"Hello, this is Ms. Kagome Higurashi—ah, I mean Taisho. I am calling to talk to Rin Higurashi, room number B205 in the Hanyou and Youkai wing."
Kagome waited patiently as her call was transferred over to Rin's room by the hospital secretary. The nurse who had been taking care of Kagome answered in Rin's room and Kagome asked again if she could talk to Rin.
"Hey Kaggie!" Rin's bubbly voice filled Kagome's ears and she smiled.
"Hi sweetheart, how are you?"
"Oh, guess what Kagome, guess what! I get to go home tomorrow! I feel great! The nurse told me I am healthy!" Rin could barely contain her cheer over the matter.
Kagome giggled and cooed in approval, "That's great! Wow, I can't wait!" The nurse had told her a few days before, but Kagome had wanted Rin to be told the day before she left, so she wouldn't be excited for three days straight. As Kagome had predicted, the moment Rin had found out about her release, she hadn't stopped babbling to the nurses about her joy.
Kagome let Rin ramble about what had happened after Kagome had left, and once she was finished Kagome began to speak. "So Rin, tonight I am going to have dinner with Sango and Miroku."
"Okay, but can I have dinner with them too?"
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Since you are still at the hospital, you can't come over."
Rin interrupted her with a sigh. "Oh…"
"But I wanted to know if you wanted me to bring you back some left overs, since you can't come. And I promise we can all eat dinner together soon, Rin. That sound good?"
"Yeah, I guess," Kagome hear Rin despair over the games she would miss playing but then quickly remembered the subject of her previous thrill. "Can you make me the cookies? The purple ones, so I can have them when I get home tomorrow? Please, please, I promise I won't be sad you get to have fun without me and I'll be a very nice and quiet girly around that man if you make the cookies. Please?"
Kagome laughed, and felt like she could almost see the puppy dog eyes Rin was putting on just to butter her up. "You mean the meringues? Yes…. I suppose I could make them. Special for you, sweetheart."
Rin licked her lips loudly on the other end of the receiver. The purple colored cookies that were called meringues that Kagome made were her favorite treat. They always came out looking like puffy, elegant flowers.
"Okay, so if that's all," Kagome checked her watch and found she only had thirty minutes to get dressed for dinner, "I've gotta go. I'm going to finish the last touches on your room tomorrow and then pick you up around ten. Sound good?"
"Yup, and Kaggie—"
"Oh and Rin, I have work tomorrow. I'm sorry sweetie, you'll have to play with the butler Jaken tomorrow for a couple hours. He's a green imp youkai, and he's a little annoying, but I'm sure you'll be fine with him."
"Kaggie—"
"I miss you, Rin, but don't worry. You're coming home tomorrow, and one more day isn't such a big deal. You're a big girl, and you're healthy now, so you're going to have to deal with one more night at the hospital."
"Kagome, I love you. I miss you a lot, too."
Kagome bit her lip, and whispered into the phone. "I love you so much. So much."
Rin said goodbye as Kagome hung up the phone, feeling emotional. Sesshomaru had already proved to be a kinder demon than she had thought before, but now Rin would be coming to stay with them. If Kagome searched through Kikyo's memories, she could find a truthful account on Sesshomaru's previous interactions with hanyous. Though Kikyo had never met Sesshomaru in the past, Kikyo had loved his brother Inuyasha.
Kagome knew that with age came wisdom, and Sesshomaru had a lot of wisdom. He had been a fierce youkai in the past, and had been a leader for the youkai when the humans began to develop new technology. He was no longer the merciless human hater he used to be, and had even reconciled his relationship with his half-brother for the most part, but Kagome wasn't sure how he would receive Rin. She wasn't sure how the cold-hearted Taiyoukai would deal with a hanyou so pure and innocent.
