InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Waiting on a Wish ❯ Chapter 14 ( Chapter 14 )

CHAPTER 14

Fucking forbidden sections. Fucking forbidden library. Fucking forbidden documents. If they’re so fucking forbidden, then why do they even have them?!

Fuming, he made his way through the hallways that wove and crisscrossed every way her turned. Bare, smooth wooden planks were cool under his feet, and the wooden paneling of the walls did a decent job of reflecting his occasional, frustrated growls back at him.

It was a fucking maze in here. He’d never dreamed the ancient structure was so large and complicated--he kept getting directed deeper and deeper in, and it was beginning to seem never-ending. He was certain he was underground by now--evenly spaced, luminescent lanterns were the only things that provided light, and the smell had become mustier, almost dank--and he still hadn’t found the room that the last pair of officials had claimed Sesshoumaru was being held in.

He paused at a crossways and sniffed at the air, unsure of which way to go, and with no one around the deserted corridors to guide him further. Not that he minded that so much. He bit back a snarl.

One more damned hanyou remark and I’m fucking taking somebody’s head off.

Sesshoumaru’s might be a good one to start with. He was probably more than ready for a good fight anyway, considering he’d been in confinement for over twenty-four hours now.

He was still having a hard time believing that one. The great lord Sesshoumaru--self-righteous, hypocritical bastard that he was--in jail. A very small, very petty part of him was very much looking forward to seeing it….

Heh. For half a second, his lip curled up in a smirk. Well…maybe not so small.

Finally catching the faint, peculiar scent of holy energy, he turned again, following his nose around three more corners before his current path dead-ended into a wide, rounded atrium. Wooden boards and paneling covered the floors and walls of the empty space, and the only decorations were the flickering lanterns embedded into the walls at even intervals. The ceiling in this room was higher than the rest of the castle corridors by several feet and made up of smooth, unbroken rock. To his front and to his right, two larger hallways branched off from the open area; to his left, two massive stone doors were set deep within the walls.

Definitely underground.

He studied the doors, then rolled his eyes and gave a muted “keh”. They were shut tight. A line of ofudas sealed along the seam where the stone edges met and the soft hum of a spiritual barrier over their surface gave clear warning: the area behind them was off limits. Since even touching the damn things would probably get him fried, he obviously wasn’t getting in there.

He turned his back to the doors and eyed the two identical hallways suspiciously, noting that they led in opposite directions of each other.

Damn. How deep does this place go, anyway?

He scowled. The problem with holy magic was that it hid the scents of anything it surrounded--and, unfortunately, holy scents permeated this whole area. He needed some other clue, or he could be stuck down here all….

A different scent, a more familiar one, tickled his senses. He paused, blinking. He pinpointed it, and then wondered why he was surprised. With a long-suffering sigh, he took the left hallway and continued through the maze, his bare feet thudding softly against the ancient wood, his arms crossed within his sleeves.

He’d already passed several doors--some wide open, some closed tight--before he heard the sound of two male voices arguing vehemently. They drifted to him from some distance down a side hallway, furious but strangely muted. Curious at the first sounds of life he’d heard in quite some time, he slowed to a stop. Soft white ears flicked in confusion as he strained to make out what they were saying.

“You move her!” The first voice was younger, and sounded much more frantic than its agitated counterpart.

“Are you crazy? I’m not touching her. How did she even get in here?!”

“I don’t know! She was here when I woke up!”

“Woke up?! You weren’t supposed to be sleeping, idiot!” The faint sound of a thump.

“Ow! You weren’t supposed to leave me here by myself, either! It doesn’t matter now, does it? You move her! You’re the superior here, anyway.”

“Exactly. That’s why I’m ordering you to get her out of here!”

“Hah! You’re not that much of a superior! I’m not touching her!”

InuYasha grimaced at the rapid-fire exchange and moved to follow the voices. Another sniff assured him--with little surprise on his part--that he’d been heading toward them anyway.

“Well I’m not touching her! I like my head where it is, thank you very much!”

“So do I, idiot!”

“But she can’t stay here!”

“So you move her!”

“I’m not touching her!”

Suddenly, a third male voice interrupted, softer, harsher and slightly panicked. “Would you two shut up! You’re going to wake her up, and if you think touching her would be bad….”

Instant quiet settled over the men, located in a side room at the end of the hall he now found himself in. His nose twitched, and he gave a soft snort, shaking his head as he drew closer. After a moment, one of the first two spoke up again, this time in a much lower volume.

“You…think so?”

“Idiots! Just look at him!”

With another roll of his eyes, InuYasha stopped just outside the open doorway, taking in the scene before him.

The room was square and decent sized--an office of some sort, if the small desk pushed into the far right corner was any indication. Filing cabinets lined along the back wall, looking rather incongruous against the empty space of the rest of the floor.

To his right, three men--humans, and from their uniforms, obviously guards--stood in a half-circle around a small female lying on the wooden boards of the floor, curled up and snuggled comfortably against an all-to-familiar white fur. Long black hair fell in silken waves around her face and her favorite yellow-and-orange-checked yukata managed to cover her sleeping form respectably, molding around her drawn-up knees and allowing only her bare feet to peek from under the hem. Her sandals--obviously kicked off and forgotten--were flung carelessly against the wall behind her.

But what made the hanyou freeze and choke back a brief surge of incredulous hilarity was the sight of the him that idiot number three had been referring to.

The entire left half of the room had been cleared of all furniture save for one solitary chair. A spiritual barrier with enough power to produce a silvery-blue sheen cut across the room, cordoning off a third of the space. And, effectively penned behind the powerful barrier, his half-brother--the current Inu lord of the Alliance--was leaning casually against the back wall, not a single, silky tress of hair out of place, his expression utterly calm and unperturbed.

His gaze, however, gave quite a different impression. The golden eyes were focused on the three guards hovering over his charge, narrowed into a glare that didn’t bode well for the human men currently in the room. He didn’t stir, not even to acknowledge when his brother appeared in the entrance. His attention remained fixed on the guards, his eyes remained unchanged from that steady, intimidating glare.

The guards seemed transfixed, returning his stare with horrified awe, each man with a hand to his hip--two on a sword, one on a gun. They didn’t even notice the hanyou in the doorway until he snorted in contempt. At the unexpected sound they all whirled, drawing their weapons rapidly, the youngest of the three almost cutting his arm off in the process.

“This is a fucking joke, right?” He stepped into the room, completely ignoring the three imbeciles standing over Rin, his eyes focused on the taiyoukai confined behind the barrier. “They expect these three to stop you if that thing fails?”

“This is none of your concern, hanyou.” Sesshoumaru still hadn’t moved, not bothering to glance at his half-brother as he spoke. “Leave.”

“Like hell.” InuYasha scowled. “If it didn’t concern me, you bastard, you can sure as hell bet I wouldn’t be here.”

“Wh-who are you! You’re not supposed to be in here!” The guard with the gun was the oldest and obviously the most experienced of the three--although that didn’t seem to be saying much. He darted a quick glare at the other two as he spoke again, his weapon held surprisingly steady on the hanyou. “No one is supposed to be in here!”

