InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shades of Gray ❯ Idle Chatter ( Chapter 18 )

~<>~ Shades of Gray ~<>~

 

~<>~ Chapter 18 ~<>~ Idle chatter

 

 

 

It had taken nearly everything in InuYasha's power not to strike up idle conversation with, or for that matter jump the bones of, the girl lying next to him. Had he owned anything beyond a digital clock, he would have been listening to the hands turning around the face, each click grating on his sanity. Instead, it was his sanity…grating…on his sanity.

 

`Of for the love of Christ,' he thought as he sat up in bed, running a hand over his face. This stupid silence was making him insane; he wasn't claustrophobic to begin with but by time God had his way in this situation, he would be. Letting the sunlight bathe over his naked chest, InuYasha stared at the girl for a moment, wondering if she had really fallen back asleep. With a grunt, he kicked his feet off the mattress and stood abruptly. Throwing on a pair of hole-ridden carpenter jeans and a black muscle shirt, he cast an uneasy glance towards Kagome. Still unsure as to her state of consciousness, he decided not to mess with her. `Won't make this any easier,' he mused as he ran a brush through his raven tresses. He had many awkward one night stands, much to his dismay, but this…why was this so much harder? He wasn't kicking her out, but he sure as hell didn't want to be stuck in this room any longer. He had spent so many hours sleeping, and the rest defiling the girl before him, that he was sure he would combust if detained much longer.

 

Taking two steps towards the bed, his eyes cast to the floor, averting hers at all costs. `Yeah, this is really awkward! Add another notch to self loathing for this one.' He shouldn't have done it, he knew that much. He should have slept on the couch, like a good dog, instead of slobbering over the goods all night long. He let himself get careless, and now the one girl he actually cared about he might have pushed away. What hurt more than that however, was the thought that he could have hurt her as well. He wasn't an idiot, he caught the signs; Kagome had admitted she was in love with the bastard that did this to her, and that they had a very …peculiar relationship. For Kagome, a girl of such a strong will of character, to fall victim to an abuser, she had to have been misled; which meant that he betrayed her trust, which also meant in turn that she trusted him implicitly. InuYasha also noticed that she did exactly what he said, without question. When he ordered her to…oh the colors that flushed to his cheeks could have shamed a beautiful sunset; `holy shit, did I really tell her that?' This was not good. `Ahem…anyway, when I told her to do something, she did it without hesitation. What kind of relationship was she engaged in that led her to be like that?'

 

Clearing his throat, he shoved his hands into his pockets and muttered, “I'm gonna…that is…I think I should, no we should…or…you could…” grinding his teeth, he sighed again. “We have English today.”

 

Kagome lifted her head slightly and slowly nodded, before dropping it back to the pillow. She could tell how nervous he was; hell, it was a reflection of her feelings as well. She hadn't been sure what to do or say for the past three hours. Instead, she laid perfectly still, staring at the colors on his beige wall, tracing the patterns of the hastily painted surface. But now she was going to have to face him, the knowledge of what they did teetering over them like a boulder. She didn't want to mention it, or talk about it.

 

`Does that mean you regret it?' her conscious asked her, as she watched the blue jean clad ass walk through the doorway and down the hall. Kagome didn't really need to think of the answer, it just kind of popped into her head. `No, not for a minute.' After sure that he was out of sight, Kagome shifted her weight and slithered from the bed and into the clothes she wore the day before. Clasping her bra and straightening her shirt, she wondered if InuYasha could just drop her off at the dorm. It would be easier than actually going to class with him, and sitting next to him for the entire lecture. She could skip but that meant…dealing with yet another drama queen.

 

`Kikyo's gonna shit,' her mind mocked her, `if she ever finds out you slept in the same bed as Yash. She'll say you're pulling the Kagawaki nonsense all over again.' Kagome bit her lip, instantly lecturing her mind for daring to make a comparison. That was one thing she never talked of, and did her best not to think of. Filled with a justifiable anger, she stepped into her pants and buttoned them before following in InuYasha's wake, damning all those thoughts back into the far recesses of her heart where she had blackened them to the world.

 

Reaching the living room, she spared a slight nod to Miroku, who seemed already overly engrossed in an episode of ER. Sitting back on her heels, she took long enough to realize the episode was after George Clooney's departure from the show. `Not worth watching,' she mentally noted as she slipped into the kitchen behind her bed mate. Reaching around him, she opened up the refrigerator and rummaged for a moment.

