Disclaimer: I do hereby disclaim all rights and responsibilities for the characters in this round of introductions... especially for the one who has a lecture mode. A nod of recognition is bent towards Rumiko Takahashi for her creative prowess.
Liaison
Sango hesitated in front of the coffee shop. "Now remember… my boss, the guy who lives upstairs, is Inuyasha," she coached.
"Inuyasha," Kohaku dutifully repeated.
"His older brother is the owner; that's Sesshoumaru. I think it's best to go with 'sir' for him, though. He's a little intimidating, but don't worry."
The teen's expression took on a pained quality. "Sis, you went over all this on the bus."
"I know, I know… I just want you to make a good impression," she muttered, then leaned closer to sniff his hair. Kohaku drew back, looking at his sister as if she was crazy, and Sango marveled again at how tall her little brother had grown. Though he'd always been small for his age, he was quickly gaining on her. "Come on, then," she urged and led the way into Founder's.
Even though it was Miroku's every-other-Sunday off, Inuyasha asked him to come in to help cover a shift. He glanced towards the door when the bell announced customers and nearly sloshed foam all over his hand. Sango!
"Look who's back," Inuyasha called, tossing a wave towards the young woman and her companion.
Miroku immediately bristled and ran an assessing eye over the slightly-built newcomer, whose shock of thick, brown hair was pulled into a high ponytail."Did you know she was returning today?" he whispered.
"Yep," Inuyasha grinned.
"This wasn't worth mentioning?" Though the youth was standing too close to Sango for Miroku's liking, his stance wasn't possessive; in fact, he seemed to be taking shelter behind her. Not a rival... The boy's wide, dark eyes tipped him off. Ah… this must be the younger brother she spoke of.
"You were scheduled," Sesshoumaru calmly pointed out.
"Uh-oh," Inuyasha muttered, casually shoving his hands into his pockets. "A first-timer."
"Hnn," Sesshoumaru agreed and gazed off at some indeterminate point in the middle distance.
Miroku darted a glance at the brothers and recognized their efforts to appear non-threatening. Taking a closer look at their visitor, he realized that the boy was rather pale, which made his freckles stand out on the bridge of his nose.
Stepping past the gate but staying beside the counter, Inuyasha said, "Hey, Sango. So this is him?"
"Yes! This is my brother, Kohaku," she said, a proud smile on her face.
The hanyou nodded and cleared his throat before asking, "Sango… is there any chance you failed to mention to him that we're youkai."
She frowned thoughtfully, then replied, "Maybe? Does that matter?"
Inuyasha smirked and said, "Nah. It's just usually the first thing that comes up."
Miroku watched Sango's puzzled expression with bemusement, but Kohaku's discomfort was impossible to ignore. Poor kid. "Hey, Inuyasha… allow me?" he offered.
The hanyou shot him a relieved look. "Yeah, go ahead, Mr. Liaison."
"Don't go anywhere," Miroku murmured on his way past. "You're Exhibit A."
"Aw, shit," Inuyasha grumbled under his breath. "Fine… whatever."
Miroku pushed through the little gate in the counter and strode forward, extending a hand to Sango's brother. "I take it you don't have many youkai where you come from?"
"No, sir… none," Kohaku admitted, with a fleeting smile and a firm handshake.
"There's no need for formality! Please, call me Miroku!" Accustomed to picking up on non-verbal cues, he sized up the boy. Bashful, but not without a backbone.
"Okay," the teen said simply.
"You'll be pleased to learn that I'm something of an authority on youkai," Miroku declared reassuringly. "Over the years, I've developed a sure-fire method for helping those with no previous experience with demonkind to make a smooth transition into a state of peaceful coexistence."
"R-really?" Kohaku's eyes wandered towards the two silver-haired proprietors of Founder's Coffee Shop.
Leaning closer, Miroku cheerfully inquired, "Shall I tell you my secret?"
The teen glanced at his sister, who sent Inuyasha a confused look. The hanyou rolled his eyes but made a shooing 'go on' motion with one hand. With a shrug, Sango gave Kohaku a little nod, so he said, "Yes, please."
"The trick," Miroku said in a confidential tone, "…is to start with a hanyou and work your way up!"
Sango looked positively scandalized, but when Miroku pulled out a chair and beckoned Inuyasha over to one of the small tables, the hanyou patted her shoulder in passing. "Let him do his spiel. Miroku's being an idiot, but the kid's gotta warm up to me before you can leave him here."
"Miss Sakamoto, please take the register," Sesshoumaru called from behind the counter.
Leaving Kohaku in her coworkers' hands, Sango hurried to the back room for her apron. Meanwhile, Inuyasha claimed the proffered seat, propped his chin on one hand, and left the other resting on the table. "Join us," Miroku directed, and Kohaku slowly slid onto the opposite chair.
"Hey, kid," Inuyasha greeted.
"Hi," Kohaku returned, softly enough that the hanyou's ears pricked forward to catch it.