The other two started to protest, but were cut off when InuYasha growled. “You bastards couldn’t keep out a fucking high school girl. You don’t stand a chance against me, and to hell with even thinking about the pretty bastard over there.” His gaze passed over them again, and he gave another snort, dismissing them entirely. “Get lost before you do something stupid, like piss me off.”

The eldest guard took a long, measuring look at the silver-white hair and furry ears. He allowed his gaze to drift from the pair of irritated golden eyes in front of him, to the nearly identical ones promising painful death from behind the barrier, and back again. Recognition flashed across his face, and a subtle swallow worked his throat before he looked at the other two. “We should…inform the Council of the prisoner’s visitor. Right away.”

With quick murmurs of assent, three weapons were sheathed, and three human men practically tripped over themselves as they rushed from the room.

Neither brother spared them further thought as silence descended in their wake. Sesshoumaru finally turned his attention on his brother. InuYasha stood just on the other side of the barrier, arms still crossed, eyeing him back. Dislike hung thick in the air.

Sesshoumaru spoke first. “Come to gloat, InuYasha? How very unbecoming of you.”

His reply was an instant glower. “I wouldn’t talk, asshole. I’m not the one stuck inside a fucking purification barrier. They could decide to kill you for the shit you pulled, you know--what the hell were you thinking, anyway?”

“Careful, InuYasha. You’re in danger of sounding worried.” Again, the composed gold of the older youkai’s gaze narrowed. “I have already told you to leave. I have no need to explain myself to you.”

“And I’ve already told you that this concerns me too! I ain’t fucking leaving until I get some answers. After that, you can rot for all I care.” His teeth snapped together in a grimace. “Did you kill that human or didn’t you?”

Sesshoumaru gave a disdainful ‘humph’. “I wouldn’t have allowed them keep me had I not.”

Allowed them. Right. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Why?”

Sesshoumaru, still leaning against the wall, glanced away, looking indifferent. “It was necessary.”

A muscle in his jaw visibly clenched. “Because he was working for Naraku.”

Sesshoumaru reacted to the flat statement by going completely still, save for a quick glance from the corner of his eyes. In the next instant, he’d moved, and was standing before InuYasha. Between them, the barrier sparkled, a physical restriction keeping them apart as they sized each other up. The older youkai’s brows lowered slightly in contempt. “A bastard like you shouldn’t speak as if he knows things he doesn’t.”

InuYasha felt his temper splinter as he snarled back. “Don’t give me that shit! Naraku’s been attacking the Alliance for years. You thought I wouldn’t find out after that bullshit with the Council the other day?!” His eyes hardened, snapping with impatience. “I know about Ryukotsusei. I know about the rogues. I know about our old man.”

His brother’s reaction was so insignificant that he almost missed it--the miniscule, surprised arching of one brow. InuYasha’s lips gave a grim little twist. It appeared Sesshoumaru hadn’t expected him to know so much. “I know all about that sick fuck.“ He paused to lean forward until his nose was almost brushing against the barrier, and growled. “No…thanks…to you!”

The demon lord studied him for a moment. “The Council kept full disclosure from anyone not directly involved. You were nothing more than a child. You had no need to--”

“He was my father too!”

“Unfortunately for him.”

He almost took a swing at him--it was that close. If the shimmering power of the barrier hadn’t been right in front of his face, he would have, and to hell with why he was here. Instead, all he could do was clench his fists and growl low with frustration. They glared at each other, two sets of golden eyes--one furious, the other scathing--locked in silent battle.

“Brother InuYasha!” The gentle, feminine voice was so unexpected that it broke their impasse, and both turning to look at the young woman who’d spoken as she sat up and yawned. Gracefully, she pushed herself to her feet and, still rubbing the sleep from one eye, she gave InuYasha a relieved smile. “Finally. You’ve come to get Lord Sesshoumaru out.”

“Huh?” His ears dropped as he shot her a incredulous look. “What the hell are you talking about? All I want is--”

“Jaken has been trying all day, but none of the Council are listening to him.” In a blink, she went from happy to indignant. “Lord Sesshoumaru didn’t do anything wrong! You’re a good hunter. Maybe if you talk to them, they’ll listen and we can finally go home.”

He took a step back, suddenly feeling cornered. “Hold on a sec! I’m not here to….”

She wasn’t listening. Her frown went from small to large, and she smacked a closed fist against her thigh in frustration. “It was Lord Atsumushi! He was doing something he shouldn’t have--and it’s his own fault he’s dead anyway! Lord Sesshoumaru might not even have killed him if he hadn’t tried to--”

“Rin.” Sesshoumaru’s deep voice rang through the room in firm, gentle censure, and the girl cut herself off abruptly. She pressed her lips together to hold in the tirade obviously pushing to spill out, and bowed her head slightly, looking at the floor, clearly unhappy.

InuYasha narrowed his eyes at her, then turned back to Sesshoumaru. “What the hell was Atsumushi doing, anyway?” Sesshoumaru had moved away from the edge of the barrier, and now stood in the middle of his ‘cell’, next to the chair that was its only furnishing. He didn’t answer, just sent a fulminating glare at the chair, as if its very existence was insulting him somehow.

InuYasha gritted his teeth, but tried again. “How do you even know that guy was working for Naraku?”

The question got him another flicker from the golden eyes. “I have said everything I need to. His intent was to aid Naraku. That alone should be enough to secure my release.”

“Oh yeah? What exactly did Naraku want from him?” When all he got was more silence, he growled again. “Look, you bastard, all I want to know is what you know about Naraku. If you know something about what he’s up to….”

Sesshoumaru was once again facing him. “You already got your revenge, hanyou. Ryukotsusei is dead.”

Son-of-a-bitch doesn’t get it. His scowl darkened and he moved past Rin--who was following their conversation with a look of silent, wide-eyed dismay--to stand right up against the barrier. “I don’t care about that, or what happened when I was a kid. I need to know what Naraku is doing now--and I’m not getting out of your face until you tell me, so you might as well just spit it out and save us both the misery.”

Sesshoumaru’s eyes narrowed, flashing briefly with deliberation…and something else, something indeterminate and dark. For an instant, InuYasha thought he just might get a straight answer from his ass of a half-brother.

A cool feminine voice spoke up from behind him. “It would seem that Naraku’s intentions are a question on many people’s minds these days, wouldn’t it, hunter?”

InuYasha froze, a surprised chill slicing down his spine, setting the back of his teeth on edge. Sesshoumaru’s expression went completely neutral, his eyes sliding off to the side as he focused on the doorway. InuYasha simply turned around. His yellow gaze tensed, went defensive and uneasy as he found himself facing the head of the Alliance Council for the second time in one week.

Akadansha was dressed in her usual raiment of a few simple layers of silken kimono, and her snow white hair was woven up into a particularly intricate bun. Her red eyes seemed to glow in the illumination of the lantern lights as she stepped regally inside. She was followed closely by two human men whose robes and bald heads declared them to be high-level priests. They shuffled in on either side of her and stood against the walls like sentinels, their expressions identically vigilant and impassive.

Rin seemed surprised, but bowed deeply to the older female youkai. “Lady Akadansha, you honor us with your presence.” She paused, then looked up with a hopeful face. “Have you come to take down the barrier? Lord Sesshoumaru hasn’t done anything wrong.”

