InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Waiting on a Wish ❯ Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

Mrs. Hashimoto had a small television set that she kept in the kitchen so she could watch her favorite programs while cooking or cleaning. Tonight, it was on, one of the evening news stations playing as muffled background noise. Kagome listened idly, not really paying attention as she finished the tea and carefully poured two steaming cups.

Kaede had greeted them as soon as they walked in the door. She hadn’t even blinked at seeing InuYasha with Kagome. Curiously, it almost seemed as if she’d expected him--she’d merely smiled her knowing smile, and nodded a wordless greeting to the hanyou. She’d helped Kagome with her cursory inspection of the children, then immediately retired for the evening, claiming tiredness and old age--as soon as she’d made it quite clear that the both of them were welcome to stay the night.

Kagome fought the urge to roll her eyes. Now Kaede was in on this bizarre relationship of hers. It would help if it didn’t feel as if the whole world was conspiring against her where InuYasha was concerned.

Sighing wearily, she picked up both mugs and took the few steps out through the kitchen’s open sliding doors. InuYasha sat on the porch, on the top step of the stairs leading into the garden. His back was to the side railing, an arm propped negligently on a drawn-up knee; his eyes searched the sky above, gazing up at what little stars could be seen through the haze and illumination of the city. He didn’t move, but his ears shifted slightly as her bare feet fell on the wood of the porch.

His attention still didn’t turn from the stars above as he reached out and took the proffered cup from her hand. Silently, she took a step down and sank beside him, holding her own so that steam hit her face, the herbal scent filling her lungs. The night around them was chilly, and it felt good to sit and relax with the tea and the quiet.

At least everything seemed to be going fine at the orphanage. Two more had come down with fevers during the day, but Kaede had been able to treat them almost right away. Other than that, most of the children seemed to be doing fine. However….

“Mrs. Hashimoto worries me.” She broke their silence with a troubled frown. “Her fever only seems to have gotten worse in the last few hours. If it goes very much higher, we’ll have to hospitalize her.” She sighed. “I wish Kaede would hire someone else to help her. She has too much to do here to be basically on her own. Her daughter is only available some of time, and that won’t help if she gets sick.”

“Are you their only doctor?”

Her gaze flicked up to find him watching her, the golden cast of his eyes intent. The light from the kitchen fell over them, softening both the shadows and the highlights of skin, hair, and clothes; the effect had his hair looking like pure silver. A slight flush heated her skin. Her pulse seemed very sensitive this evening--the rhythm of the blood in her veins pushed along in a deep, slightly hyper beat.

She was beginning to regret that kiss. The tension it had sparked hadn’t faded during their walk; it had only quieted, remaining inactive but very present. She could still sense it in the air between them, waiting--coiled up and ready to strike at the first opportunity. He knew it, too. She could see the awareness deep in his gaze, and it was causing her stomach to twist in all kinds of anxious acrobatics.

The set of his eyes shifted, softened, and the very corners of his mouth lifted into a knowing half-smirk. “Kagome?”

His tone was little too smug, and she blinked, suddenly realizing he’d asked her a question. Exasperated, she closed her eyes, trying to recall his words. “Ummm…when they’re hired, all the doctors and nurses at the clinic are required to sign an agreement to be on call for the orphanage as part of their duties.” She opened her eyes and shrugged. “But really, I’m the one who looks after them. I’m always volunteering to treat them, and I love visiting, so I guess you could say I’ve sort of become their unofficial primary physician. I don’t mind.”

She took a cautious sip of her tea, making a face when she burned her tongue. “I’m just happy I got the opportunity to work in such an interesting atmosphere.” She smiled absently. “Kaede hand-picks the physicians and nurses who work at the clinic. I’m lucky she decided I was good enough straight out of graduation. There were so many other better, more experienced doctors that she could have hired.” The smile faded. “I asked her about it once. The only thing she would tell me was that she sensed something special in me.”

Something flashed in his eyes, and his brows lowered. “You don’t believe her.”

He sounded bothered by that. She gave him a startled look, and her lips turned down at the corners. “I…I don’t know. I hate to disappoint her, especially when I respect her so much, but….” She shook her head. “I tried, I really did. We spent hours training my supposed spiritual powers when I first started. Nothing ever happened. I didn’t feel anything; I couldn’t do anything. And after about a year of nothing, I decided to spend my time and energy on something I knew I could do.”

“You stopped training.”

His voice was strange, almost angry now, although his expression hadn’t changed. She looked down at her cup, suddenly agitated. “Why bother? I obviously don’t have the power that she thinks I do. Most of the exercises were just frustrating and pointless. I can do so much more good by helping people get better and stay well.”

“But you do.”

“What?” She glanced up, but he was looking away from her, out into the garden, and his hair hid his features.

“You do have power. I can feel it in you.” His eyes turned back to hers, and she was surprised to see the frustrated glint buried deep in the gold. “So can every other youkai you meet, Kagome. And some of them might not take kindly to it. You shouldn’t have stopped your training.”

She stared at him, taken aback. His words were quiet, but his tone was laced with such complete conviction, it was unnerving. “But…” He truly believed that she had some sort of power. It was strange for her to see, since she’d never really believed it to begin with. “But I work with youkai all the time,” she reminded him. “Two of the other doctors at the clinic are youkai. No one has ever said anything about me having spiritual powers. Not even Kouga--”

He straightened, scowling at the mention of the other hunter. “Gods-fucking-damn wolf! What does he have to do with anything?”

She winced, immediately regretting the reference. “Nothing. It’s just that, I’ve known him for a while, and he’s never said anything about--”

“That flea-bitten bastard couldn’t sniff his way into a temple.” He growled, then sat back. “Look, all I’m saying is you should keep training.”

Her mouth tightened. “Weren’t you listening? I did train, for almost a year. It never did any good.”

