InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Easy as 1, 2, 3... ❯ Waiting ( Chapter 23 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but I own this story and all its profits! (In reviews, not money)

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Easy as 1, 2, 3…

Chapter Twenty-Three

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The front door of the Higurashi home opened that afternoon, and Kagome's mother entered the house with a bag of groceries. As she was pulling off her shoes, Sota came running towards her with a disgusted look on his face.

"Mama, Kagome and the dog boy are sleeping together on the couch!" He complained quietly, hoping his mother would take care of the embarrassing sight in the family room. Just like all little boys, he couldn't understand why people would actually like doing stuff like that!

Mrs. Higurashi raised her eyebrows and then headed for the living room and peeked inside. She smiled when she saw the very adorable sight of the two snuggled on the couch with each other, Kagome wrapped in Inuyasha's arms.

Silently sliding the door shut, Mrs. Higurashi motioned for Sota to follow her to the kitchen. When the little boy complied and they entered the room, she spoke for the first time.

"I think we should just leave them alone." She advised. "They aren't doing anything wrong or bothering anyone, even though it seems they didn't finish painting the fence around the tree. I wonder why?" She mused.

"Because Inuyasha fainted."Sota informed her, rolling his eyes. How could a half demon be so pathetically weak? Sota couldn't figure that out!

"Oh dear!" Mrs. Higurashi frowned. "Maybe I've been working him too hard after all." Thinking about it for a moment, she finally made a decision and nodded firmly. Turning to her son, she gave Sota a pointed look. "If that's true, then that's all the more reason to let them sleep. He probably doesn't feel well so he needs plenty of rest, and all couples need time alone. So DO NOT disturb them, understand?"

The little boy reluctantly agreed to this, and Mrs. Higurashi laughed lightly at the defeated look on his face before turning to put away the food she'd bought. It wouldn't be long before it would be time to cook dinner. Time just seemed to fly by lately!

Humming lightly, Kagome's mother thought about her only daughter and the boy with the adorable dog-ears. 'Those two are so cute together! I really hope this means I'll get those grandchildren soon, while I'm young enough to enjoy them. And I certainly wouldn't mind it if some of them got those ears!'

Mrs. Higurashi smiled widely at the thought.

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A newspaper snapped loudly as the reader turned the page in an irritated fashion. Across the room, his wife gave him a pointed look that told him to give it up before he ripped the paper in two. She was intentionally ignored as he raised the paper in front of his face.

"Tai." The name was said as a soft warning.

A grunt was the only answer she received along with another loud snap and then a rip as the tortured paper finally gave under the strain.

Lady Rumiko chuckled as her husband growled loudly and crumpled the pieces in his fist. "I warned you, didn't I? One little newspaper against a great youkai isn't going to hold out very long. What's has you so tense, love?"

With a look that could almost be described as sulky, Lord Tai glared at the crumpled, torn paper still in his hands. "There wasn't anything interesting to read about today anyway." He grumbled.

His wife raised an eyebrow. "Well? I asked you a question so quit avoiding it."

"Why isn't that boy back yet?" Lord Tai suddenly burst out in an agitated manner, shocking Lady Rumiko speechless for a long moment. That was the last thing she would have guessed was making him so upset!

Finally locating her voice, she smiled slightly. "Care to explain?"

The normally dignified Lord Tai slumped down in his chair and folded his arms in a very Inuyasha fashion and mumbled his answer under his breath. "No son of mine should be so incompetent with the ladies."

Lady Rumiko's jaw dropped in surprise before giving in to the helpless laughter that welled up inside her, and before long she found herself gasping for breath as her insulted husband glared at her.

"Is that the ONLY reason you're worried?" She teased him, obviously more than a little amused over the situation. "Some father you are! Your son's whole future is at stake, and you can only sit there and worry about the fact that his failure is making you look bad!"

Opening his mouth to defend himself, Lord Tai snapped it shut when a subdued knock sounded on the study door.

"Come in!" Lady Rumiko called out cheerfully.

The large wooden door opened and Sesshoumaru stepped in looking as serious and formal as usual. The only hint that he had probably overheard the couple's conversation was a slight amusement in his golden eyes.

"I'm sorry to disturb you." He began, nodding slightly to both in way of a greeting. "But I could not help but hear what you were talking about as I was passing by." He ignored the growl from his father and continued. "I thought you might like to know that I have it on good authority that Inuyasha is making fair progress with his human girl."

"But what about those damn pictures we got in the mail?" Lord Tai argued fervently. In his opinion, if a girl would send embarrassing pictures of you to your very own family, then you haven't made much progress at all!