“Hmmm.” Eyes of pale crimson passed over the girl with something like amusement. “So you and the toad keep telling us, child. But since none of you will explain exactly what happened between Lord Sesshoumaru and Lord Atsumushi, or why you were all in the forbidden documents room, we can neither confirm nor deny what you claim.” Her gaze flicked over InuYasha to focus on Sesshoumaru. “For all we know, it is Lord Sesshoumaru who is the traitor, and Lord Atsumushi was just an innocent witness.” She paused. “If that were indeed the case, an execution would have to be ordered immediately.”

Silence followed her statement as she measured Sesshoumaru’s unblinking reaction. Then she turned her attention to InuYasha’s scowling features. A faint smile flickered over her face. “And you, hunter. Come to check on your brother? How touching. But why so concerned about Naraku, of whom you’ve never heard before?”

His scowl deepened at the shrewd gaze. “What the hell did you expect me to do after you asked me about him like that?”

Her chin tilted upward, giving the illusion that she was looking down her nose, even though she was shorter than he was. “I expected you to already know. Imagine my surprise when you did not.” The smile was gone as quickly as it came, and the cool, somewhat stern expression was back in her eyes. Her gaze flitted back to Sesshoumaru. “Now, as to the present situation: fortunately for Sesshoumaru, what little evidence is present lends credibility to his claims.”

Reprimand, subtle but sharp, slipped into her tone. “While it would have been more definite if you had left a little more of Atsumushi intact, we have confirmed the possible presence of the spider mark that your imp insisted was there.”

Spider mark.

InuYasha’s entire being froze. The words hung stark and suspended for an instant in his mind, then seemed to sink in and absorb into his consciousness. The pain slammed into him a microsecond later--violent, piercing, shocking. For just a moment, his head felt like it was being split in two. His gaze dropped to the floor, and his teeth ground together as he struggled to hide the reaction.

His vision hazed over, the pain fierce and angry, then simply vanished as if it had never been. In its place, it left an image stamped onto his brain--a picture both explicit and indelible.

Jagged legs. A thick body. Ravaged skin tissue.

Stunned, disorientated, and inexplicably revolted, he drew a deep, steadying breath, then let his eyes dart around the room. Thankfully, no one was paying him any attention.

Akadansha continued speaking, unaware of any hesitation on his part. “There is also the fact that the wards were on the doors before they were opened. Only a human would have been able to remove them.”

Rin spoke up again, eagerly. “So then….you have come to let Lord Sesshoumaru out.”

A slim white eyebrow arched slightly. “Oh, it’s not nearly that simple, child. I said the possible presence. Most of the mark had already vanished by the time our healers were able to fully examine the body. And while Lord Atsumushi may have been able to remove the wards on his own, the doors themselves are far too heavy for any mere human to move without help….” Her eyes hadn’t moved from the demon lord. “Lord Atsumushi was alone; and unfortunately for Sesshoumaru, he had a human at his disposal.”

Both priests who had accompanied Akadansha glared at the high school girl standing in the middle of the room. “Eh?” Rich brown eyes blinked, then widened. “Who? Me? But I didn’t touch anything. I wasn’t even supposed to be….” She trailed off and glanced guiltily towards the taiyoukai behind the barrier, dismay once again on her features.

“Keh! That’s bullshit and you know it.” InuYasha’s derisive snort drew a combination of inquisitive stares and hostile glares in his direction. He ignored them all. “Sesshoumaru wouldn’t work for a bastard like Naraku. Sesshoumaru doesn’t do anything for anyone but himself. You know that, so what the hell kind of game are you playing?”

The nameless priests both stepped forward from their placed behind Akadansha, anger on their faces. The one to her left held up an open hand threateningly. “No one has the right to speak to Lady Akadansha in such a manner, least of all a lowly half-youkai hunter.”

The one to her right joined in. “We will not allow you to--”

One pale, slim hand lifted into the air, displaying tiny, well-manicured claws. Both men fell silent immediately. Red eyes studied the hanyou before them coolly as she spoke to the subordinates behind her. “Peace, priests. If I allowed every rude word spoken of me to upset me, half of the Alliance would be dead by now.”

Her gaze turned pointed. “As for you, hunter. It is not a matter of what I believe so much as what others on the Council believe. A few among us are not entirely convinced that the evidence is strong enough to warrant such an action. One or two are simply unwilling to release a lord who violated a rule so crucial to our basic purpose, no matter the cause. Whatever their reasons, it is the majority of the Council that are reluctant to release Lord Sesshoumaru from confinement.”

“But…” Rin stepped forward. “But if you found the mark, then…”

Now both brows rose. “The remnants of a simple spider mark on his chest? What does that signify? You say it means that he was aiding Naraku, but how are we to prove that? Especially when none of you will confirm what it was that Lord Atsumushi was doing when Lord Sesshoumaru killed him.”

“But we don’t know what he was doing!” Rin’s voice burst out in frustration, her look pleading. “That’s why we were following him--to find out! But he saw us and attacked me! That’s why--”

“Rin.” Once again, Sesshoumaru’s voice cut the girl off, and she clapped a hand over her mouth, glancing over her shoulder with wide eyes.

Akadansha’s cool little smile was back. “Interesting.” She tilted her head, staring through the barrier. “What reason would the Inu lord have to be following Lord Atsumushi--a human?”

Sesshoumaru confronted her gaze just as coolly. “My reasons are my own.”

InuYasha, who had been listening intently to the exchange between the Akadansha and Rin, shifted, the heavy firerat material of his sleeves flapping loudly as they brushed against one another. “This is stupid. It’s obvious what she wants. Stop being a stubborn bastard and tell us what you know.”

Anger shadowed Sesshoumaru’s features as he turned to his brother. “You should stop talking, hanyou, until you are capable of spewing something other than worthless drivel.”

InuYasha bristled. “At least I’m not stupid enough keep quiet when talking might get my release.”

“Keep quiet?” Sesshoumaru sneered. “Your lack of understanding never ceases to amaze me.”

“Keh! You want me to understand? Then fucking explain it to me!”

“I would prefer to see you leave.”

Rin’s attention had been bouncing back and forth between the brothers as they spoke. Now, she gave a little sigh and crouched down on the floor, setting her elbow on her knees and her chin in her palm, resignation in the lines of her body.

Akadansha studied them as they glared at each. A sly glint touched her gaze. “Could it be that you don’t trust us, Lord Sesshoumaru?”

Two silver heads turned abruptly, two identical golden eyes glared at the Alliance Council member with caution and surprise. InuYasha frowned, his eyes sliding back to his brother for a moment of hard study before they widened. What was it Miroku had said?

He’s been contacting Alliance lords…it’s nothing but rumors so far, but everyone’s pretty sure that it’s true.

So Sesshoumaru thought the Council was corrupt. But so what? He didn’t want to tell them that they were? Who the hell cared if the Council found out for sure that at least one of them was a traitor? It wasn’t worth cooling his heels in confinement over.

His frown deepened. What the hell is going on?

Wait a minute. The Council already knew that Naraku had already gotten to some Alliance members, right? They had to, after this mess. So…. If Sesshoumaru was keeping information, he was keeping it because….

Whatever he knew, he didn’t want the Council to find out. Or better put--what did he know that he didn’t want Naraku to find out?

