InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Antagonists Unite ❯ Chapter Twenty One ( Chapter 21 )

Antagonists Unite
By: DarkCrystalis and NOT edited by Jon04CTSV (what a bums!)

XxXx

Chapter Twenty One

The morning was, at least, a triumph for some. Kagome walked down the carpeted stairs, giggling as she stretched languidly like a kitten. Inuyasha followed a few steps behind, a grumpy look embedded onto his face. Apparently he'd lost bragging rights and his bed the night before… what a pity.

“We should play again tomorrow night, Yashie,” Kagome said without any trace of arrogance in her voice; her eyes merely gleamed a little.

Inuyasha feh'd in response, turning his head away from her to heat up the stove for their brunch. His hair was tussled and his eyes showed annoyance, but the brat didn't whine about any of it. When Miroku and Sango came down a few minutes later, Inuyasha reveled in the fact that he hadn't been the only one to have a shitty night.

“Didn't get any last night, pervert?” Inuyasha commented lightly as he cracked some eggs, noticing the lack of excitement in his eyes.

“Sango is very… elusive,” Miroku responded as he glanced at her from his peripheral vision.

“Elusive? Me, elusive? Anything that moves would have to be elusive when they're near you,” Sango retorted as she scowled at him. “You'd try to grope just about anything, I bet! In fact, I can't believe I initially tried to share a bed with you! I thought that alone might be enough, but apparently it wasn't, so I had to kick you onto the floor.” Sango's face had slowly reddened with anger as she'd spoken. “I think you'd have a lot less trouble with the ladies if you kept your hands to yourself and attempted to get to know them a little before making moves. The majority of women I know wouldn't want to be groped by a stranger!”

“We've known each other at least a few months now…” Miroku said as he worried his bottom lip.

“Two months—November just started, so don't get ahead of yourself!”

Kagome sighed loudly at the feuding pair, thinking that they couldn't possibly be a better couple for one another. She kept him in line, and he kept her on her toes—it was so cute to watch when they argued.

Thankfully, Sesshoumaru and Rin came downstairs a few seconds later. Rin was smiling as she spoke to her companion in a low voice, but immediately perked up once she entered the kitchen.

“Good morning!”

Sango and Kagome gave her a quick once-over, then responded with their greetings.

“Sleep okay?” Sango asked as she sat beside Kagome at the table.

“Yeah, it was… entertaining,” Rin said for lack of better words as she avoided looking at Sesshoumaru. He, as always, didn't reveal anything on his face as to what she might've meant.

“Well, at least one of us guys got lucky last night,” Miroku mumbled as he sat at the table as well, but with a good distance between himself and Sango.

“Keep your sick comments to yourself, Miroku—you're supposed to be a monk in training, yet you're the most perverted person of us all!” Kagome lectured him in a strict tone, almost sounding like a parent rather than a friend.

“A person's character doesn't change once they're past a few years old—that's all decided in their oral and anal stages,” Miroku defended.

“Oh great, another perverted guy just like yourself—you and him would've gotten along great! Who refers to infants and sex in the same sentence… that's just wrong...” Sango said as she gave him a deathly look.

“Actually, Freud's theory is one of the most scientifically complete, and although it's not often used in practice today, it is still referred to and still looked upon highly,” Rin countered as she smiled softly. “I'm thinking about going into Psychology, so I do a little bit of reading here and there.”

Sango rolled her eyes, still not convinced. “Well, either way...” She was disturbed as Inuyasha plunked two pans in front of them with six forks in his shirt pocket.

“I didn't feel like getting dishes,” he said sheepishly as everyone turned to give him a weird look.

XxXx

A little later...

“Who wants to go shopping?” Kagome asked as she finished her last swallow of breakfast.

“Sure, I`m game,” Sango said, not knowing what else should be on today`s agenda.

“Rin, what about you?” Sango asked as she turned toward her.

The ringing of the house phone stopped her from replying... especially when Sesshoumaru announced that it was for her. “It`s your brother,” he whispered to her.

“Hello,” Rin said with a smile, “how are you doing?”

“Your work has been harassing the house phone for a few days... something tells me you should call them. Other than that, I`m doing okay... How are things over there?”

“Oops, I guess I`d better call work! Oh, and it`s good... no problems yet...”

“So you haven't heard anything from the creep, thankfully?”

“No, and I`m lucky for it—I`m being taken care of well here. Rin spoke in low tones, making sure no one else heard her. I`ll come by soon with Sesshoumaru to make sure the house is still in one piece.”

“Haha, very funny,” Koji said as he laughed. “It`d be nice to see you... it`s been a few days now. Is you new `guardian' making moves on you, `cuz if he is I`ll come kick his ass!”