"That is over and done with between them, and mostly likely forgotten for the moment at least." Sesshoumaru informed them in a bland tone of voice.

Lady Rumiko smiled. "You make it sound as if you have spies watching them."

"I suppose you could say that." Sesshoumaru answered, his voice giving absolutely nothing away. Not even people who knew him well could accurately judge what his true feelings were on the subject being discussed.

Lord Tai finally spoke up once more, and for the moment he seemed to be mollified. "For that boy's sake, I hope you're right. If he screws this up then there will be no living with him! I don't know where he got his rotten attitude from!"

Sesshoumaru and Lady Rumiko exchanged dry looks with one another and decided not to touch that statement.

"Thank you for your information Sess." Lady Rumiko told him warmly. "I don't know why you seem so interested in helping your brother, but it's wonderful to know someone is looking out for him."

Nodding his acknowledgement at her statement, Sesshoumaru turned to leave. But before he made it out the door he turned back. "Oh yes, I almost forgot that I have a question for both of you before I go, if you don't mind."

Both of the room's occupants watched him expectantly and waited.

"What T-shirt sizes do you wear?"

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Sango sighed and wiped the kitchen counter clean, a small frown marring her face. She was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she didn't even hear Miroku's approach behind her until it was too late.

"HENTAI!" She screeched loudly as she turned and plastered her dirty, wet rag to his face. Miroku immediately let go of her butt and pulled the piece of cloth calmly from his face, giving Sango a tolerant smile.

"What was that for, my love? Didn't that kiss we shared the other day mean anything at all to you?" He gave her the saddest look he could muster.

"Yes, it did!" Sango bit off, still fuming. "The grabbing means something to me too, but I refuse to sink so low as to say those particular words out loud!"

Miroku laughed loudly and gave Sango a light kiss on the lips, causing her to blush and frantically turn back to her cleaning. She hated how he affected her both in a bad way and in a good way. When he groped her she felt like she wanted to kill him, but when he was sweet to her like that, she could almost forget that anyone else existed but the two of them.

"What were you thinking about before I came in?" Miroku questioned, sitting down at the table to keep her company while she worked. As long as Lady Rumiko was at home, his time was his own to do with what he pleased. And he chose to spend most of it with Sango.

Sango frowned once more. "Inuyasha and Kagome. I wonder how they are doing?"

"I don't know since I haven't seen them since I dropped off his clothes. But I can safely guess that the answer is probably not well, if that picture Lady Kagome sent everyone is any indication." Miroku laughed and patted his pocket. "No one but Lord Sesshoumaru has ever been able to get the better of Inuyasha like that! I plan to take advantage of it, so I carry the picture everywhere with me in case he suddenly comes home!"

Sango laughed. "You're cruel Miroku! Although I have to admit I plan to keep that picture as long as I live. I never thought I'd see the day that Inuyasha would sleep with a teddy bear!"

"I know what you mean." Miroku agreed. "I always considered that about as likely as him sleeping with a cat." Both found that thought amusing, but if they only knew! Maybe Kagome should have gotten a picture of that instead, since Buyo sleeps with him every single night now. Who would have thought they'd actually see the day that Inuyasha, a half dog demon, would become a cat person?

Both were still laughing at the mental image when Sesshoumaru stepped into the room, giving each a cool glance before getting right down to business and inquiring about their T-shirt size, and if Sango knew Kagome's.

"Why do you want to know that?" Sango questioned him in confusion after giving him the information he had requested.

Not batting an eyelash, he answered in a flat voice. "I'm having them matching shirts made as a wedding gift."

"Huh?" Both humans stared blankly at the youkai before them.

Sesshoumaru had to resist the urge to roll his eyes at the dense pair and reluctantly explained. "I'm using the picture that human girl sent. I find it rather…amusing."

Miroku and Sango started at him a moment before turning to each other and bursting into loud laugher. Sesshoumaru just sighed, barely tolerating their mirth.

"I wish I had thought of that first!" Miroku cried, still laughing. "Maybe we can get boxers made too!"

Sango shook her head, smiling at the thought. "That would be really dangerous to your health you know!"

"And getting shirts made wouldn't?"

"Good point." Sango conceded.

Both of them continued to laugh and make jokes at the absent hanyou's expense, while the silent Sesshoumaru listened with a small amount of curiosity, something he rarely felt.

'Mortals are so strange.' He mused mentally. 'Maybe I should look into getting one as a pet to entertain me.'

If Miroku and Sango had only been able to read Sesshoumaru's thoughts at the moment, they would have been laughing a LOT harder.

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Sorry that there was no real Inu/Kag in this chapter, but I decided we needed to catch up on the people at the house and not totally abandon them!