“I have told the Council all I will tell them.” The composure of his brother’s voice brought InuYasha’s gaze back to the two taiyoukai facing off through the silver-blue shimmer of the barrier.

Akadansha gazed at him a moment longer before she inclined her head. “Very well, Lord Sesshoumaru.” Her head turned--though her eyes remained fixed on the taiyoukai--and she spoke behind her. “Have an immediate memo sent to all Council members.”

The priest to her right gave a nod and stepped forward, producing a stationary notebook and a small pen from somewhere within his robes. “The Inu lord, Sesshoumaru, will remain confined until the Council reconvenes to discuss the issue again tomorrow.”

Rin gave a quiet groan, and slumped back onto her bottom. InuYasha just rolled his eyes at the priest with the stationary.

“Unless, of course, some other Alliance member of good standing is willing to put their honor on his loyalty.”

The sudden, heavy silence in the room pulled his attention back to his surroundings, and he was surprised to find everyone staring at him. Frowning, he glanced at Akadansha, only to find himself on the receiving end of her most piercing stare. It took him a minute to figure out why.

He was struck momentarily dumb with incredulity; then he burst out, his expression appalled. “What?! You want me to put my life on the line for this bastard?!”

Sesshoumaru seemed just as opposed to the concept as he was. He actually stepped forward, his expression displeased, his tone cutting. “You overstep yourself, Lady Akadansha. It is not your place to suggest such a---”

“It is my place to suggest whatever I choose, Lord Sesshoumaru.” Her eyes moved slowly from the younger to the elder, and then back again. “I am simply stating the possibilities as they now stand. I can no more force your brother to stake his word on your good behavior than I can force the other members of the Council to release you.” She paused, then smiled again. “However, should he do so, I am certain I could convince some of the less reluctant members to allow for a conditional release. Of course, that would mean that should Sesshoumaru prove to be guilty of treachery, then InuYasha would die as well.”

He almost choked on his outrage. “Why the hell would I do something that fucking stupid?!”

She turned to face him, giving him her full attention, and he stepped back, peeved at the sudden feeling of being stalked like prey. “Perhaps because you are blood--the last of your father’s memory, and his legacy.”

He scowled. “Hah! You’d have to do way better than that to get me to even think about--”

She interrupted as if he hadn’t spoken, gesturing behind her without looking. “Perhaps because his young girl will beg and plead the moment she is given the opportunity to do so.”

That got him to audibly swallow his words as he darted a glance at Rin, who had sat up straight at Akadansha’s suggestion, and was fixing him with a wide-eyed, beseeching look. He could practically hear the verbal barrage coming at him. He winced, his ears flattening at the prospect, and briefly considered running. Then the old youkai who studied him so attentively spoke again.

“Although, I would think that your reasoning would have entirely to do with the advantage of having your brother in your debt.”

That brought him up short, and he blinked, staring at her.

Debt?

Sesshoumaru, from his side of the barrier, had turned his death threat glare on Akadansha. Her smile widened almost imperceptibly. “I would think that would be beneficial to you both. After all…Sesshoumaru, the Inu lord of the Alliance, is obviously unable to perform his duties in captivity. And, if I knew your father at all, then his son would never allow such a gesture to stand unpaid. I’m sure he could find something to give you in return--as long as the exchange were fair, I assume.”

Information.

His brow furrowed thoughtfully. A way to force Sesshoumaru’s hand--not something that could normally be done, regardless of the circumstance. Normally, his brother would dig in and stubbornly refuse to say anything at all; but InuYasha was well aware--better than most, actually--of just how much Sesshoumaru hated being indebted to anyone. Most especially his hanyou half-brother. Of course, there was always the possibility that Sesshoumaru would simply refuse--but he hadn’t immediately refuted her reasoning, either. He was just standing there, visibly fuming.

Her suggestion--as much as he hated to admit it--was actually worth considering. Not to mention the added benefit of pissing Sesshoumaru off. Still….

He didn’t even bother looking at his brother, just narrowed his eyes at the Council member in front of him. “What makes you think he’d tell me what he won’t tell you?”

“Perhaps he will not. Perhaps he is not willing to trust anyone associated with the Alliance.” A pause. “No matter how foolish that would be, considering that your obvious dislike of Naraku makes it highly unlikely that you would be under his influence. Besides which…. Naraku was the one who released Ryukotsusei. You both have a vested interest in seeing him defeated--otherwise why are you both here? And brothers--even ones as stubborn as you two--should cooperate in important matters. No matter how strong their dislike.”

That was laying it on thick--even for her. He snorted, suspicious now. “And why the hell would you want him to tell me what he won’t tell you?”

She drew herself up to stare down her nose at him once again. “Naraku is a dangerous and cunning enemy. So far, we in the Council have been most….” she paused again, and her lips tightened, “…ineffective and unreliable in disposing of him. Sometimes, I have found, it is necessary to employ unusual methods to achieve a desired goal. I am not above doing so.”

She let that statement stand for a moment, then her hands folded gracefully in front of her. “Now, you will have to excuse me. I have other business to attend to.”

With an impressive air of indifference, she turned away, the silken layers of her kimono whispering softly in the silence of the room. InuYasha glared after her, lips curled into a sneer. She’d left the entire damn thing up to him.

He could feel Rin’s pleading gaze turned on him as Akadansha reached the doorway, and her priest sentries turned to follow her. Behind him, Sesshoumaru’s silence was a heavy, indifferent weight in the air. The fact that he wasn’t saying a word--the fact that he was just waiting--told InuYasha everything he needed to know.

Sometimes, he really hated this place.

“Fine.”

Half-way out the door, the single most influential member of the Alliance Council paused, but didn’t turn around. “You have something to say…hunter InuYasha?”

His voice was little more than a growl. “I’ll vouch for my godsdamned brother.”

She finally turned, giving him a measuring, sidelong look. “Are you certain you wish to do something so stupid, hunter? You do understand that if any further evidence comes to light to prove him guilty, you will die alongside him?”

“Didn’t we just go through all this? I fucking get it.” He scowled. “And since when the hell am I in good standing with the Council?!”

The smile she gave him sent chills up his spine. “You are the hunter who destroyed the most recent rogue, are you not?” When that wiped the scowl from his face, she gestured toward the barrier with one hand. “Take it down.”

The two priests both started. They looked at each other, then the one on the left spoke hesitantly. “But…. Now, my lady? The other members have not yet--” He broke off, swallowing hard, when she turned the force of her coldest stare on him.

“I will reassure the other members of the Council.” She lifted her brows and included the other in her glance. “You two will release the barrier imprisoning Lord Sesshoumaru immediately.”

Without another word, they bowed and turned to walk to either edge of the barrier. Silently grumbling to himself, InuYasha moved, crossing the room and putting his back against the opposite wall to watch as they positioned their hands and began a low, murmuring chant.

Rin gave an excited, joyous clap and rose to her feet, dashing over to where he stood. He eyed her smile as she placed a warm hand on his sleeve. “Thank you so much, brother InuYasha. I knew you’d help us. Now we can finally go home--we’ve been here since the attack.”

He felt his features soften just a bit. Then he blinked at her. “You’ve been here the whole time?”

