Chapter 2: Family Ties
The following Monday, Kagome barely had time to settle into her desk before she felt that familiar, chaotic energy sweep into the office.
"Kagome!"
She looked up to see Inuyasha standing by her cubicle, his lopsided grin a flash of warmth against the otherwise polished office background. His eyes sparkled as he leaned on the edge of her desk, as though they were still back in high school, laughing over something silly.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"Big brother asked me to come to 'observe,'" Inuyasha replied, rolling his eyes with dramatic flair. "But I think he just wants to keep an eye on me."
Kagome stifled a laugh. "Well, try not to get kicked out of the building. You know how he is."
"Tell me about it," Inuyasha muttered, crossing his arms. "Sesshomaru's had it out for me ever since I was a kid."
Kagome's eyes widened. Sesshomaru? So this infamous older brother Inuyasha had always complained about was her boss?
"What, you didn't know? Yeah, Sesshomaru's the golden child," Inuyasha went on, oblivious to her shock. "Ever since Dad put him in charge, it's been all high-and-mighty around here."
Kagome couldn't help but laugh. The idea that her grumpy, standoffish boss was the same person who'd caused her best friend so much angst was almost too much.
"Anyway, how's Kikyo?" Kagome asked, steering the conversation to safer ground.
Inuyasha's face softened. "She's good. Still working her crazy hours at the hospital, though. We keep missing each other between her shifts and my training, but we make it work." He shrugged, his expression turning a bit bashful. "She's pretty amazing."
Kagome smiled, truly happy for him. Inuyasha had always been like family to her, more brother than anything else, especially after she'd let her high school crush on him fade away. Once she'd realized his heart was set on her cousin Kikyo, her feelings for him had naturally shifted into something warmer and more enduring.
"Kagome," a smooth voice broke in, slicing through the easy warmth between them.
Kagome turned, feeling her heart skip as Sesshomaru strode toward them. His gaze flicked from her to Inuyasha, and though his expression remained unreadable, she sensed the tension simmering just below the surface.
"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said coolly. "I see you're already… comfortable."
"Yeah, wouldn't want to ruin the sterile atmosphere you love so much," Inuyasha replied, rolling his eyes.
Sesshomaru's gaze sharpened, but his tone remained icily polite. "Try to restrain yourself from disturbing my staff, little brother."
Kagome shifted uncomfortably between them, the atmosphere charged with an undercurrent she couldn't quite place. She felt like she was intruding on a long-standing rivalry, one that only seemed to heighten in her presence.
Sesshomaru's gaze settled on her, his expression softening just a fraction. "Ms. Higurashi, I trust you'll make sure my brother's visit doesn't disrupt your productivity."
"Of course, sir," Kagome replied, keeping her tone professional, though she couldn't ignore the flicker of something warmer in his gaze.
Inuyasha, oblivious to the exchange, snorted. "Whatever you say, 'big brother.'"
Sesshomaru shot Inuyasha a final withering glance before turning and striding away, his calm veneer unshaken. But Kagome caught a brief, strange look in his eyes—something that suggested Inuyasha's presence bothered him far more than he let on.
Once Sesshomaru was out of earshot, Inuyasha turned to Kagome, smirking. "Man, how do you put up with that guy?"
Kagome laughed, though her mind still reeled with the new revelation. "Believe me, it's not easy."
"Figures. Anyway, I'll catch you at lunch?" he asked, his tone hopeful.
"Sure," she replied, smiling. "I'll be here."
But as she watched him walk off, she couldn't shake the feeling that lunch would be anything but uneventful. If Sesshomaru's reaction was any indication, this was only the beginning of the storm she'd unwittingly found herself caught in.