Rin began to laugh loudly. “Koji, if I were in any trouble, you know I`d talk to you about it.”

“Well, you`d better call your manager and give them an update or something... I'm tired of telling them lies to cover your ass. I`m going to forget and lose track soon, you know.”

“Thanks a lot Koji, I`ll see you soon... and I`ll call work, I promise!”

Rin hung up a moment later and smiled slightly.

“Who was that, Rin? Your other boyfriend? I think his name was...” Kagome trailed off with a smirk on her face.

“You're just as funny as my brother! He was just making sure everything was going okay over here and wanted to know when I was coming home,” Rin retorted as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“So, coming shopping with us?” Sango asked excitedly, “I haven't gone shopping in so long; I almost feel as though I'm not womanly,” she added.

“You're not!” Inuyasha said loudly and then ducked when she threw a pillow toward his head. “Women don't threaten to beat up men for being groped; women wear make-up and dream about men, not think about cutting off their body parts for being perverts... despite the fact that Miroku might actually deserve it.”

Sango growled and Inuyasha backed off. “I'm going to change—I have a feeling I'll be dragged on your shopping spree.”

Once he was out of sight, Kagome glanced at her friend. “So, are you coming with us?”

Rin sighed and shook her head in the negative. “I have a few things that need to get done, I'm afraid that I won't have time for shopping today... but I'll definitely take you up on that offer in the near future!”

Sango nodded, albeit a little disappointedly. “That sucks... I hope everything's okay and all...”

Rin grinned and waved them off. “I'm fine! I'll see you guys at school tomorrow.”

A couple minutes later, Sango, Miroku, Kagome and Inuyash were out the door, along with their sleepover bags. Sesshoumaru immediately took advantage of the empty house.

“Let's go back to bed,” he said seductively in her ear. Instead of complying, Rin shoved him away from her.

“When I said I had things to do earlier, I wasn't kidding! I need to call my work, visit Koji, do laundry, read the chapters for class... there's a list. Feel free to join in and help me with any of it,” Rin said as she began dialing her work's phone number from their house phone.

“Hi Rose! I'm sorry I've been out of your reach recently, some things came up that I couldn't avoid. Work today? Oh, no I really can't... Tomorrow? I've got class from 9 to 3, but maybe after...” Before Rin could continue, Sesshoumaru grabbed the phone from her and hung up.

“What do you think you're doing? I need to make money somehow, you know, and hanging up on my employer isn't the way to go about doing it!” Rin growled angrily as she went to take the phone back, but Sesshoumaru stood firm.

“Do you want that creep coming to visit you at the grocery store? What if he went by when you were working late, what then? You almost got abducted the last time—are you willing to risk it again? As much as you may like your job or the money it makes you, you can't be working until this is resolved. I think you should quit.” Although Sesshoumaru was an ass, he definitely had a point. If that weirdo came by while she was working, quite frankly she wouldn't know what to do... especially if he approached her.

“Well... I guess I'd better call them back and explain that I can't work there anymore for personal reasons and pick up my last paycheque as soon as I can...” Rin sighed, deflated.

After the phone call, Sesshoumaru attempted to console her.

“It's not that big of a deal, you know,” Sesshoumaru said as he put an arm around her shoulder. “I can just lend you some money until you get your job back.”

Rin scowled at him and removed his hand. “I didn't even want you to buy me soda or candy—what makes you think I'll borrow your money?”

Sesshoumaru laughed, remembering what she was talking about.

“That seems like such a long time ago... you've opened up a lot since then.”

“And so have you, ice prince. You never used to laugh,” she retorted with a grin.

“Ahh, but I only laugh when I'm with you... and even then only sometimes.”

“Well, no time for conversations—I need to get some work done!” Rin skipped up the stairs to where she left her backpack in her new room. “I'll read a few chapters before I visit Koji,” she mumbled to herself as she opened one of the books.

A voice from behind her startled her. “Need some company?” Sesshoumaru asked as he sat down beside her on her bed.

XxXx

“Well Koji, it's nice to see that the house is still... thriving,” Rin said as she giggled behind her hand before leaving.

“You'd better come back soon, young lady!” Koji said as he mustered the strength to look aristocratic.

It didn't work very well.

Rin burst into laughter as she saluted to her brother from the door of the passenger's side of Sesshoumaru's car. Then, she gave a quick wave and leapt into the passenger's seat.

“Where to?” she asked as she glanced at her watch. It was a little before seven.

“Are you hungry at all? All we ate was the brunch from earlier... I could go for something.”

Rin's stomach growled loudly, which made her cheeks tinge pink. “Maybe a little.”