Rin nodded, then glanced back at Sesshoumaru, who was glaring at the room in general as the shimmer in front of him started to fade. “Jaken wouldn’t leave without Sesshoumaru, and neither of them would have let me travel alone--even if I would have left without them.” She sighed, wrinkling her nose. “His office is a very uncomfortable place to sleep, you know. I liked it much better in here.”

The priests’ chanting stopped, and the barrier was gone. They both watched Sesshoumaru step across the line he hadn’t been able to pass for more than a day--Rin glowing with delight, InuYasha still scowling and tapping his foot. The first thing his brother did was walk over and pick up the mass of fluff that had lain abandoned on the floor since InuYasha had walked in. With a wary gaze, he watched him secure the damn thing, then turn to face Akadansha.

Of course, when he spoke, it wasn’t to her. “Rin, get your shoes and go find Jaken. We are leaving.”

Rin gave a slight jump and sent a worried glance at InuYasha before quietly complying. In the doorway, she paused and executed a deep, graceful bow to the Council member, sandals pressed to her chest. “My deepest thanks, Lady Akadansha, for your wisdom in this matter. I am sure you will not regret it.”

The pale crimson of the youkai’s eyes studied the girl for a moment before she gave a nod in return. “Well said, child.”

Then, with one last glance in the direction where both brothers stood, Rin straightened and disappeared down the hallway at a run, her still-bare feet making dull thuds on the wooden floor.

Immediately, Sesshoumaru turned his attention to other matters. “Return my weapons.”

With a start, InuYasha realized for the first time that his brother’s waist was void of its usual two-katana adornment. He glanced around the room, searching along the walls, but neither Tensaiga nor Tokijin was anywhere in sight.

Akadansha didn’t even blink. She lifted a neat claw and pointed at one of the bald heads. “You. Go retrieve the swords.”

It was almost amusing, the way the supposedly dignified priest paled slightly and practically tripped over his robes to hurry from the room. Not for the first time in his life, InuYasha wondered if Akadansha had ever had to use anything more threatening than her imposing manner to get what she wanted. If she ever had used her youkai form--whatever the hell that was--in actual battle, no one he knew had ever seen it.

Her attention had never wavered from the brothers standing a few feet away from her. “I trust you two will find a satisfactory, civil end to this debacle.” She tilted her head up, her gaze as hard as two gleaming red diamonds. “Naraku must be eliminated. I trust that the sons of the great dog leader understand the importance of this.”

Sesshoumaru’s hand made an impatient swipe into the air. “Do not lecture me, ancient one. And spare me the reminders of my father. You cannot manipulate me as you do the rest of the Council.”

The corners of her lips curled upward faintly. “Manipulate is a harsh word, Lord Sesshoumaru. I merely lend them my ‘wisdom’, as your little human put so well.” Her eyes swept the room to include InuYasha, who still stood listening impatiently. “Do not make me regret it by having to kill you both.”

His eyes narrowed, but before he could respond, the priest returned with two katanas in hand. Gingerly, he held them out to Sesshoumaru, who glared at the man while he slipped both into the yellow obi around his waist.

“Now, this is not the only problem that requires my attention. I will bid you both a good day.” With a nod, the head of the Alliance Council turned and disappeared, her two priests trailing behind her.

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

&l dquo;Oi. Asshole.” If it was at all possible to be more irritated than he had been back at the Alliance, he was, and he took great pleasure in expressing it. “We’ve been walking for over twenty fucking minutes, and you haven’t said a word. I don’t have time to play games.”

Still no response.

Sharp teeth gritted together as he growled in frustration. At least the bastard actually seemed to know where he was going; they were already making their way down the wide steps that led to the Alliance gates. It had taken him much longer to find his way through the damn maze of hallways than it had taken Sesshoumaru to find his way out. Still, he was sick as hell of following his brother around like one of his devoted lackeys. If he wasn’t so convinced that this shit with Naraku was important somehow--critical, even--to his ability to protect Kagome and the others, he wouldn’t still be here.

But after everything that had just happened, he no longer doubted it.

Of course, that still didn’t tell him what the hell his damn half-brother had to do with it. And after twenty minutes of silence, he was just about ready to beat it out of him. “You owe me, bastard.”

That had the self-important prick stopping just before he stepped off onto the smooth expanse of white stones in the front courtyard. Sesshoumaru half-turned to give him a displeased, sneering look. Even though they were on different levels and the youkai lord stood almost head to head with his brother, he still managed to look down on him. “What you did you did on your own. It has nothing to do with me.”

For a second, he thought his jaw would crack it was so tight. “Don’t feed me that shit! If I hadn’t done that, you’d still be stuck in there watching those humans ogle Rin!”

The stripes on his face and the crescent moon on his forehead seemed to tighten as golden eyes--so similar to his own--narrowed in a brief flash of real anger. “I told you to leave, hanyou, not put your name over mine.”

“And I told you I need to know what you know!”

Unblinking, Sesshoumaru’s eyes studied his brother’s. Then he gave a disdainful snort. “Humph. This is ridiculous. That information has nothing to do with you. You said yourself that you don’t care about what Naraku did.”

His teeth were starting to grind. “I don’t need to know about then, I need to know about now. Naraku’s a fucking threat, and I can’t let him run around. I won’t let him hurt--” He hesitated. “I won’t let him hurt anyone.”

“Threat?” For one of the few times in his life, InuYasha saw surprise flash through his half-brother’s gaze. “A threat that agitates you into bothering me for help?” For a very brief moment, Sesshoumaru’s eyes focused on him, intense and considering, then clouded over with indifference. They flicked downward, moving briefly over Tetsusaiga fixed securely at his side. “I see.”

InuYasha felt his expression tense warily. “Just what the hell do you think you see, you bastard?”

But Sesshoumaru had already turned his back on him. “You have an interesting smell about you, InuYasha. A human female. You mean to protect her.”

For a moment, he froze, stuck utterly speechless as his father’s oldest son headed across the courtyard. “W-what the fuck does that have to do with anything?”

But Sesshoumaru was ignoring him again. He came to a stop just in front of the gates and glared over at the guards--large, hefty boars today--who snapped to alert and started heaving the large wooden entrance open. “Hey!” The second he managed to shake himself out of his surprise, he was next to Sesshoumaru, glaring angrily. “I asked you what the hell you were talking about.”

Sesshoumaru turned his glare back on him, looking annoyed. The doors finished swinging open, leaving the way clear for both inu-youkai to depart. “You are a nuisance, InuYasha.” He stepped through the gates and out into what could be considered a small parking lot, if there had been any cars in the smooth, concrete-paved area that fronted the walled-in Alliance compound. A single, two-lane road that wound its way around the lot was the only access for vehicles. Across the street, a large, well-manicured park hid the most of the city from immediate view, even though, in the distance, the bustling sounds of the city filtered through loudly.

A loud cry sounded from the entrance of the park, where Rin and Sesshoumaru’s annoying imp stood waiting. As soon as she saw them emerge, Rin jumped up from her slump against the low concrete wall and started to run across. With a squawk and a staggering gait, Jaken followed, sending a furious glare at InuYasha.

Sesshoumaru noted the sight, then turned away from him and started walking down the sidewalk, away from the street and towards the tree line of the forest in the distance. “Leave me, before I kill you.”

