, "Is there something I should know about your brother?"

"Yeah, kinda."

"Don't tell me he's a pervert, too?" she sighed, cutting a glance in Miroku's direction.

Inuyasha snorted. "Nah, nothing like that, but he's just as much of a pain… worse in some ways."

"What do you mean?"

Catching the wariness in her posture, the hanyou tugged at his ear and lowered his voice. "Look, you handle Miroku just fine, but there's no handling Sesshoumaru. You can't put him in his place; you have to learn yours." As a spark of anger kindled in her eyes, he scrambled to explain. "He's very… uh… old-fashioned, I guess you could say. It's a youkai thing… pack stuff."

She considered this for a moment, then nodded. "Demon Relations is a required course for all students, so while I didn't grow up around youkai, I know the basics," she offered.

Inuyasha relaxed slightly. "Yeah, well… my brother is a textbook alpha male. Founder's is his baby, and he doesn't like just anyone mucking about in his shop. If he takes a disliking to someone, they don't last long. Have I mentioned he's kind of a bastard?"

"Yes, actually," she replied, a glimmer of amusement showing in her eyes.

The hanyou relaxed even more and jerked a thumb towards Miroku and Shippo. "Those two manage to stay on his good side. Miroku's too easy-going to let Sesshoumaru's fussiness get to him, and Shippo's too much of a brat to care about protocol. I'm kinda stuck with him, being family and all."

"So… you're worried about me because…?"

"Sesshoumaru is a perfectionist with insanely high standards, and he's sure to let you know just how far short you fall," Inuyasha stated plainly. "Don't let him get to you."

"I'll certainly bear that in mind," Sango cautiously replied.

With a brisk nod, the hanyou reached for the doorknob, adding, "All of us suffered through Sesshoumaru's lessons; even Shippo had them, and he's mostly a broom-pusher. Just keep in mind that my brother's snippy with everyone, so it's nothing personal."

Sango nodded slowly, but something about the way Inuyasha was talking about his own brother bothered her. She couldn't tell if he was undercutting him… or defending him. "Maybe it would be best to let me form my own opinions about him?" she dared to venture.

Inuyasha's dark brows shot towards his hairline just as a voice called from behind the closed door. "Are you quite finished, little brother? In another thirty-five seconds, Miss Sakamoto will be late."

"Keh." The hanyou curled his lip, and muttered, "Did I mention he's a bastard?" before marching through the door.

"And I am not snippy," Sesshoumaru smoothly added, gesturing for Sango to take a seat.

"You snip!" Inuyasha countered, his chin jutting defiantly. "And I'm not letting you scare Sango away."

"Hnn," his brother murmured as he flicked impossibly long, silver hair to one side and insinuated himself into his chair. "It sounded as though you were trying to scare her away with your little 'pep talk'."

"You had the last guy I hired in tears; I think fair warning is only fair."

"That Hojo boy cringed too much, for all his obsequiousness," Sesshoumaru said dismissively. "And I don't recall any complaints when I terminated young mister Jakotsu."

"Worst hire ever," Inuyasha grimly acknowledged. "But Sango's been working out great, and I don't want you getting all huffy once you find out…"

Sesshoumaru's nostrils flared and he raked his half-brother with a hard look before pinning Sango with cold eyes. "Find out what, precisely?"

"She doesn't drink coffee."

"Is that all?" Sesshoumaru sighed, flicking his long fingers in a gesture of nonchalance. "That simply means she can be properly trained to appreciate the subtle variations without the hindrance of preconceived notions. A clean palette could be considered an asset in her case. However, this doesn't excuse your attempt at slander."

"I didn't say anything that wasn't true!" Inuyasha argued.

The older sibling's golden eyes registered momentary irritation, and it was impossible to miss the patronization in his tone when he said, "You're always more mutinous at this time of the month."

The hanyou's eyes narrowed dangerously. "If I was planning a mutiny, do you think I'd chat about it ten feet away from your eavesdropping ass?"

Sesshoumaru sifted through the contents of a folder and placed a printout about Columbian coffee before Sango. The banter between brothers continued as her lesson proceeded, with neither of them giving much ground. She dutifully paid attention as the shop's owner lectured on the origins of the coffee bean and the advantages of inu-youkai senses in cataloging the nuances of flavor. Along the way, she learned a few very interesting things.

First of all, it became apparent that Inuyasha could toss around an impressive range of profanity when he was out of the earshot of his customers. It hadn't occurred to her that he might be any different than he was on the floor, and she watched him closely, trying to reconcile this rather surly display with her first impressions.

Second, she decided that Sesshoumaru was a very difficult person to read. The changes in his facial expressions were so minute as to be nonexistent, and Sango found herself relying on his voice for clues to his frame of mind. His smooth-as-cream tones managed to communicate a host of understated emotion—sarcasm, impatience, superiority, indignation. He really is a bit of a bastard… at least where Inuyasha is concerned. Sesshoumaru was going to be very difficult to please… but easy to work for. He laid out his expectations clearly and concisely, and he provided her with the means to achieve them.

Third, and possibly most confusing, Sango learned that these brothers—half-brothers, she corrected herself—were walking contradictions. Inuyasha scowled and sassed, but he stayed… and Sango knew that he made sure that every last detail at Founder's was run to his brother's liking. And while Sesshoumaru snipped and sighed about those who lacked culture and competence, he trusted his brother with his precious shop. The whole time she was in the back room with them, she couldn't get over the odd undercurrent that seemed to run contrary to everything that was happening on the surface.

When Sesshoumaru finally released her so she could begin her shift, Sango lifted her apron from its hook and slipped out the door, leaving the brothers to continue their 'discussion' in peace. Miroku and Shippo were waiting, and as soon as the flow of customers allowed for a quick conference, they cornered her.

"How did it go?" Miroku asked.

"He said I'm not completely hopeless," Sango relayed with a wan smile.

"Oooh, that's good!" Shippo assured her.

"He must have really taken a shine to you if he's lavishing that much praise this early on," Miroku agreed.

"Lavish?" Sango snorted. "He also requested that I change my brand of shampoo… and he wants to approve my course schedule before I register for next semester."

"Personal interest!" cheered Miroku, trying to soothe Sango's obvious indignation.

"…and a very sensitive nose," the kitsune added wisely.

She sniffed at the end of her ponytail, distractedly tapping the silky strands against her lips in a way that set Miroku's fingers to twitching. "I don't get those two; are they always like that?" she murmured.

"Like what?" Shippo asked, dropping his voice to an eager whisper.

"Well… it's hard to explain," she said slowly, searching for words. "There was so much friction between them, but I couldn't really tell if they were bitter rivals… or… hmm."

Miroku and Shippo exchanged a glance, and the young man leaned forward. "Or… what?"

Sango frowned, trying to put her finger on that elusive something she'd glimpsed. "If they weren't brothers, I'd swear they were flirting," she finally admitted.

It took a full three seconds for Shippo's jaw to complete its slow-motion descent as he boggled at her in utter disbelief, but his shocked silence was short-lived. In the next moment, he was laughing—long, rolling peals of merriment that turned heads and inspired smiles throughout the shop.

Miroku was already wiping tears from his eyes. "Sango, I think I love you," he declared, without an ounce of mockery in his chuckle.

"I dare you… I double dog dare you… to say that to their faces," Shippo gasped out.

"I think I'm sorry I said it at all!" she muttered heatedly, embarrassment burning in her cheeks.

She raised a warning finger when Miroku reached for her, but he merely gave the top of her head a gentle pat. "Let's be fair, now," he admonished, giving Shippo a pointed look. "Some courtship does resemble a battle, and those two have always enjoyed a highly volatile relationship."

"They didn't stop arguing the whole time I was in there," Sango said as she tried to duck out from under Miroku's warm hand. "Although… they never really disagreed with one another, either."

"It's always like this after one of Sesshoumaru's buying trips," Shippo remarked as the jangling of the front bell announced a new customer.

As the redhead darted to the register, Miroku finally drew his hand away, managing to make the release feel like a caress. "In their own very bizarre and slightly dysfunctional way, they're showing their affection for one another. The snarling is all for show, and it's a shoddy cover-up for a respect that runs several centuries deep."

Miroku moved towards his station to fill the new order, and Sango followed him, her curiosity piqued. "So, Sesshoumaru's been away?"

"Yep," Miroku confirmed. "This buying trip was six weeks, and he's only been back a couple days. The growling will settle down some by next week, though it never actually stops." Catching the skeptical look lingering on her face, he smirked and pointed towards the menu board and somewhat randomly asked, "Did you know that Founder's Coffee Shop's House Blend has won several prestigious awards?"

"As it happens, that was part of this morning's lesson," Sango replied, pleased to be in the loop for once.

"Well, consider this," Miroku continued. "That particular coffee is Sesshoumaru's personal blend; it's his favorite, and the recipe is a deep, dark secret that he's only shared with one other individual."

"Inuyasha," Sango guessed as Shippo rejoined them.

"The very same!" Miroku beamed. "If that's not proof of Sesshoumaru's implicit trust, I don't know what is."

"They're not friends, but they're family," Shippo offered, as if that explained everything.

"The only family each other has," Miroku added.

Sango's expression shifted through several emotions before settling on something soft and wistful. "That, I can understand."

"For us canine types, family is really important," said Shippo.

"Yes, it is," Miroku agreed.

For a fleeting moment, Sango wondered why it sounded as if he was including himself in the statement, but she simply nodded and said, "Family is precious."

End Note: This wasn't written for any particular contest. It simply needed to be. Posted on May 18, 2009… because it is a Monday. 1,878 words.