He snorted and shifted against the railing so that he was facing her. His eyes had narrowed and swept over her form in a brief scan. “Maybe you weren’t listening. I’m telling you the power is there. You need to learn how to use it.”

“I….” Kagome refused to look at him, fighting the sudden urge to hit him by keeping her gaze trained on the hands wrapped around her cup.

She’d never been able to do it--whatever Kaede expected of her. For years, she’d thought that it was because Kaede had made a mistake--that she didn’t really have any true power. But tonight, for some odd reason, InuYasha’s certainty struck a chord of truth no one else’s ever had before. She found herself doubting her own convictions, and it didn’t sit well. “It’s not important, anyway. I have patients enough to care for without having to deal with the responsibility of spiritual powers.”

He made another impatient sound. “It is important. Having spiritual powers of any kind can put you in danger, Kagome. If I’m not around--”

“If you’re not around, it wouldn’t do me any good anyway, because I don’t have any control over anything spiritual.”

He sat forward, his hand gripping around her wrist to pull at her arm, forcing her to look at him. “So what if you can’t use them? That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try! If something happens, and you don’t know anything about them, your powers could get you--” He broke off abruptly, then dropped her arm and looked back into the plants of the garden. “They could get you into trouble.”

Her eyes widened, and she stared at the tense set of his profile. Killed. That’s what he’d been intending to say. Did he really think she’d be in mortal danger if she didn’t keep up with Kaede’s training? The idea seemed to make him angry, or…maybe afraid.

He was afraid for her?

Whatever resentment she’d begun to feel at his insistence slowly drained away. Why? Why would he think that she was in danger? She took another sip of tea, struggling to understand. Well, he was a hunter…maybe it was just a result of fighting all the time. Or maybe it was all the rogue attacks that had been plaguing the city recently. They were making everyone nervous, right? That was a good reason to be afraid….

The television in the kitchen suddenly seemed loud as a gruff, very familiar voice cut angrily into the silence. Kagome jumped, then sent a startled look at InuYasha, whose head had already jerked around; he stared in disbelief at the sound of his own voice coming from anywhere but his mouth. His ears twitched as he listened to the newscaster speak words that Kagome couldn’t quite make out, then his features twisted in a scowl of comprehension. “Oh, shit.”

She blinked at the disgruntled tone. “Is that…you?”

He just sat back. “Dammit, I hate it when he’s right.”

Setting her cup on the porch, Kagome scrambled to her feet and made a dash for the kitchen in the hopes of seeing whatever soundbite had caught their attention. The small television sat on a free space of counter just near the door. A pretty, conservatively dressed reporter was smiling into the camera, rattling off facts about the Alliance. A special report? Frowning, Kagome made a grab for the volume button.

“…But after the recent rogue attacks, debate is raging over what the next chapter in the Alliance’s existence might be. Minister Nakamura, head of Alliance relations, has spoken strongly for a reorganization of the ancient system, a stand which led to a confrontation with Alliance members earlier today.”

Her mouth dropped open in surprise as the screen cut to a clip of all three of her friends--Miroku, Sango, and InuYasha, still in their traditional clothes--all standing on a set of deep, smooth stone steps, arguing publicly with an important-looking older gentleman. The entire exchange was shown, from Miroku’s objection, to InuYasha’s extremely rude--are they allowed to put that on TV?--interjection and exit, before flashing back to the young reporter.

“Later, after a private meeting with the Alliance Council, Minister Nakamura held a press conference in his offices. He proposed that the rights of his office be expanded to provide them with access to all Alliance records and business dealings, stating that all Alliance members should come under the strictest scrutiny of the Japanese government. He also insisted that, in the future, the Alliance should be required to consult the Ministry of Alliance Relations before taking any action.”

“Fucking idiot.” InuYasha hadn’t followed her inside, but she heard his mumbled opinion on the Minister’s ideas quite clearly.

“Many others disagree, feeling that a reorganization would cripple the ability of the Alliance to fulfill its original purpose. Some officials have already privately stated that they believe that the Alliance is the best method of dealing with destructive youkai--threats that the government alone would have difficulty combating. Debate on the issue is sure to continue when the House of Councillors meets tomorrow.”

With a thoughtful glance back out at the porch, Kagome shut off the small television and stood in the doorway, staring at him. Chewing on her lip, she returned to her seat on the steps next to him. “Well, you didn’t seem to like him very much.”

“Keh.” He gave her an incredulous look. “Obviously. That idiot’s playing politics with a couple hundred years of peace between youkai and humans. It ain’t as simple as he tries to tell it.”

“It’s not?” She wasn’t arguing--her curiosity was genuine. She simply didn’t know enough to have an opinion.

He gave a low growl. “Of course not. If youkai lose confidence that the Alliance is not under human control, they’ll stop listening to the rules the Alliance enforces. Eventually, some youkai will do something that humans don’t like, and some human will do something back that the youkai won’t like, and things will get worse from there.”

She set her chin in her hand as he spoke, watching him. He was frowning, and his eyes were serious, if slightly irritated. He’d thought about this before, she could tell; she found herself impressed at the assurance in his tone. A teasing grin turned up the corners of her mouth. “At least that would give you more work.”

His eyes flicked to hers, and his features eased a bit. He eyed her grin. “I get enough work in this damn city. They don’t need to make things more dangerous than they already are.”

She gave a tiny frown, thinking back to dinner, and what Miroku had told her. “You think the Alliance makes everyone safer.”

He gave a soft snort then shifted, turning his body away from her to face the garden and leaning his shoulder against the railing. She couldn’t figure out what he’d done with his tea, as it didn’t seem to be in his hands anymore. “The Alliance makes everyone happy.” He hesitated, then gave a resigned sigh. “Youkai and humans are different. They think different, they act different…but since they’re working together, the differences don’t seem to matter as much.” He sounded gruff, as if he were admitting something he didn’t want to. “You could say they keep things safer.”