InuYasha stared in disbelief at his brother, ignoring the young girl bearing down on them as fast as her bare feet would allow. “What?!” Incensed, he started after him. “Damn you, Sesshoumaru! You owe me some information! I need to know what’s going on!”

Sesshoumaru didn’t even bother to look back. “You mean you still don’t understand? Hopeless.” Then he paused, both verbally and physically. “Naraku is searching for something within the Alliance. Some of the fools on the Council are helping him.”

It was his turn to pause. “Naraku is…looking for something?” The words sent a chill along his nerve endings, raising the hair on the back of his neck. “What the hell is Naraku looking for?”

Rin came to skidding to a halt beside InuYasha. “Kagura wouldn’t say.” Her sandals were still clutched in one hand, and she was huffing slightly, but her expression was serious enough to draw his attention. “All she said was that Naraku was determined to find something.”

Sesshoumaru’s head turned back to give a slight frown, but InuYasha missed it because he was blinking at the human teenager, his brows twisted in confusion. “Who the hell is Kagura?!”

Rin opened her mouth, but Sesshoumaru was the one who spoke. “Rin. We’re going home.”

Rin’s mouth snapped shut at the faint warning in his tone, and she gave him an owl-eyed look before nodding her head meekly. “Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru.”

A loud, gasping wheeze announced the late arrival of Sesshoumaru’s retainer. Knobby green fingers grasped determinedly around the thick wooden handle of his precious staff, and little beads of sweat had formed in the leathery creases around his face. His reptilian eyes glared up at his lord’s half-brother with distaste. “Fool. How dare you demand anything of Lord Sesshoumaru!” He sniffed. “Don’t think the great Lord Sesshoumaru will ever need help from the likes of you! Why, if you had only waited just a little longer, Lord Sesshoumaru would have--”

With an irritated snort, InuYasha rammed his foot into the obnoxious youkai’s gut, pushing most of the air from his lungs. “You. Shut up.”

Rin cast a quick, sidelong glance at the imp, then abruptly bent over to slip on her sandals. “We’re going home, Jaken. Now that Lord Sesshoumaru is free, do you think he’ll get another visit tonight?”

Jaken perked up at her comment, recovering from the blow remarkably quickly. “Kagura!” He spat out. “Damn Naraku’s wind witch, showing up whenever she pleases--in the middle of a city crisis, no less! If Lord Atsumushi hadn’t smelled exactly like her, this whole mess would ne--” This time it was his own staff--smashed painfully into the top of his head--that cut off Jaken’s words. The imp flattened to the concrete with an odd wheeze, then lay there, stunned, as his lord opened his hand and allowed the double-headed staff to clatter at his side.

A frown tightened InuYasha’s features. Naraku’s wind witch. So it was true. Naraku had been contacting the Alliance lords.

Without any change in expression, Sesshoumaru turned away and started walking. “Jaken, don’t waste any more time. We’re leaving.”

Rin blinked down at Jaken, who was groaning faintly, then shrugged again. She bowed deeply to InuYasha, loose strands of hair sliding like silk over her shoulders. “Thank you so much for your help, brother InuYasha.” She straightened, then smiled at him. “I’ll be visiting soon. See you.”

“But--”

With a gentle flap of her hand, she hurried off down the sidewalk to catch up with Sesshoumaru, calling cheerfully over her shoulder. “Jaken! Hurry up!”

InuYasha scowled after them. “Wait! What the hell is he looking for?!”

Jaken, only momentarily dazed, scoffed as he struggled to his feet. “Stupid hanyou. If we knew that, Lord Sesshoumaru would have already finished Naraku off. Isn’t that right, Lord--” He looked up, and found himself blinking up at an irate hanyou, while the shadows of his master and young charge disappeared into the distance. He gave a few more blinks, then panicked. “Ah! Lord Sesshoumaru! Please wait for me!”

“Wait a fucking minute.”

Jaken froze. Still sweating, he slowly turned to glance back at the hanyou who had was glowering at the two figures growing more and more distant. “Ah?”

InuYasha didn’t move for a moment, his brain turning over what he’d heard. Something told him he’d gotten all he was going to get out of any of them. Naraku was searching for…. Something important enough to get the Alliance lords involved in the search.

But it couldn’t possibly be….

Whatever he wants is in the Alliance.

Silently, he started swearing in frustration. Naraku had a reputation for seeking out power. Whatever Naraku wanted was inside the Alliance, either literally or figuratively--neither of which had anything to do with Kagome. And yet, he couldn’t shake the certainty that Naraku was the one threat that he’d always known was coming. The one who could hurt Kagome. The one who could take her away from him.

How the hell did that make any sense?

His head was starting to hurt.

He growled. “Shit. I don’t have any more time for this.”

His eyes narrowed suddenly at Jaken, causing the retainer to jump at the attention. He almost laughed at that. “Tell the bastard to enjoy the house.” Then he whirled on his heels and took off in the opposite direction.

In his wake, a fuming imp yelled insulted protests at his back.

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

Kagome was starving.

She gave a weary sigh, then collapsed into the first plastic and metal chair she found, but happy to be off her feet for a few moments. Silently, she bemoaned her empty stomach. She hadn’t managed to actually eat much for breakfast, and lunch had passed without her noticing. Her stomach had been growling on and off for several hours now, and she still had a couple hours left before her shift was over. Skipping meals was nothing new for her--she was usually so busy she didn’t even notice--and generally didn’t present a problem.

Today she was ravenous.

She sighed again and rested her head against the folding table in front of her. A tiny television on the countertop next to the sink murmured some infomercial, and the corner refrigerator made a loud buzzing sound in the box-like area the staff at the clinic called their break room. Someone had made coffee about an hour ago, but it smelled burnt, and she didn’t feel like making any more just now.

It had been a long day--not busy, so much as strange. The brothers Kinka and Ginka had only been the start. The odd cases that had come through the clinic that day had kept her so occupied that she hadn’t even glanced at the takeout that Miroku had dropped off during his return visit over lunch more than a few hours ago. Now she wasn’t sure she had the energy to get up an figure out where it had gone.

“Kagome, there you are! Quick, answer a question. Which would you rather have--a boy or a girl?”

Kagome sat straight up, whipping her head around to glare at the open doorway, where an extremely cheerful Miso stood with a hand poised over a pad of paper. “Miso! How many times do I have to tell you I’m not going to participate in any way with your ridiculous bet?!”

Miso blinked wide gray eyes at her. “Oh, come on, Kagome, help me out here. I think I can make some serious money on this.” When the doctor just continued to glare, the nurse just sighed. “Ok, straight odds on that one.” She made a check mark on her paper, then looked up again. “What about names?”

Kagome closed her eyes, and fought the sudden urge to bang her head against the table. Miso had been bothering her all day with her questions about gender, weight, names--even colors. It was starting to get on her nerves. “No preference,” she muttered tightly.

“No? None at all? Not even any ideas?” Miso looked disappointed, then shrugged and started writing again. “Ok. I guess I’ll have to put this one on hold. It makes more sense to wait until after--”

“Miso.” Kagome could hear the patience slipping from her voice. “Go. Away.”