Kagome took a deep breath as she entered the garage of her new house. Sesshomaru had told her to meet him in there when she was ready, and then they would drive over to her cousin's house together. During the hours after Kagome had invited Sesshomaru to dinner, she hadn't worked up the courage to tell her cousin he was coming. She didn't worry about the food, but she worried about their reactions to having the great demon lord eating dinner with them. They were, after all, both from youkai-hunting families. The Higurashi's consisted of a long line of mikos and monks, all with spiritual powers, and Sango was from a line of Taijiyas.
Kagome laid eyes on Sesshomaru and tried to resist the wave of attraction that crashed over her. They were both dressed in semi-formal wear, Sesshomaru wearing a dress shirt and slacks. Kagome was so used to seeing him in a suit and tie, that she was nearly embarrassed to see him in fewer clothes than that. She scolded herself for a moment, and felt like the virgin bride she was.
He smirked at her, as if he sensed her reaction, and sauntered around the car to open the passenger side door for her. She met his gaze fiercely, and accepted his act of kindness.
Their fight about her work hadn't quite ended yet, but she hoped there would be no hard feelings when she went back to work. He might be the boss of Taiyoukai Enterprises, but he wasn't hers. Without a word, she slipped in and fixed her short, light blue dress so that it wouldn't show off more skin than it needed too.
"Sango, Mirkou! It's so nice to see you." Kagome greeted when her cousin and best friend opened the door of their house. Kagome threw her arms around them as they stood, stunned, in the doorway.
"Hello, Kagome," Sango recovered as quickly as she could from the shock of seeing her best friend's husband. "Hello, Sesshomaru, my name's Sango. I was Kagome's maid of honor."
Sango held out her hand to Sesshomaru as the party stood in silence. Miroku looked puzzled and Kagome's gaze flickered nervously between Sango and her husband. When she saw the disgusted look on Sesshomaru's face, she remembered what was wrong.
"Sesshomaru-sama, I think I left something in the car. I might need to get that later," Kagome blurted and then shifted nervously, hoping Sango would get the hint. Her husband was very temperamental about respect.
As the ordeal progressed to be absolutely awkward, Sango made a clicking noise in the back of her throat and opened the door so they could enter the house. "Pardon me, Sesshomaru-sama."
Kagome sighed as Sesshomaru returned to looking like an icicle and followed Sango into the kitchen.
"He really loves respect—I can't even begin to tell you." Kagome whispered to Sango and stole a peek at Sesshomaru, who had undoubtedly heard her comment with his youkai-hearing. He allowed a faint smirk for her as he took a seat at the table.
"Tonight we're having roasted pork and mashed potatoes. The green beans will be out in a moment, and the salad is already on the table. Please help yourselves," Sango told everyone, pointing to the food as she spoke.
Dinner progressed with comfortable conversation and small talk, and Kagome began to relax. Miroku and Sango were enjoying themselves, and her husband seemed to be getting along with them, much to her surprise. She found that she had underestimated him—either in his acting or his personality. He was acting perfectly, as a great guest and an interested husband.
Then, once they had nearly finished their meals, Kagome saw why he had been so perfect and polite to her friends. She sat next to him, fuming, but held her tongue as he began to speak.
"Miroku-san, I hear from my wife that you own a shop. She also tells me that she will be working there."
Miroku shoveled a bite of potatoes into his mouth and swallowed. "Yes, Kagome is always the reliable cousin. One of my employees is on maternity leave, so Kagome is picking up the extra shifts. She told me she would work a two hour shift tomorrow," with a perceptive glance at Sesshomaru, he inquired, "Is that still correct?"
Kagome rubbed her lips together nervously, waiting for his response.
"You are correct; she will be working for you tomorrow." He replied, and Kagome's lifted spirits made him feel pleasant. Clearing his throat, Sesshomaru subtly demanded Kagome's attention. "However, she will be getting a proper job at a different business soon. She cannot sell women's undergarments when she is the wife of a celebrity. I'm sure you understand."
Miroku and Sango exchanged a glance and smiled. "Of course, Sesshomaru-sama. We wouldn't dream of it. She is merely helping us out in a time of need," Sango said smoothly.