I wonder how those differences work in him? Her lids lowered to her lap, her eyes studying her hands intently. “And being half youkai and half human, you’re a living example of that cooperation, aren’t you? I guess…your parents must have felt the same way you do.”

He tensed. She didn’t see it, only sensed it through the small distance between their bodies. Her fingers smoothed a few strands of hair behind her ear. “They were important in the Alliance…your parents?”

He went very quiet. For several moments, the only things they heard were the chirping of the crickets and the faint rush of water from somewhere deep in the garden pathways. Kagome bit at her lip, hoping it hadn’t been too soon to broach such a sensitive subject. Maybe I shouldn’t have…

When he spoke again, the softness of his voice almost startled her. “Yeah…they were pretty important. My father was a member of the Council, and my mother… she came from a family of traditional healers.”

“Really?” Surprised lightened her tone as she looked over at him. “Did she teach you anything?

He still didn’t look at her, and his volume didn’t change at her interest. “Maybe one or two things. I don’t remember much. People were always asking her about stuff, though.”

“And both of them died when you were--”

“Young, yeah.” His interruption was abrupt and terse, causing her to bite back any other questions she might have had. Another long stretch of silence followed it before he spoke again. “They died together, on the same day. The day my father fought Ryukotsusei for the Council.”

On the same day? She sucked in a quiet, shocked breath. Sorrow curled through her, tightening her stomach as she glanced up at the sky, at a loss. On the same day! Mother and father both gone at once. He’d only been a child…just the same as any one of Kaede’s orphans.

How? An accident? No. He said his father was fighting for the Council.

Someone named Ryu…Ryukotsusei?

“Ryukotsusei…” Speaking the name aloud triggered something in her brain, and she was grateful to have something else to focus on for the moment. “I’ve heard that name before, haven’t I?” Her lips turned down as her face scrunched in thought. “A…rogue?”

Her words surprised him out of his subdued manner. “You don’t remember? He was the taiyoukai who tried to destroy Tokyo ten years ago. He never actually made it into the city, but he scared the shit out of everyone living here.”

“Ten years…” She blinked. “Oh.” A pause. “So your father beat him ten years ago?”

“No, I beat him ten years ago. My father sealed him, when I was just a kid.” He looked at her strangely, as if she should already know that.

She turned away from his gaze. “Oh.” She thought for a moment, then spoke again, her voice quiet. “What happened?”

He shrugged. “He threatened the members of the Council directly, and they sent my father to fight him. My father managed to stop him by sealing him, but he was hurt pretty bad doing it.”

Kagome’s face softened. “His injuries were fatal? Your mother couldn’t do anything?” Her fingers laced together tightly on her lap as sympathy for a fellow healer, unable to make well, swirled in to join the jumble of emotion in her chest.

His head bent forward, and the claws on his hands dug into the wood of the step with an audible scrape. “She might have, if she’d been there.”

Her fingers loosened in surprise at the answer. She looked back at him, unsure of whether to talk or be still. When he started speaking again, she opted to listen. “Some bastard Council lord took her away from the Alliance. He waited until my father was off fighting for the Council, then he found her alone. He scared her, ripped her kimono when he grabbed her arm, and forced her to go with him outside the gates. When my father got back, he went straight after them.” He paused. “They all died.”

She stared, wide-eyed and stricken. “Another Council member? Why would he…”

His lip curled with anger, and he growled. “He didn’t approve of my mother mixing with a youkai. He said she should have chosen him instead of bearing a monster’s child.”

“He…he was in love with her?”

“Keh.” He shifted restlessly. “If he was in love with her, why did he kill her?”

Unable to answer, she let her gaze fall back to her hands, her teeth digging into the inside of her lip. She hadn’t understood how bad it had been when he first mentioned it. He’d lost both his parents in one day to some obsessed, prejudiced jerk who thought he could just take what he wanted.

Her mind replayed his words, turning them over in her head. There was something else--something in his voice as he’d been describing…. He ripped her kimono when he grabbed her arm…he said she should have chosen him…he scared her…. Her eyes widened suddenly, and her lips parted on a silent breath of dismay.

He saw it happen. That kind of detail didn’t come from a second-hand account. It came from a memory, a moment burned into the brain with such impact that it slipped out unnoticed by the speaker. He’d been there when it happened--had watched an Alliance lord kidnap his mother. He’d probably tried to stop it, but chances were he’d been too small. He was lucky he hadn’t been taken as well.

Her fingers tightened around each other. It was so unfair. “What about the others at the Alliance? The other Council members, the other lords--didn’t anyone try to stop him?”

His ears jerked violently. “Huh. It’s an Alliance rule. Private disputes between members are to be settled outside the city. My mother walked out with him on her own, so as far as they were concerned, it was a private dispute.”

As far as they were concerned.

Her lashes swept low, hiding her eyes. She was beginning to understand. Listen to what he says, Miroku had said. Listen to what it means. As far as they were concerned. A paraphrased answer to a plea for help.

He’d tried to tell someone. He’d tried to get help…and no one had been willing to do anything. Not even when it meant aiding one of their own Council when he was injured and fighting for their safety. She felt a trembling in her throat and swallowed to steady it. Hesitantly, she spoke again, a gentle fragility weaving through her voice as she risked another question, almost afraid of the answer. “Why didn’t she try to escape? Why didn’t she try to tell someone?”

This time she could swear she heard his teeth grind before he answered. “Because the fucking bastard threatened to kill me.” There was a wealth of guilt and anger hiding under the harsh words--guilt for not saving his mother, anger for those at the Alliance who had refused to help his family--and... Maybe even an emotion deeper than either one of those.

Oh, no.