Apparently, Miso could hear it, too, because she paused, giving Kagome a once-over. She gave a weak smile and closed the notebook. A second, closer inspection produced a much more genuine smile of apology on the nurse’s face. “You seem kind of tired, Kagome.” She paused, and the smile widened with faint amusement, but she just nodded at the small fridge in the corner. “Your friend dropped off some food for you earlier. I stuck it in the fridge. We’re not busy right now, so why don’t you eat something? I won’t call for you unless we get an emergency. You’ve been moving non-stop for most of the day.”

Kagome rolled her eyes, but felt the stiffness leave her shoulders as she returned the smile. “Thanks, Miso.”

Miso gave a little wave as she disappeared from the open doorway. Kagome drew a deep, fortifying breath and pushed to her feet, moving into the corner where the appliances were gathered. Throwing open the fridge, she rummaged through all the old takeout containers sitting abandoned on the shelves for a few moments before she found the brown paper bag that Miroku had left her earlier. She pulled it out and tossed it onto the nearby countertop, silently thanking Miso for her foresight in storing it someplace cold.

Two strong hands suddenly grasped firmly around her waist, startling a quiet squeak from her throat. She was whirled around, and her blue eyes widened as they locked with tense, frowning golden ones. Kagome sucked in a sharp breath. He looked….upset. “Inu--”

He didn’t even let her get his name out before he was pressing her back into the counter, his mouth smothering her question before she could ask it. She blinked in surprise, then sank against him. Her eyes drifted closed, her arms went around his neck and her fingers twined through the loose strands of his hair.

His mouth slipped away from hers for an instant, letting her draw a gasping breath before returning, his lips aggressively pushing hers apart so he could slip in and taste her. His manner was edgy and unexpectedly rough, the grip on her waist tight and the pressure of his mouth hard, but Kagome didn’t even think to murmur a protest.

It felt good to have him in her arms again. Surprisingly good. She hadn’t realized until just this moment that she’d been missing him. She pushed back, seeking to deepen the kiss a little further, using her grip on his head to press her lips even harder to his, concerned over the odd anxiety radiating off of him in waves.

The minute she responded to him, he relaxed. His body lost its tension, his hands slipped from her waist, sliding so that his arms draped across the small of her back. His mouth gentled, his lips brushed soothingly across hers as his anxiety slowly melted away, leaving behind only the warmth and affection of a lover’s greeting. Sighing into his mouth, Kagome let her concern slip away, and settled comfortably in his arms.

Oh…my….

Some faint, distant part of her soul was shocked, absolutely stunned. He had a very specific effect on her that no one else had ever come even close to having. It was a magnetic force, some deep recognition that only the most elemental parts of her truly understood--a curious feeling of both longing and completion. Excitement and contentment. Comfort and agitation. All of it, all at once.

It was as if she’d found another home, right there in his arms.

And, oh gods, was that a delightful sensation.

It was some time before he actually released her mouth. His head lifted and his eyes settled on her face, but his arms didn’t budge from around her middle, keeping her pressed firmly against him.

Kagome’s eyes fluttered open, and she found herself staring into features cast with surprising solemnity. Breathless, speechless, she just stared at him, eyes wide, as the rapid thud of her heart sent her blood thrumming through her veins. “What are you doing here?” The question tumbled out without permission in a voice that wasn’t quite her own.

At the moment, she had to admit, she didn’t really care what he was doing here. What she really wanted was for him to do that again.

He must have read it somewhere on her face, because his eyes took on that startling, darkened intensity that made everything inside her melt at just one heated glance, and his head lowered again.

Her stomach growled. Loudly.

A red that had nothing to do with the intimacy of his greeting suffused her cheeks.

He stopped, drawing back to blink at her in surprise. Then his eyes narrowed suspiciously on her blushing expression. “You haven’t eaten anything yet?”

Kagome hesitated, a little put out that he hadn’t just continued the kiss, and annoyed with the accusation in his tone. A defensive frown carved a few lines into her forehead. “We’ve been a little busy today. I didn’t have a lot of time.” When that only caused his eyes to narrow even further--almost into disgruntled slits--she sighed again, and gave a half-hearted wave at the counter behind her. “I was about to.”

He didn’t look mollified. He looked angry. “What the hell took you so long? Miroku was supposed to bring you some lunch hours ago!”

The warm, squirming feeling in the pit of her stomach was starting to fade. Indignant more at that than anything else, her hands dropped to the heavy, rough material at his shoulders and she started to push away. “I was busy, alright! We had some strange cases today! It happens sometimes.” She stopped pushing, exasperated that he was simply ignoring her bid to slip away, and frowned at him in earnest. “What are you doing here, anyway? I’m not done for another few hours.” Kagome leaned forward, just a bit, her eyes narrowing slightly to emphasize her point. “You promised, remember?”

She succeeded in distracting him. His face lost its mulish anger, and took on a distinctly uncomfortable cast. The arms around her waist loosened, and she stepped back and out of his embrace. She crossed her arms and stared at him, waiting for some kind of answer. “Well?”

His eyes widened and he stared back at her for a long moment. Then he snorted and tucked his hands into his sleeves--a motion that drew her attention to the deep, brilliant red of his clothes. He glanced off to the side, ears twitching uncomfortably, lines of stubbornness settling into his features. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Something wrong with that?”

Kagome blinked at him, then let her eyes drift over his body, taking in the traditional state of dress and the slim black sheath of the sword at his side. “InuYasha….” Her brow furrowed again. He was wearing his haori, the one he’d told her was made from the fur of the firerat--an extremely rare youkai--and left to him by his father. It was the one he wore whenever he was hunting or…. She blinked again. “You went to the Alliance today?” Her eyes sought out his questioningly. Surely she would have heard about another rogue attack…. Right?

He met her gaze with brief surprise before his expression darkened. “It was nothing. Just something stupid that I had to take care of.”

“Really?” She looked him over again, suddenly feeling uneasy as she recalled the disquieting anxiety in his greeting.

He must have heard the doubt in her voice, because he hesitated, giving her the same searching look that she was giving him. Then he snorted again. Before she could react, he’d reached out, grabbed one of her hands in the firm grip of his own, and started dragging her from the break room. “Come on.”

Shocked, she dug in her heels and tugged back. “Ah! W-Wait! Where are we going?”

He tossed her an impatient look over his shoulder, not bothering to stop while he spoke. “Where do you think? You need to eat something.”

She sucked in a breath and grabbed at the doorframe, using it as leverage to yank her hand away before he could drag her completely out into the hallway. “I can’t just leave!” she hissed at him, darting a frantic look around the--thankfully, luckily--empty hallway.

He turned and frowned at her. “Why not? You’re allowed to eat, aren’t you?”

“Of course I am!” She blew out an exasperated breath, then propped her fists on her hips. “InuYasha, I can’t just leave the building whenever I want. They might need me.”

His frown deepened, black brows lowering to show his displeasure. “Feh. You need to eat. You can’t just skip meals because you’re at work.” A scowl. “And don’t even try to tell me you’re not hungry.”

“Well, it’s your fault I’m so hungry anyway! Normally I don’t even notice when I don’t have time to eat!”

He didn’t miss a beat. “So let me fix it by feeding you!”

A third voice, unexpected and deep, broke in before she could reply. “By all means, Higurashi. Allow him to fix it by feeding you.”