Sesshoumaru grinned as he drove off her street and onto the main road. “Fine dining or casual?”

Rin's eyes bugged out of her head. “Who asks those sorts of questions? It's not even a special occasion, and we aren't exactly dressed for fine dining...”

“If you want good food, say so,” Sesshoumaru told her as he glanced toward her. “I can get us in anywhere—no one would dare reject this Sesshoumaru from their establishment.”

It suddenly occurred to her how much influence, power and money Sesshoumaru had. An outing like this probably wouldn't even ding his ban k account... but even still, Rin had her doubts.

“I'm not going anyplace nice dressed like this!” She gestured to her jeans and plain white t-shirt.

“I'm not exactly dressed for the occasion either,” Sesshoumaru retorted as his free hand indicated his khakis and black shirt.

“Well... it'd be an interesting experience if we went. I've never been anywhere really nice. It's always been just me and my brother, and we're not exactly rolling in money. We're more the frugal type that indulge in eating out for fast food once in a while,” Rin said as she smiled. Sesshoumaru could tell she was recalling a past memory—perhaps something with herself and her brother?

“Let's do this,” Sesshoumaru said as he pulled up in front of a nice restaurant called Pinocchio's (A/N: A real restaurant in the GTA that a buddy of my boyfriend's owns... nice place, although they don't have valets, people standing at the door with VIP lists or anything like that... I've just glammed it up a lot!). A man in a black suit and white shirt approached Rin's window as Sesshoumaru let it down.

“May I park your vehicle, sir?” the valet asked as he gestured toward Sesshoumaru.

“As if I'm going to let you drive my car!” Sesshoumaru then proceeded to laugh at the man, as if his service was completely insane. “No one drives this car but me,” he added, as if he weren't clear enough the first time.

After he'd parked the car himself, Sesshoumaru grabbed Rin's hand and together, they walked to the entrance of the restaurant. A man with a clipboard stopped him before he could enter the building.

“Reservation last name please?” he spoke in a nasal tone, the kind which drove both of them insane.

“No reservations. My name is Sesshoumaru Taishou,” he said with an air of arrogance. “Table for two, please.”

Rin gripped his hand tightly in fear, keeping the insane temptation to bite her nails down.

“Ah, Mr. Taishou, we're glad to have you here tonight. Please join our VIP suite this way,” he indicated toward a man which stood in the hallway. “He will take you to your table.”

After they'd been seated, Rin soaked in the atmosphere. Light, classy music was playing in the background, and only dim lighting and a couple candles allowed her to see Sesshoumaru, who was sitting directly across from her.

“I never liked this sort of seating... If I were here with friends, I'd want to sit beside them, you know?” Rin's face suddenly paled as she swallowed. “I'm not whining, I just...”

Sesshoumaru then got up, grabbed her arm and pulled her beside him in the booth. Their legs touched from their proximity, and it made Rin slightly embarrassed. Her face flushed a little, but before she could compose herself, a man arrived.

“Good evening. My name is Edward and it's my personal pleasure to welcome you here to Pinocchio's. I hope you will enjoy your meal,” he bowed and left the room.

“I guess that wasn't our waiter... wait a minute, that guy was the owner? How often does the owner come out to thank you for coming? Wow, that's crazy!” Rin's eyes shined with excitement as she smiled.

A minute later, a sound from Sesshoumaru's left and Rin's right came from under the table.

“Hello, my name is Steven and I'll be serving you this evening. Is there anything I can do for you?”

“It's automated AND has a touch screen menu service?” Rin gasped out shortly before fainting.

XxXx

Author's Note

Angel: No, I'm not dead, and neither is my boyfriend (thankfully!)

Jon: We're as good as ever... busy as fuck with classes (university). Plus she was painting during the summer for three weeks with me...

Angel: I got 500 dollars for working for him, yay! It wasn't so bad, so I'll be helping him out again next summer (I think).

Oh god guys, this must've been my slowest update ever... I think it took me a good six months to update, and I feel really terrible for it. There's no point in giving lame excuses, because none really matter.

I have bad news though... since I'm in university, my schedule is crammed with reading chapters for the semester, never mind the TWELVE tests I have to do (3 for each class, isn't that BRUTAL?)... I don't think I'll have much time on my hands. Seriously.

Well, only time will tell on how much free time I'll have during the next few months. I hope it isn't going to be too TOO bad...

I thank anyone and everyone that is still reading and especially reviewing—you guys are my troopers and you're AWESOME for hanging in there for so long and believing in me!

Any and all comments you have on this chapter are completely welcome.

I hope to hear from you guys soon...!

Sincerely,
Angel
and
Jon