Her fingers reached up to press against her lips and hold in the angry comments, to suppress the tears of sympathy as they ached in her throat and gathered behind her eyes. A young boy, the very thing that kept his mother from seeking out the help that might have kept her alive. She had absolutely no idea what that must have done to him.

She was suddenly, intensely grateful that they’d chosen to sit outside, on the porch, and not in the well-lit interior of the kitchen. She had a feeling he would never have been so open if they had. Some things were easier to say in the dark, when one of the senses is blurred, and you felt protected by the shadows. Some emotions were easier to reveal when no one could see you doing it. Sometimes the darkness gave more than the light.

No wonder he seemed so hostile towards the Alliance.

Regardless, she felt a deep sense of joy that he’d shared this with her. She hadn’t really expected it from him--not yet, anyway. It meant more to her than he might realize. Although, in a way, she was almost sorry she’d asked; the last thing she’d wanted to do was remind him of such tragic memories.

And suddenly, she was determined to comfort him. She bit her lip, casting around for a way to ease the pain she’d been responsible for bringing to his voice. Only one thing came to mind.

Drawing a deep breath, she darted a look at him from the corner of her eyes, hesitating for the briefest of moments. Then, ignoring the nervous little skip in her heart rate, she scooted across the step until she pressed up along his side. His head turned swiftly as her hand slipped under his elbow, and her head came to rest against his shoulder. She stared out into the darkness, her eyes seeking the same direction that his had taken. “I’ll think about it.”

He didn’t say anything, just continued to stare in confusion through the shadows, the question in his silence even more palpable than it would have been spoken aloud. A smile twitched at the corners of her mouth as she imagined the look on his face. “Kaede’s training. You really think it’s important, don’t you?”

He blinked, then she felt the muscles in his arm relax. He grunted in the male version of a reluctant affirmative.

She closed her eyes and rubbed her cheek against the soft suede of his jacket. “Then…I’ll speak with her tomorrow. I might be able to find some time for it somewhere.”

Since her eyes were closed, she couldn’t see it, but somehow, she felt his answering smile, and her own smile widened in return.

They fell quiet, breathing in the chilly night air, happy to let the heaviness of the conversation dissipate around them. Eventually, she felt him shift slightly, turning so that she was cradled more comfortably in the crook of his shoulder and chest, his arm wrapping around her back. Her arms slipped around his waist and she sank deeper into the soft darkness fogging over her thoughts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~

“Rin!”

The throaty, irritated croak reached the teenager’s ears just as she was exiting the front doors of the school building. Jerking her head up from her walking rummage through her backpack, Rin brightened. “Hello Jaken. Have you come to walk me home?”

Jaken straightened from his slump against the wall, and sputtered to hide whatever concern he might have felt over the increasingly late hour. The two-faced staff he always carried at the ready smacked into the concrete as he proceeded to scold her. “It’s about time this silly practice of yours ended. I have been waiting since school let out. It’s been dark for hours now!”

Rin slanted a look down at her long-time companion as she fell into step beside him. Up until a few years ago, she had stood head and nose next to the retainer. It still felt strange that these days she almost towered over him. “It’s ok, Jaken. Tonight was an important rehearsal night. Everyone had their costumes fitted. And tomorrow will be a full stage rehearsal, so we’ll be late again.”

He looked sour at the news. “It’s ridiculous to go out at night like this. What if another rogue attacks?” He sighed, glaring at her as they turned down the street. “Why did you have to do a play, anyway?”

She smiled. “Well, we had to do something for the school cultural festival. I didn’t ask for it. The whole class voted.” With a few skips, she left him half a block away.

“Rin! Wait for me!”

Typically, Jaken spent the whole way home alternating between grumbling about how terrible his life was, and lecturing her on some random topic. Rin didn’t listen for long--years ago, she’d come to the conclusion that the harmless mutterings were just a way for him to feel important. Although why he needed grumbling to feel important was beyond her. She thought he was important enough as he was.

Still, it was easy to let him alone and tune him out until he asked her a question or called for her attention. It was their usual routine when he walked her home from school--which, since the attacks, had been every day, regardless of the time. Ah-Un, the two-headed dragon that Rin regarded so dearly, would have been with them as well, except that recently both heads had been feeling sick, and as a result, could no longer fly. So the responsibility for her safe return to Lord Sesshoumaru's home fell to Jaken alone.

Lord Sesshoumaru's home was a large traditional mansion just outside the boundaries of the city, located deep within a private, substantial section of woods that had been part of the Inu no Taisho’s territory for centuries. Everyone knew the house, because the Taisho had only built it after he met the lady Izayoi, and it had shocked everyone that the great Inu leader would put down in so conspicuous a manner. It had worked out well, though, as all those under the Taisho’s protection had known where to seek his help and guidance if he wasn’t at the Alliance.

After his death, his eldest son had stepped into his position without a word, and those who had once served the father now went to the son, and the home he’d taken over. Why Sesshoumaru occupied the house that his father had built for his half brother’s mother was a mystery that neither brother had ever elaborated on to anyone.

It had been ten years since the young child Rin had (in a move that had set the entire Alliance on its incredulous, collective ass) shown up as a ward in the Inu lord’s care. For ten years, the house had been her shelter, a place where she ate and slept…and most importantly, a place where she could be close to Lord Sesshoumaru. She’d spent her days at the Alliance and her nights in that house, reading out loud from her favorite book, being bored out of her mind by Jaken’s lessons, or torturing her favorite imp with games of her choosing--all while the taiyoukai nearby listened with a quiet calm that most mistook for indifference.

When Rin had decided that she wanted to attend regular high school, all that had changed. Her constant companionship with the two demons had ceased being constant, and her days were now spent at school instead of the Alliance. She tried to keep her nightly habits the same, but sometimes--though it was rare--she didn’t have a choice about how late she stayed out. And always, Jaken would be there to walk her home, and always, she would find Lord Sesshoumaru somewhere in the house, doing something of which only he knew the full importance.

Tonight was one of those nights.

The walk home was peaceful, and the night around them quiet and pleasant as the demon and the girl made their way out of the city. The passage through the forest was uneventful, and they quickly reached the low walls that surrounded the mansion--only barely managing to keep out the encroaching trees--and passed through the gateless archway that was the entrance. With a gentle hum and a skip, Rin darted ahead of Jaken, eager to find Sesshoumaru.

After all, he would be expecting her daily recounting.

Her recitation had become a ritual for the two of them--one they’d formed only recently, since the start of her high school career--but it was one she already cherished. Each evening, she would find a comfortable seat in his study, and quietly tell him about her day--and even though he always seemed to be concentrating on something else, she knew that he listened attentively to even the most mundane information she gave him. Lord Sesshoumaru, after all, missed nothing.

She’d climbed the steps and made her way through the front door before Jaken could clear the gateway. She stopped only briefly to kick her shoes off in the genkan, not bothering to face them forward because she knew it would give Jaken something to scold her for later. Then, with her backpack still slung heavily over one shoulder, she made her way down the hall towards Sesshoumaru’s study. Her thick, loose socks muffled the already light fall of her footsteps, making her tread almost soundless.

As soon as she reached the door, she started to slide it open, forgetting to knock--as usual. Behind her, faintly, she heard Jaken exclaim her name in extreme agitation as he entered the house. Given that, when he sounded like that, she usually just ignored him…she just ignored him and opened the door.

Two steps in, and she stopped in surprise.

Lord Sesshoumaru had a visitor.

The study, like everything else in the house, was opulent and comfortable, with rows of bookshelves--filled to capacity with a variety of tomes, both old and new--along the walls, thick area rugs covering the tatami matting, and several comfortable chairs that were placed in small, aesthetically pleasing groups around the room. Sesshoumaru’s desk, a massive, highly polished piece of dark brown oak, sat just beside an entire section of the wall made up of sliding doors, which--when opened--gave a stunning view of the small garden beyond.

Except tonight, one of the doors appeared to have been removed. The wood was somehow missing, seemed simply to have vanished. Tonight, a strange female was lounging casually in the frame where the door had been. Rin‘s eyes widened and she stared at the stranger.

She was obviously youkai, her pointed ears hung with beaded earrings, her luminescent red eyes turned with jaded curiosity toward the source of interruption. She had an elegant air about her, black hair twisted up onto her head, and a pretty white and purple-striped kimono wrapped around her body. One shoulder was propped gracefully against the empty doorframe, her bare feet were crossed casually, and she held a closed fan in her right hand, tapping it idly against her shoulder.

Sesshoumaru stood behind his desk. Gone was the overwhelming flow of the traditional kimono he wore within the Alliance walls, replaced instead by the elegance of expensive, yet tasteful, slacks and a dress-shirt. He hadn’t even spared a glance at the girl as she came barging into his study. The gold of his eyes was narrowed slightly, and his gaze remained focused on the female in the window.

When she was younger, Rin might have gone running up to Sesshoumaru despite the visitor, completely oblivious to the strange tension in the air, and unaware of the deceptive calm in his stance; these days, she knew better. Well aware that something was wrong, and unsure of what action would cause him the least trouble, she simply froze and stood quietly, waiting for a sign from him that might direct her.

For a moment, no one moved.

Then Jaken appeared in the doorway behind Rin. “Rin! Foolish girl, why don’t you ever list--” He stopped just inside the doorway, gaping at the unknown youkai who had made herself comfortable in his lord’s study. “Ah?” Then, with an uneasy glance at Sesshoumaru, he moved, scurrying to place himself between the high school girl and the intruding youkai, the two-faced pole held ready in his hands.

The female didn’t even spare him a glance. She merely finished her perusal of Rin, then turned the deep ruby of her eyes back to Sesshoumaru. She gave him a tiny smirk, her tone mocking. “So this is your human brat that everyone is so curious about, eh?” She gave a shrug. “It’s not like I care, but it seems pretty obvious to me why you keep her around. Like father, like son, as they say.”

Jaken sputtered, insulted by the disrespect in her voice. Rin’s only reaction was to blink in confusion, though she missed neither the inference in the words, nor the interest in the other woman’s gaze as she glanced over the Inu lord.

Sesshoumaru hadn’t reacted at all to the words. He studied her for a minute longer before he spoke. “You.” He stepped around the desk, his tone curious, his manner demanding. “You are the one who has been following me.”

“Oh? So you knew I was there, did you?” She eyed him again, with even more interest this time, as well as a healthy amount of caution. “Maybe the great Inu lord is as strong as they say.”

He still hadn’t moved. “Who are you?”

“I am Kagura, wielder of the wind.” She straightened away from the doorframe.

The golden eyes hardened into a subtle, displeased glare, and a contemptuous sound left his throat. “I will not play games. You will tell me why you follow me, and why you have invaded my home. Now.”

“Tch! Impatient bastard, aren’t you?” Kagura gave a slight sneer, and the fan tapped twice against her collar bone as she studied him a moment longer. “Well, it’s no skin off my back. I’m only here to talk to you anyway. I have a message--and an offer.”

Jaken sputtered again, but the current Inu lord didn’t react, save for a slight, inquiring tilt of his head. “Offer?”

“Of a new alliance. The old one is on its way out--or haven’t you noticed?” She rolled her eyes, looking bored, then recited her next few lines in a monotone. “The Alliance is an insult to youkai who should rule over mortals. Anyone who chooses to cling to its failing ways will be destroyed along with it.”

“Destroyed?!” Jaken let out a high-pitched yelp and started forward, infuriated. “You are daring to threaten the great Lord Sesshoumaru?!”

“Jaken.” The word was nothing less than a threat in itself, and the imp froze, instantly cowed, trembling as he threw a timid glance over at his master. Sesshoumaru ignored him. He looked almost amused. “Threats are meaningless to me.”

The dark head tipped slightly in a mockery of a bow. “Humph. I haven’t threatened you…yet. This is a humble proposal to the great and mighty Inu lord of the Alliance.” She looked up, her smile as mocking as her bow had been. “All he wants is a few favors, and you can watch the Alliance crumble knowing that you’ll emerge as an even bigger hot-shot lord than your father. He can give you power and the freedom to live as a youkai should.” She paused. “He can even grant you the ability to wield your father’s other sword--if you want it.”

A moment of heavy silence followed her words. Rin and Jaken both turned questioning stares on Sesshoumaru as they waited for his reply.

“Interesting.” One thin, graceful brow cocked. “And who is the he that presents such an offer?”

Kagura’s lips twisted scornfully, distaste tainting her smooth tone. “Naraku.”

Rin wondered at the youkai’s strange emphasis. She’d never heard the name before, but Jaken obviously recognized it. Still in front of her, he gave a strangled gasp. “N-N-N-Naraku?! B-but that’s the name of the one who…” She looked at Lord Sesshoumaru, whose eyes had narrowed dangerously.

He stepped forward, subtle menace wrapping around him like a stylish cloak, a hint of threat that laced through his stance. “Tell my why I shouldn’t kill you simply for saying that name.”

Kagura reacted immediately, snapping open her fan and sending a small whirlwind ripping through the room as she took a graceful leap away from the doorway. “Fucking bastard. Don’t talk about killing me as if it would be easy.”

The wind tugged sharply at everything, picking up loose papers and light, unsecured books and tossing them violently through the air. Rin gave a small cry and dodged to avoid one of the heavier projectiles, only to trip over the screeching Jaken, who had crouched down in an attempt to keep the Nintoujou from flying out of his hands. Her backpack slipped from her shoulder, and she landed in a heap next to him, wincing as the heavy pile of books slammed squarely onto the imp’s back. He gave a half-hearted squawk, then went limp, his expression dazed.

The wind died as quickly as it appeared, leaving the study in complete disarray and the youkai who had provoked it standing in the middle of the mess. “Shit. Don’t get so upset. I’m not here to fight. Just think about Naraku’s offer.” She eyed him cynically. “It’d be smart of you. If you’ve been paying attention, you know that he’s even got the Council scared shitless.”

In the next instant the Inu lord was across the distance, and her red eyes widened in panic as the wind sorceress found herself dangling in the air from the clawed hand wrapped tightly around her throat. “Humph.” His brows lowered in disdain. “I would not accept power from such an inferior weakling.”

She struggled, straining to free herself from the unbreakable grasp. Behind them, Rin scrambled to her feet, frowning in concern as she watched. Kagura gasped for air through teeth clenched together in a grimace of pain. “Even from the inferior weakling that took your father’s life?”

His fingers tightened. “It was human weakness that took my father’s life, not Naraku’s trickery.”

The fan in Kagura’s hand snapped open. Her eyes darted off to the side. “Is that…your answer?”

Jaken scoffed, coming out of his daze to jump up in front of Rin and taunt the wind youkai. “Foolish woman. Lord Sesshoumaru would never so demean himself as to serve another.”

An explosion of sound drew everyone’s attention to the open space where a door used to be. Rin shrieked, and Jaken’s beak dropped open as a small horde of youkai--low-level oddities, with worm-like bodies--burst in through the opening, destroying the wall and sending bits of wood and screen flying through the air. Interspersed between the larger youkai were smaller, ugly wasp-like creatures, the vibrations of their wings adding a loud buzzing to the background as they scattered off into the night, disappearing as quickly as they appeared.

The youkai destroyed everything in their path, zeroing in far too fast on the only human in the room. Jaken‘s expression went from shock to alarm, and he scrambled to get in front of Rin, staff at the ready as he mumbled under his breath. The mouth of one of the heads opened wide, and a stream of fire shot out, burning most the first small wave of youkai to ashes while it was still in the air.

One of the smaller youkai slipped past him and headed straight for Rin. She yelped and dodged backwards. Sesshoumaru turned swiftly, dropping Kagura and appearing instantly in front Rin, the strike of his claws literally dissolving the youkai before it reached her. He made quick work of the majority of the youkai, the bits and pieces of their remains splattering against walls and overturned bookcases. To the side, Jaken picked off a few with his staff, while behind them Rin looked on and did her best to make sure she didn‘t get eaten. There weren’t many, and within moments, all the youkai had been disposed of.

As the last of the youkai fell to the floor with a sickening series of squelches, Sesshoumaru was already turning back to the wind sorceress. Rin’s eyes widened. Kagura was crouched on her knees on an enormous feather, hovering in the air just beyond the gaping destruction that used to be the outer wall of the study.

She glared at the trio in front of her. “You damn bastard. How dare you fucking touch me?” She turned to glance off in the direction in which the strange insects had vanished. “So, they’re gone, huh?” She gave a soft ‘tsk’ of annoyance. “Damn bees.” She gestured in the direction the insect youkai had gone. “That means I’m done here. See ya.” The violent wind stirred again, carrying her higher into the air.

Rin ran forward, stopping before the broken remains of the wall, a frantic Jaken at her heels. “Wait. You don’t want to fight anymore?”

Kagura barely spared her a glance. “I never wanted to fight, girl. I only came because that bastard Naraku never gives me a choice.” She paused, then stared down at them, her eyes straying to Sesshoumaru. “You…you’re the first to say no, you know that? Naraku is a bastard, but he’s not a bastard you want as an enemy.”

A couple heartbeats went by while he stared up at her. “Naraku…will not be a problem.”

