Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Waiting on a Wish	By : Quillwing717 Category: InuYasha > General Views: 42891 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
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 wove his way through the bare, smooth wooden boards that layered
every single hallway of the main castle. 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 place to start. 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 inlaid in
the wall.

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 seem 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--sat
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, was a slightly different story. 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 captivated, returning his stare with wary 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--and then 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, little brother? 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. “You know nothing about this, baby brother.”

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 arraignment 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 expression. “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?”

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 expression 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,
baby brother.”

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 scathing. “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.

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

“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 the Inu 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 do you prefer--boys or
girls?”

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. 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 close 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 expression lost its mulish anger,
and he suddenly seemed uncomfortable. 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 crossed his arms into his sleeves, drawing her attention
to their deep, brilliant red. 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. 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 suddenly
snorted again. Before she could react, he’d reached out,
grabbed her hand in one 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 sudden, 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 appearing in front of her 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 to 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. “I’ll
be back in an hour.” She called back behind her without turning
around.

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

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 pre-Sango tastes to his
post-Sango ones (unsurprisingly, they weren’t much different).
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. The sending him back into
the sparse flow of foot-traffic.

Kagome
glanced at the screen, then flipped open the phone. “Mama?”

Her
mother’s soft, lilting voice answered cheerfully. “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.”

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 from the corner of her eyes
as she answered uneasily. “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 routine that she go
back to the shrine at least a couple 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, taking
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 stop on the sidewalk. A
half-step ahead of her, InuYasha stopped too, his eyes dropping to
stare at the sun-baked concrete beneath his feet. She stared at his
profile, confused by his sudden tension, by the troubled frown that
had pulled his brows down. She bit her lip. “I….”

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

Kagome
didn’t say anything, and even her mind blanked out for a
moment. Oh. The disappointment welling up in her throat
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
nodded, but took another moment to stare at him, a faint suspicion
beginning to prickle at the back of her mind. Her thoughts churned as
she tried to figure out what it was that was bothering her.

“Kagome,
are you still there?”

She
looked away from him, 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 waiting 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. Tucking her phone into her bag, her
eyes fixed intently on his back, a furrow on her brow as she searched
for the thing that had so bothered her a moment before.

“Hey,
Kagome. Hurry up.”

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Waiting on a Wish