Kagome rolled her eyes. "How about I get a game?" She stood and waited for their suggestions.
"I vote for poker," Miroku volunteered.
"Pictionary, please," Sango sang.
"Mahjong," Sesshomaru offered in and uninterested voice.
"Karuta, for me, then!" Sango giggled as Miroku chimed in, thinking Sesshomaru had been joking. They didn't understand that the serious Taiyoukai enjoyed playing the old fashioned game.
Sango and Miroku continued to giggle while Sesshomaru watched them. Kagome observed the scene with interest, where Sesshomaru sat in his chair, not confused or offended, but simply being. Kagome was fairly certain that he'd never been joked with like this, and she though would've felt like she was at his mercy days ago, she didn't now. She felt like she was watching something new and entirely different grow in his life, and her life. Their life, together, was changing.
"Guys," Kagome sighed and turned around to search for Miroku's old set of mahjong tiles, "he wasn't joking."
Sango and Miroku shut up instantly. They turned together, as one unit, and mumbled a shocked apology. Sesshomaru found himself nodding politely to the human couple.
Once the night was growing late, Kagome and Sesshomaru decided it was time to leave. Sango began to clean up, and Miroku lead the couple to the door.
"I'd like to see you soon, Kagome," Miroku hugged her and then turned to Sesshomaru and held out his hand. "It was pleasant to meet you. I'd like to see you both soon."
Sesshomaru shook his hand politely and then turned to Kagome, "I will go start the car. I'm sure you would like to speak to your cousin, but be quick."
Kagome watched him leave the house and wondered how he had known. "He's right. I did want to talk to you, Miroku."
"Oh?"
"It's about Kikyo."
"Oh." Miroku waited patiently. He was the only living person who knew about Kikyo, and understood what it meant when she spoke to Kikyo. It spelled trouble.
"She didn't talk to me—that's not it." Miroku's expression relaxed. "She hasn't spoken to me since… The car crash."
"Then what happened?" Miroku asked after a moment of reflection on the death of his aunt and uncle.
"Her spirit… You see, Inuyasha is not dead. I saw him at the wedding. Her spirit has been restless this past week."
Miroku leaned against the wall, and Kagome felt her eyes fill with tears that Kikyo could not shed. "He's not dead. I don't know how, but he survived. I mean, I'd known already because I'd found out he was alive when I did a background check on Sesshomaru, but it meant so much to me to see him. He's alive, Miroku!"
Miroku smiled, and hugged his cousin once more. He could only imagine the emotions Kagome was feeling now because of Inuyasha being alive. He knew she felt happiness from Kikyo, but sadness because Kikyo would never be reunited with Inuyasha on earth. Miroku only hoped Kagome could sort out her emotions from Kikyos, and not confuse Kikyo's restless spirit with her own nervous spirit.
"I'm happy for you, and for Kikyo." Miroku ushered her out the door, "But your husband is waiting for you."
"Right, him," she quirked an eyebrow with a hesitant smile, "he's a real keeper, ain't he? So patient and charming—I'm still surprised he wasn't already married when I got to him!"
With one last smile, Miroku watch Kagome walk down the steps of his front porch and enter the passenger seat. "He might be the best thing for you, Kaggie."
Hi, all! What did you think of this chappie? Dinner was an... interesting affair. Awkward, but then, what did you expect? Kagome, Miroku and Sango are all besties, and then Sesshomaru is the stoney extra person. But he's sort of nice, for a moment there, right? He smooths over the job thing, and it looks like he won't object to it anymore.
If you're unsure about the games that I mentioned, here's a short explanation: Mahjong is a strategy game and you use tiles to play it. Karuta is the game in Chihayafuru (a really good anime) and you have a bunch of poems/old songs on these cards, and you have to select the proper card as a person is reading that card. (okay, that was a horrible explanation, just look on wiki if you don't understand!)
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I've got more coming soon. ~Gracie
All characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi.