Disclaimer: I do hereby disclaim all rights and responsibilities for the characters in this comic misadventure… especially for the one who's about to meet the family. A nod of recognition is bent towards Rumiko Takahashi for her creative prowess.

A Debt of Gratitude: With thanks to Fenikkusuken, mine beta.

This oneshot was originally posted to Live Journal on May 15, 2009.

Vendor

Inuyasha leaned out of the coffee shop's back room and called, "Oi, Miroku! Unlock the front door, will you? Someone's on their way over from Peep's."

"They're late this morning," commented Sesshoumaru, who was measuring freshly ground coffee with unwavering precision. "We open in twelve minutes."

"Yeah, I called over there to ask about the hold up, and their truck is out of commission," the hanyou replied. "Since we're one of their 'best customers', they're doing a rush delivery… so batten down the hatches."

"What's 'Peep's'?" Sango asked.

"One of our vendors; they're the bakery that stocks our case," Inuyasha explained, pointing to the gleaming shelves that were normally filled with a tempting assortment of cookies, muffins, and pastries. "The owner's a hassle and a half, but their stuff meets the resident food snob's standards."

"If I could hire either Ginta or Hakkaku out from under him, I would add my own bakery, but pack loyalty being what it is…." Sesshoumaru left the sentence hanging with an eloquently regretful shrug.

"You were damned lucky he let you keep Miroku," Inuyasha pointed out.

Sango was so wrapped up in the brothers' conversation, she didn't realized her nemesis had returned. "Excuse me," Miroku murmured next to her ear, causing her to jump as he reached around her to place a hand on top of a pile of fliers. "Would you mind holding down that stack of napkins?" he asked politely. When she peeked at him out of the corner of her eye, he smiled amiably. "Inuyasha was speaking quite literally when he said to batten down."

"If he reduces our order to crumbs, I'm not paying for it," Sesshoumaru flatly remarked.

"Rush deliveries are a pain in the ass," Inuyasha groused. "Why didn't they just send our stuff with you, Miroku?"

Sango was very conscious of the man's nearness as he hummed a noncommittal reply, but before she could extricate herself, he sang out, "Incoming!" Trusting Miroku's word for once, she quickly slapped her hand onto the napkins… just in the nick of time. With a violent jangling of the bell, the front door flew open, and she had to turn her face away from the full force of the wind that whirled through it.

Opening her eyes again, Sango realized that she was neatly burrowed against Miroku's shoulder and hastily pulled away, only to find herself under the assessing gaze of a smirking wolf youkai. "Uh… good morning?" she ventured.

Clear blue eyes studied her intently. "So Mutt-face really did hire a woman!" the newcomer exclaimed bluntly. Easing several large, white bakery boxes onto the counter, he offered his hand. "I'm Kouga."

"Sango," she returned, growing rather flustered when he took advantage of his grasp on her hand to move closer. Though she tried a gentle tug, he didn't take the hint. She was wondering if Sesshoumaru would care if she decked this Kouga person when three things happened almost simultaneously.

An arm slid around her shoulders from behind, pulling her firmly against Miroku's broad chest. A low growl rattled through the shop, which was menacing enough to make Sango grateful for her coworker's protective embrace. And a very wide, very cocky grin spread over the wolf's handsome face. "That's enough, you idiots. You're scaring her more than you're scaring me. Geez."

The pervasive rumble dropped off, and Sango glanced towards the brothers, who wore almost identical chagrined expressions. Inuyasha muttered a quiet, "Keh," but Miroku only tightened his hold.

Kouga brought his other hand up and patted Sango's much smaller one in what was probably intended to be a reassuring manner. "Don't you worry, little lady; I can tell you're not the one for me."

"E-excuse me?" she asked, bewildered.

The wolf straightened and puffed out his chest confidently. "I'll know my woman when I find her because there'll be stars in her eyes, shining just for me." Leaning closer again, he added conspiratorially, "The glimmer in yours already belongs to someone else, am I right?"

"Kouga," Miroku quietly interjected, "If the truck is truly in the shop, there must be several more orders waiting to be delivered. Would you like a cup of coffee for the road?"

"Easy does it," the wolf replied in teasing tones. "I got the message, loud and clear… little brother."

He was gone with a toss of his tail and a gust of wind, and for several moments, no one moved. Finally, Sango broke the silence. "Little brother?" she asked as she wriggled free.

"Adopted," Miroku affirmed.

"Oh?" she murmured thoughtfully. "I can see the resemblance."

End Note: This oneshot was written for the Live Journal community mirsan(underscore)fics, Prompt #6, Stars. 762 words.