Disclaimer: I do hereby disclaim all rights and responsibilities for the characters in this little turn of events… especially for the independent one. A nod of recognition is bent towards Rumiko Takahashi for her creative prowess.

Intrusion

Sango arrived at Founder's nearly an hour before her shift. She'd only managed a few hours of sleep the night before, but this needed to be done. It's early enough; Inuyasha should be the only one here. He'll understand… I hope. She was somewhat taken aback when Sesshoumaru was the one to open to her soft rap on the coffee shop's back door. The tall youkai didn't keep to any schedule she could fathom, so she never knew when he might be around. "Good morning, sir."

Golden eyes blinked owlishly at her, then turned towards the lightening sky. "Hnn… so it is."

She fidgeted uncertainly as he continued to gaze upwards, taking deep breaths of fresh, spring air. As much as she liked the solemn-faced youkai, he wasn't the sort of person you squeezed past to get through a door. Clearing her throat to remind him of her presence, she said, "You're here early."

"You are early; I am late," he corrected.

"Oh," she murmured, just now noticing the uncharacteristically rumpled state of Sesshoumaru's shirt. "Is anything the matter?"

The youkai's eyes slanted her way. "That remains to be seen." To Sango's surprise, Sesshoumaru reached for her arm and drew her inside, letting it slam behind them. "You need coffee," he announced.

At that moment, Inuyasha's voice rang out from the front of the shop, "Oi, Sesshoumaru! Did I hear…?" The hanyou poked his head through the office door, and finished, "Hey, Sango."

The young woman glanced helplessly at him, her arm still in his elder brother's firm grasp. "Good morning?" she managed, sounding uncertain.

The back room was in a state of complete chaos. Cardboard boxes, shredded paper, and bubble wrap were strewn across the floor, and all the level surfaces were overrun by measuring implements and beakers of ground coffee. Well… controlled chaos, Sango silently amended as she detected hints of method amidst the madness. "It looks like you raided the chem lab," she remarked. Peering at the sticky note beside a tumble of coffee beans waiting beside a small grinder, she deciphered enough of the shorthand to ascertain that it was a recipe. More like a ratio… a very exact one.

Inuyasha snorted. "Well, let's get you out of here before you end up as Sesshoumaru's guinea pig." He marched over and extracted Sango from the youkai's clutches. "You can experiment on Miroku later," the hanyou offered magnanimously. Leading her out to the front, he confided in low tones, "It's like this whenever he gets his hands on a new variety of coffee. For the next week or so, he'll be obsessing over beans and blends; expect random taste tests, and be prepared to defend your opinions… especially if they conflict with his."

"Oh… about that…" she ventured awkwardly. "This coming week, I mean."

The barista's ears pricked forward, and concern immediately drew his brows down. "What's wrong, Sango?"

"I need to take some time off… if that's okay?"

Sango's tension practically vibrated in the space between them. "Did something happen with Miroku?" he asked quietly. To his relief, she quickly shook her head, but her brave front was already slipping. "Worried about finals?" he hazarded, hoping she'd avail herself of the opening.

"Something came up," she said slowly.

The hanyou folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the countertop. "Tell me what's going on."

"It's… my little brother," she confessed. "No one said anything to me. If I'd known he was having trouble, I never would have left him at Uncle's." Sango's dark eyes shone with unshed tears as she unburdened herself. "Everyone agreed it would be better for him to finish out the school year with his friends!"

"I can understand that," Inuyasha remarked. "Is that what he wanted?"

"I've been thinking about it and… I don't think Kohaku ever said what he wanted to do." With a strangled little sob, she added, "Verbally."

"Is the boy in some kind of trouble?"

"Auntie called to tell me that his teacher contacted them. There's been some bullying."

Inuyasha scowled. "There's no excuse for taking your grief out on someone who's weaker."

Sango blinked at the hanyou, then smiled faintly. "Kohaku's not doing the bullying. Others have been picking on him." Trying to hide a sniffle, she added, "For quite some time, it seems."

"He's been toughing it out?"

"Apparently, he didn't want me to worry," she said glumly.