Introductions having been made, Miroku cheerfully slipped into lecture mode. Standing behind Inuyasha, he gestured to the silver-haired hanyou. "This is Inuyasha—a dog hanyou. Note the unmistakably canine ears. Claws are self-evident," he said, indicating his friend's hand. Next, Miroku fearlessly slipped his fingers into Inuyasha's mouth, stretching back the skin as he continued his commentary. "Those of youkai descent also possess an impressive set of fangs."
Inuyasha batted Miroku away with a glare. "And if this guy wasn't my best friend, I'd be demonstrating just how sharp they are," he grumbled.
"Most of my family are blessed with tails, but the inu-youkai of this clan are lacking in that department." A low growl issued from the direction of the front counter, and Miroku raised a hand apologetically. "Wrong choice of words. Let's go with... the inu-youkai of this clan demonstrate such perfect control of their youki that their humanoid form bears no extraneous canine features."
He glanced hopefully towards the owner; Sesshoumaru considered the young man's words, then inclined his head, permitting Miroku to continue. "As you can see, dog types possess excellent hearing. Their sense of smell is second to none; it's said that an inu-taiyoukai's olfactory acuity is so refined, they can actually smell a lie!"
Kohaku nodded mutely, and Inuyasha cocked a brow at him. "Any questions so far?"
"Umm... you're human, aren't you?" the teen asked, studying Miroku's face closely.
"Indeed, I am!"
"Then why did you say that members of your family have tails?"
Miroku dropped into the seat next to Inuyasha. "My parents died when I was just a baby, and I was adopted by a pack of wolf youkai."
Kohaku struggled to keep a straight face, but a bemused smile slipped past his reserve. "That's cool, I guess."
"Definitely something to write home about!" Miroku joked. "So... did Sango happen to mention me?"
"No... Sis skipped a lot of details," he admitted. Looking shyly at the top of Inuyasha's head, he added, "She did say something about being able to tell the brothers apart by their ears... which makes a lot more sense now."
Inuyasha gave his silvery ears a playful flick. "It's okay, kid; take a good long look if you want. I'm used to it."
"I don't want to be rude," Kohaku mumbled.
"Staring is rude under normal circumstances," conceded the hanyou. "But you and I are going to be roommates for a few weeks. Let's get the basics out of the way."
The youth considered that for a little while, then inquired, "What do you eat?"
"Ramen, mostly," Inuyasha promptly answered.
"A complete waste of those predatory chops," Miroku noted mournfully.
"Oi… I like steak as much as the next guy. Ramen's just... easier."
"He can't cook," Miroku shared in a conspiratorial whisper.
"Keh."
Kohaku followed the friendly banter with a mixture of fascination and disbelief, but he was noticeably more relaxed. His thoughtful gaze strayed to Inuyasha's hand, which still rested on the table. "Are they sharp?"
"Very."
Miroku helpfully interjected, "He may look deadly, but Inuyasha is perfectly harmless."
"Oi," the hanyou protested again.
"Mostly harmless?" his friend tried. Receiving a fierce glare, Miroku sighed and amended, "Harmless by choice."
"Damn straight," the hanyou muttered.
Kohaku's smile made another appearance, and he met Inuyasha's gaze more boldly. "Your eyes are like your brother's," he remarked, sounding a little impressed.
Inuyasha smirked faintly and replied, "Yours are like your sister's."
"So... Do you take after your father or your mother?" inquired Miroku.
A shadow passed across the teen's face, but he almost looked grateful to be asked when he answered, "My Mom... they say both of us look like Mom."
Miroku nodded pleasantly and said, "I don't recall either of my parents, but my adoptive father tells me I'm the spitting image of my human father… though I have my grandmother's eyes."
"I met her once," Inuyasha remarked. "She did have the same purplish colored eyes."
"Is it true then… that youkai live a really long time?" Kohaku asked.
"Yeah."
"How old are you?" inquired the teen.
Inuyasha sat back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest. "That's a tricky question, especially since I'm a hanyou," he answered candidly. "I've reached maturity, but Sesshoumaru doesn't figure I'm at my prime yet. In human years, I'm nearly six hundred."
"Seriously?" Kohaku gaped.
Pointing towards the tall youkai currently serving coffee, he said, "My brother is well over a thousand years old."
"Wow," he murmured.
Miroku smiled. "Youkai are different in many ways from humans, but there are enough similarities that we can find common ground. Both of us are proof of that," he said proudly. "My pack took me in and raised me as one of their own, and Inuyasha's parents were a youkai and a human."
"And you guys are friends," Kohaku added.
The two exchanged a long look. "The very best," Miroku beamed.
Inuyasha huffed and thrust out his hand. "So... do you think you and I can get along for a while in spite of a few minor differences in species?"
"Guess so," Kohaku agreed with a slightly embarrassed grin.
The teen's slim, tanned hand almost looked fragile in the hanyou's grasp, but Kohaku's steady gaze suggested a stout heart. Inuyasha was satisfied. "Good to hear, kid. Welcome home."
End Note: This chapter was begun for the Live Journal community iyissekiwa and their prompt for Contest #82—Shock. Since that was a drabble contest, my actual entry was one tiny section of this oneshot, eviscerated to 250 words. That was posted on August 5, 2009. After the contest was over, I decided to expand the scene. This full version stands at 1,701 words and was posted on August 12, 2009.