Kagome froze in immediate, appalled reaction.

She knew that voice!

And--unfortunately--he sounded particularly sober today. The heat in her cheeks seeped down into her neck as she realized that, in the heat of their disagreement, they‘d gotten slightly…loud.. She winced, then directed a glare at the source of her uncharacteristic lack of decorum, but InuYasha’s eyes had already gone over her shoulder to the hallway behind her, and he missed it.

Desperately trying to think of an acceptable explanation, she turned slowly, meekness in the set of her posture, to face where the clinic’s head of staff stood a few feet away, staring at both of them with only slightly blood-shot eyes and a frown on his forehead. “Dr. Hiraga?”

The frown deepened. For a moment, she was struck by the heart-stopping possibility that he would start asking questions about InuYasha--who just happened to be a former patient.But then Dr. Hiraga just shook his head. “Take a break, Higurashi. You’re not a prisoner. Go have some dinner. We can do without you for a while.” He hesitated, then rubbed his forehead with a pointed look in the direction of the hanyou standing in the hallway. “And take him with you.”

They both stared at the doctor in surprise. Then InuYasha snorted and gave her a “there, see?” look before stuffing his hand back in his sleeves and turning. He started down the hallway, headed for the front of the building. “Come on, Kagome.”

She hesitated, still in the doorway of the break room. “But--”

Miso shocked her by re-appearing from a supposedly deserted nearby room, and shoving her purse into her hands. “Here.” She was grinning from ear to ear. “You can take him to that restaurant your friend Miroku took you last time.”

She stared in disbelief at the bag in her hands. “But….” She looked up into gray eyes sparkling with mischief, then down at InuYasha.

He had stopped. Quiet golden eyes watched her intently from over his shoulder. They were guarded, expectant. His anger, his irritation, was suddenly gone.

He was waiting for her.

The resistance went out of her on a sigh, and--without breaking away from his gaze--she threw up her hands. “Fine. I’m going.” She slipped the strap over her shoulder and moved to follow InuYasha. She saw the smile flash through his eyes, even if it didn’t quite make it to his face, and she gave a tiny smile in return. She called back to her co-workers without turning around. “I’ll be back in an hour.”

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

Her cell phone rang when they were still a block away from the restaurant that Miroku had taken her to, interrupting a rather random conversation comparing Miroku’s various pre-Sango tastes (a rather risqué span of possibilities, considering the man) to his post-Sango ones (unsurprisingly, still quite risqué). While she scrabbled through her bag, InuYasha gave a long-suffering sigh and glanced around the semi-crowded sidewalk, scowling at a nearby teenager who was staring at them in open fascination. The glare, along with the growl that accompanied it, sent the kid back into the sparse flow of foot-traffic at a run.

Kagome didn’t even notice. She glanced at the screen, her eyebrows lifting at the identity of the caller, then flipped open the phone. “Mama?”

Her mother’s soft, lilting voice answered. “Kagome. I hope I’m not interrupting your work?”

She couldn’t help the wry smile that twisted her mouth. As opposed to the last thing you interrupted? “Mmm-mm. I’m taking a break.”

“Good. Don’t forget to eat something, Kagome. You always forget to eat when you’re at work.”

Strolling along beside her, InuYasha snorted. She rolled her eyes, but otherwise ignored him. “Yes, Mama. I’m going to eat now.”

“Ah! With your friend, yes? Tell him I expect him to take good care of you.”

She noticed, out of the corner of her eyes, his ears twitch briefly, though his step didn’t falter. All around them, people and traffic filtered past, but Kagome found her own attention suddenly focused exclusively on the hanyou walking beside her.

She watched him as unobtrusively as she could as she answered, suddenly feeling uneasy. “Mama….”

“I won’t keep you long, dear. I just wanted to see if you’ll still be coming for dinner tomorrow evening.”

“Oh.” She blinked again. She’d forgotten. It was a long-standing routine that she go back to the shrine at least a couple of times a month. With everything that had happened recently, it had slipped her mind that her family would be expecting her for dinner tomorrow. She hesitated, stealing another glance out the corner of her eye. “Well….”

InuYasha kept walking, his hands hidden in the folds of his sleeves. She sighed. “Yes, Mama. I’ll be there.”

“Wonderful. Will your friend be joining us?”

Of their own accord, her feet drifted to a stand-still on the sidewalk. A half-step ahead of her, InuYasha stopped too, his eyes dropping to stare at the sun-warmed concrete beneath his feet. She stared at his profile, confused by his sudden tension, by the troubled frown that had pulled his brows low. She bit her lip. “I….”

“I can’t.” He spoke abruptly. “I have…somewhere I have to be tomorrow night.”

Oh. Kagome didn’t say anything, and even her mind blanked out for a moment. The disappointment welling up to clench in her stomach surprised her. It shouldn’t be a big deal. They’d only known each other a little over a week. It wasn’t as if….

“Kagome.” The golden cast of his eyes flashed at her briefly, apprehensive and little guilty. “I will. Another day. Any other day.” He hesitated. “Not tomorrow night.”

She swallowed around the lump in her throat and gave a silent nod, but continued to stare at him for a moment. An odd suspicion was beginning to prickle at the back of her mind, and her thoughts churned, reaching for a firm grasp on the elusive something that was prodding for her attention.

“Kagome, are you still there?”

She averted her gaze to stare blindly at passing cars, her thoughts divided. “Yes, Mama. I’m here.” She drew a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “No, Mama. I’m not bringing a guest with me tomorrow.”

“That’s a shame.” Mama took it in her usual, cheerful stride. “Well, then, maybe next time. We’ll have another dinner soon.”

Kagome couldn’t help but smile, even if Mama couldn’t see it. She understood. Mama always understood. “Yes.”

She said her goodbyes and hung up, only to find InuYasha tapping his foot impatiently. “Where the hell is this place of Miroku’s, anyway? You said an hour, so let’s make it a fucking hour.”

She gave him a look, then pointed at the large sign hanging over the sidewalk halfway down the street. “Right there.”

Without another word, he started walking. As she tucked her phone into her bag, her eyes fixed on his back, a furrow on her brow as she sought to recollect the thing that had so bothered her a moment before.

“Hey, Kagome. Hurry up.”

She blinked at him when he called back to her. She nodded, threw a questioning, thoughtful glance at the sky above, then hurried to catch up.

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

A/N: *peeks out from under her rock and squints at the sunshine*

Umm…. Ahem. *blushes* I know, it’s been forever. I know, you thought I abandoned it, didn’t you? What can I say? (Nothing, really, other than I’m terribly sorry and please forgive me *bow scrape*). Anyway, here’s what’s been going on with me. I’ve recently had to pick up second job, and my free time is even more limited than it has been. That means less time for writing--although I’m not stopping, I swear. The next chapter’s up-and-coming.

(When, you ask? Umm…..err…..hmm….. *whistles*)

Everyone say a big thank you to Blackberry! She totally rocks. If it wasn’t for her oh-so-expert advice and editing, it probably would have taken me several more months before I had this anywhere near posting shape. *insert enthusiastic applause here* Thank you so much. J

All comments, criticisms, and general communication welcome and appreciated.

See you next time!

Cheers and blessings,

Quill *crawls back under rock*