With a sigh, Inuyasha passed her a napkin. "Okay… I get it. So why do you need time off? You planning to storm the school and deck the bullies for him?"

Sango shook her head. "The principal of his school stepped in, and they're letting him test out of his classes early because he's going to be moving."

"You're going to take off classes to get him settled?" Inuyasha guessed. "But your tests are just a couple weeks away."

"He needs me now," she countered, the spark back in her eyes.

"Okay, okay… calm down," the hanyou soothed. "Where's he going to live?"

Sango's chin lifted defensively. "With me."

"Best place for him," Inuyasha stated firmly, "…but aren't you in the dorms?"

Sango's weariness began to show as she rubbed her temple absently. "That's why I need extra time off. I have to start looking for an apartment—something close to campus… or to the high school he'll attend in the fall."

"When are those tests of his over?"

"Tomorrow."

The hanyou rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then decisively announced, "You should go get him tomorrow."

"I live in one of the all-girl complexes," she protested. "He can't even visit."

"The kid can stay with me… at least until you get through this semester."

"With you?" Sango echoed in surprise. "Where do you live?"

Inuyasha jerked his thumb towards the ceiling. "Upstairs."

Sango shook her head in disbelief. "Shippo jokes about it all the time, but you really do…"

"…never leave. Yeah, it's mostly true," the hanyou admitted with a wry smirk.

"Kohaku could stay right here," Sango breathed. However, she quickly added, "I'd hate to intrude."

"It's not an intrusion if I'm doing the inviting," he shrugged. Seeing her eyes brighten with the hope that surged through her scent, Inuyasha made free to coax. "This might be a good thing all around, if you think about it. You wont' have to blow off a semester's worth of studies. I won't have to find someone to cover your shifts for the next couple weeks. And your brother won't have to go far to find a summer job."

"Provided he meets my standards," interjected Sesshoumaru as he strolled through the office door.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Fine… you can interview him before sticking a broom in his hands."

Sesshoumaru acted as if the hanyou hadn't even spoken. "Where is your brother now?"

"We're from a small town up north; there's lots of extended family lives in the area, so Kohaku's been staying with relatives," she explained. "It's three hundred miles one way."

"Is transportation a problem?" the youkai inquired.

"No. I can take a bus."

Inuyasha frowned. "Maybe one of us should…"

"No!" Sango interrupted. "I'll manage. I mean… you're already doing enough."

The hanyou looked ready to protest, but Sesshoumaru huffed softly and shook his head. Turning to Sango, he said, "Your brother's tests conclude tomorrow—Friday. Notify your relatives that you will arrive tomorrow evening; return on Sunday. If you do, you'll only miss two days of classes."

"But… if I'm traveling on Friday, I'll only be absent once," she pointed out.

"Hnn." Looking to Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru said, "Take Miss Sakamoto upstairs to see where her brother will be staying." Addressing Sango in a tone that brooked no refusal, he added, "Once you have confirmed the suitability of the guest quarters, avail yourself of them. You will forgo today's classes as well."

This time, when Sango opened her mouth to protest, it was Inuyasha who muttered a gruff, "Keh," and shook his head. "He's right. You're exhausted, and you need to rest before your trip."

Sango had fought all week to convince everyone that she was independent enough to handle the responsibility of caring for her brother. Strong, organized, confident, capable—she'd had to prove herself. Was it okay to turn around and accept help? The weight of all the necessities, uncertainties, and expectations frightened her more than she cared to admit, but she needed to stand on her own. Teetering on the brink of decision, she looked at her employers. Inuyasha's sympathy made him overprotective, and Sesshoumaru's haughty generosity had a domineering quality to it… but both of them stood quietly, waiting for her choice. My choice. Mine.

Sango took a deep breath, but before she could say a word, Sesshoumaru spun on his heel and walked back into the office. Bewildered, she turned to Inuyasha, who smirked and said, "Good. Come on, then; the stairs to my place are out back."

"Oh… okay," she managed, suddenly glad that she'd been fortunate enough to fall in with the kind of people who didn't need to say things in order to be understood.

End Note: This wasn't written for any of the contests… but because this is what happened next. ::smirk:: Posted on July 27, 2009. 1,517 words.