Kagura stared after him in surprise. She gave him another considering look. “You’re a fool if you think you can defeat him.”

As they watched from the demolished ruins of the study, Kagura’s feather turned and drifted away, carrying her towards the trees.

“A little piece of advice, though.” The feather paused, and she slanted a glance over her shoulder, her gaze once again leveling on the Inu lord. “It’s not the favors that really interest Naraku--the only thing that bastard ever does is use people. You…should watch out. The Alliance isn’t exactly a safe place for anyone who opposes him.”

With that parting comment, she disappeared behind the trees, leaving nothing but a chill wind in her wake. Rin stared solemnly after her as she vanished into the night sky. Jaken stood beside her, grumbling worriedly to himself. He gave one final mutter and turned around, bug eyes finding his master behind him. “What will you do, my lord? Naraku is back once again--and he’s getting bolder, to approach you in such a manner. Does he really think you’d be so careless as to trust him?”

Sesshoumaru’s looked thoughtful, his expression distant as he stared out at the sky.

Rin bit her lip. “He’s the only one.”

Jaken jumped and whirled to gape at Rin. “Eh?”

“She said you were the first to say no.” She turned around to stare at Sesshoumaru, her expression worried. “Doesn’t that mean that others have said yes?”

Jaken frowned, scratching thoughtfully at his head. “She talked as if Naraku already has influence in the Alliance, my lord. If that’s true….”

“But what does he want, Jaken?” Rin began daintily picking her way through the blood, guts, and broken debris that littered the floor. “If he’s not interested in the favors he’s asking for, then what is it he is interested in?” Oblivious to the sudden attention of both demons her question had brought her, she reached her backpack and stopped, glancing around again and sighing. “Oooooh. Everything is broken. Where will we keep all the books?”

The retainer mumbled to himself, then looked to where Sesshoumaru was staring thoughtfully at his young charge. “It’s a problem. What do we do, Lord Sesshoumaru?”

Sesshoumaru glanced upward again. “Humph.” He turned his back on the broken wall. “Rin. Get your books and go do your homework. You will stay home from school tomorrow. Jaken….get this mess cleaned up.”

Jaken started, then stared in horror at the stained and shattered interior of the study. “Wha….”

“Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru.” Mildly disappointed, Rin plucked up her book bag from the floor, looking it over mournfully. “And I just started back, too. What will I do about the play?” Her gaze fell on Jaken as she made to follow Sesshoumaru from the room. “I suppose Jaken will have to help me.”

The green toad froze mid-step. “What?!”

“You’ll have to play all the other parts.” She made a face, not quite happy with that solution. “You won’t be very good at it, though.” She paused in the doorway, completely ignoring Jaken’s sputtering protest as she looked behind her one last time. Her voice was quiet. “Kagura was interesting, wasn’t she, Jaken?”

“Hmm?” He huffed. “Strange is more like it. She had the gall to threaten Lord Sesshoumaru.”

“No. That’s not what I meant.” Rin shook her head. “She doesn’t like Naraku very much, does she? I wonder why she listens to him?” She frowned. “You don’t suppose she’ll get in trouble for telling us, do you?”

Jaken took a moment from his overwhelmed fretting to goggle at her in disbelief. “Why should we care, you silly girl? She’s an enemy of Lord Sesshoumaru, and therefore our enemy.”

Rin gave a non-committal hum. She stared for a moment longer, then turned smoothly on her heel. “Good luck, Jaken. I’ll be waiting for you when you’re done cleaning.”

“Ah…Rin! Wait!” As she vanished through the doorway, book bag in hand, Jaken sat gloomily in the middle of the floor, grumbling. “How am I supposed to clean this by myself?” When only silence answered him, he just sighed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Kagome awoke, it was to find herself still in his arms--except this time, his body surrounded her completely. He’d drawn his knees up on either side of her, and his arms draped snuggly around her back, clasped hands holding her close to his chest. Her head was tucked somewhere between his shoulder and the deep thud of his heartbeat, and directly in her line of vision, her hand was curled into a fist around the sleeve of his jacket--which she now wore. She blinked slowly, trying to get her bearings.

The sun was up, indicating morning. At some point during the night, he must have carried her inside, because they now sat on the floor in the living room, propped up against the low couch. Probably a good thing, considering it had been getting colder at night. Interestingly enough, even though she was sitting on chilly bare wood, she didn’t feel at all cold just now. His warmth had wrapped around her like her favorite comforter, and she felt very--well, comfortable….she grimaced slightly as she shifted the legs folded loosely beneath her, trying to restore a bit of circulation…. And maybe a little stiff.

Kagome had a habit of spending the night at the orphanage, and as a result, had her own room and futon on reserve, but he had no way of knowing that. The other night, she’d really been intending just to go home. Falling asleep on the chair had been a fluke--a fairly common one, but a fluke nonetheless. Bringing her back to the room he’d first found her sleeping in was as logical as anything else.

She glanced up. He was sleeping. His head was bent forward, his breathing even under her ear; his bangs fell into his face, but from her angle she could see that his eyes were closed. She drew a deep breath and sighed. Her gaze drifted a little higher. Her eyes focused, then grew speculative. Her ears strained for any sounds of life in the mansion around them, and came up with silence.

With a quick glance at his face to make sure his eyes were still closed, she slid her hand upward, off his chest and up to the furry triangles resting on his head. The tips of her fingers grazed over his ear, stroking over the pliant, silky tip while her thumb slid along the incredibly fine, softer fur lining the inner ear.

His ear tensed and flicked out from under her touch. His hand was suddenly gripping around her wrist, gentle but firm, holding her hand away from his ears. Startled, she jerked her head off his chest as her gaze flew back to his face. Alert golden eyes, mere inches from hers, studied her knowingly, a tiny smirk on his lips. “Good morning.”

At the husky murmur, her heartbeat tripled, and her stomach went all in knots. A furious blush climbed her features. “You…I’m--I didn’t mean to…” She stumbled to a stop, then eyed his smirk suspiciously. “Wait…. You were already awake, weren’t you?” she accused.

His smirk widened into a grin. “Heh. So what? I’ve been awake. I’m youkai, remember? I don’t need much sleep.” He paused, then repeated, “Good morning.”

She frowned at him. “How long have you been awake?”

She felt his shrug through her whole body. “A couple of hours.” His eyes swept over her face, then he said again, pointedly. “I said good morning.”

She blinked at him, suddenly aware of the extreme intimacy of their position--and the fact that they were sitting in the middle of an orphanage, where any number of children could walk in on them at any moment. Somehow, the knowledge didn’t alarm her as much as it should have. Still, her wrist twisted, trying to get free of the hand that still held hers in the air between them. “You couldn’t have said that when I first woke up?”

“I was trying to be polite and let you sleep more if you wanted.” He didn’t let go of her hand, but he did sound a little irritated. “How was I supposed to know you were going to attack my ears?”

“Attack--” The objection froze in her throat as his head dipped even lower, bringing his mouth to hover just over hers.

He smirked again. “Attack,” he confirmed. When she didn’t reply, he spoke again, emphatically letting her know that this time he expected a reply. “Good morning.”

Eyes wide, she opened her mouth to return the greeting. He didn’t give her the chance, covering her lips with his the moment they parted. Their dry warmth contrasted pleasantly with the wet heat of his tongue, and Kagome’s eyes drifted shut as she easily sank into the kiss, all protests and greetings forgotten.

He finally released her hand, and she wrapped it around his neck. His other hand smoothed downward to push against the small of her back, pressing her up against him. Interesting position for a kiss, she thought fuzzily, coming to her knees to get a better angle. Her legs weren’t exactly steady after a night of resting in the same position, so she leaned into him for support, her palm tugged gently against his nape.

For several minutes, they sat completely absorbed in the slow, patient silence, locked to each other in contented exploration. His tongue was gentle in her mouth, and the pressure of his lips came and went as they brushed across hers. She liked his taste, and added her own little caresses, and a series of tiny, playful nips. He responded with a leisurely growl, both arms going around her waist as he shifted a bit, his fingers reaching underneath his jacket to skim along her sides and hips. Thrill coursed down through her bare toes, curling them, and she wrapped her other arm around his neck to press a little harder, thoroughly engaged in their early-morning greeting.

Somewhere behind them, a long, drawn-out “Ooooh,” sounded in a very familiar voice. “See, Kaede? I told you they were here. Wow, that was fast. Just a few minutes ago, they were still sleeping.”

Kagome’s mouth jerked away from InuYasha’s, and she stared at him in dismay. He was already scowling at the source of the interruption.

“So I see, Shippou. It appears they are both awake now, though.”

Swiftly, her head turned to follow his gaze. She blinked, taking in the incongruous sight of the respectable and distinguished head of the Makiguchi group dressed in a long purple robe and fuzzy slippers. A cup of tea was in her hands and her gray hair fell loose from its normal bun. A wild-haired Shippou, complete with Gundam-themed pajamas, perched on her shoulder. Both stared at them curiously from just outside the open doorway.

Face hot, Kagome opened her mouth to offer an explanation…then found she didn’t have one. In fact, for a moment, she didn’t have a voice.

Kaede’s thin lips twitched, though she managed a grave tone when she spoke. “Good morning.”

InuYasha snorted. “Better try something else, baba. Kagome’s having trouble returning that one this morning.”

She immediately whirled on him, deep blue eyes promising a long and painful death if he said anything else. Looking uneasy at her glare, he decided to shut his mouth.

Shippou gave a loud yawn and stretch. “Well, maybe if you took your tongue out of her mouth for a few seconds, she could say it back.” He made a face. “Man, that’s disgusting. Mother and father used to do that, too.” He looked over at Kaede. “Do all grown-ups do stuff like that?”

InuYasha gave a warning growl. “Shut up, Shippou.”

Groaning, Kagome dropped her head onto InuYasha’s chest, mortified beyond what she should have to take so early in the morning. Damn him. This is all his fault anyway. Never mind that she still hadn’t made a move to extricate herself from their rather compromising position…she just didn’t feel like it at the moment. His arms were still holding onto her pretty tightly anyway.

Kaede sounded quite amused. “Shippou will be helping me with breakfast this morning, Kagome. You have some time before the rest of the children start wandering down from their rooms. I suggest you finish your good mornings and come eat. After breakfast, I’d like you to help me with a more thorough examination of the sick ones.”

“Yeah.” Shippou brightened. “Everyone’s feeling much better today, Kagome. That means we can go out for ice cream, right?”

“Come along, Shippou. We have some cooking to do.”

“Ok. That means InuYasha is going to kiss Kagome again, right? Hey, Kaede? If all grown-ups do that stuff, does that mean that I’ll have to stick my tongue down some girl’s throat someday?”

Another growl vibrated through InuYasha’s chest. “Not if I cut it off now, you little brat.”

Kagome just burrowed a little deeper against InuYasha’s shirt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~

A/N: And amidst all the school drama and other RL issues, Quill has managed to find the time for yet another update. Phew.

Another great big thank you to Blackberry. Without you, they wouldn’t run nearly so smooth, so everyone has a lot to thank you for--most especially me.

And while I wouldn’t normally bring any attention to this, I think this time I owe a word of thanks to everyone who voted this story as Best Romance Inu/Kag during the first quarter of the 2005 IYFG awards. It is both humbling and uplifting to know that people really enjoy this story--it truly is one of the reasons I write. So…my deepest and sincerest thank you.

~~Quill