 

“You don't have orange juice,” she stated with her head still in the ice box.

 

InuYasha sipped his cup of coffee and stared at her back. His eyes slowly slid down the fabric of her shirt to rest on the swell of her ass. `She has to have one of the nicest asses…' clearing his throat, he tried to negate that sentence. There should be none of that. “That's because we don't drink it.” Raising an eyebrow none to soon, it was the look Kagome caught as she slipped backwards out of the fridge.

 

With a scowl, she pushed past him and grabbed a cup. “What time is it?”

 

InuYasha decided at this moment that he really didn't like this side of personality. `Not a morning person,' he chuckled mirthlessly. Catching her eye, he slowly led her wordlessly up towards the clock that rested against the wall.

 

“Eleven? Damnit!” turning on her heels, she rushed from the kitchen, coffee in hand, and locked herself in the bathroom.

 

Miroku glanced over the back of the couch as she made her exit and flashed InuYasha a knowing smirk. “So, was it any good?”

 

“Was Sango?” was the snide retort.

 

Miroku's smirk grew downright lecherous. “Well, then I guess your night was about as fruitful as mine.”

 

InuYasha would have balked on any other day, but from what he gathered from Sango, she didn't seem to be a one night stand type of girl. Which meant… “You're talking out of your ass. You didn't get anything beyond your hand last night.”

 

Miroku's eyes seemed to take on a gleam InuYasha was sure he would come to loathe. “Are you saying that you did?”

 

“No...You're putting words in my mouth.”

 

“And you're sweating.”

 

InuYasha walked swiftly around the couch and placed himself in front of Miroku, his arms crossed across his chest. “Nothing happened.” He tried to plaster on a `don't fuck with me' glare, one that he normally could execute superbly. Today, however, was not a good day.

 

Miroku glanced from InuYasha's face down to his crotch and back again. “Right…hey, question; when are you going to start learning to wear underwear?”

 

InuYasha glanced down quickly, his eyebrows coming to form one long disgruntled uni-brow. “What the hell are you…”

 

Miroku glanced around InuYasha, attempting to get himself back into his program. “Your little man wasn't quite done spitting up before you put him back in the crib. You might want to check on that damp spot lest people think you can't control yourself.”

 

InuYasha cursed loudly and continued attempting to see the nonexistent spot. “I don't see anything!”

 

Miroku shrugged. “Go check in your room.” With a heavy sigh mirroring annoyance, he looked up at InuYasha. “You know, it is highly improper to be playing with yourself in front of me. I've told you time and again I don't swing that way unless I'm completely sloshed.”

 

InuYasha's face was priceless. Moving quicker then Miroku had ever seen before, the boy vanished down the hallway, leaving him and the cast of ER alone. Flipping the channel back to playboy, he resumed his previous viewing knowing he'd have at least five more minutes of peace. Glancing to his phone, a smirk outlining his handsome features, he was half tempted to call Sango and gloat over his assumption of his friend's situation. But then again, that might set her off like a firecracker. He didn't need to calm that storm. He wasn't sure his stamina was fully regenerated. And he didn't want to get kicked in the balls…again.

 

X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*

 

Kagome climbed into the hummer, her perfect posture hinting away at exactly how uncomfortable she truly was. It had been odd enough to be in the same room with InuYasha after the `situation', which she had rightfully decided to call the events of the morning. But now she was going to be in a confined space with him, strapped in without hope of escape, and subjected to the will of God not to say the wrong thing. Swallowing thickly as InuYasha started the monster's engine, she diverted her attention out the window. If she could make some idle chatter, it was possible that she may just live through this. But what was there to talk about. `How about the fact that he just came in your face not more then five hours ago,' her brain shot back. Well, that would just make the ride awkward. Watching the houses pass as they rolled out of the complex, Kagome settled on a conversation that could have been risqué.

 

“You know, Sango really isn't as bad as she seemed yesterday.” Judging by InuYasha's initial reaction to her life long friend, she knew that some wrinkles needed to be smoothed over. “She's just really protective and doesn't want to see me hurt. She's overly strong willed, though, and will argue her perspective with a mallet, if needed. She does have the best intentions at heart though.” Chancing a glimpse at the man next to her, she was shocked to see no anger across his normally sardonic features.

 

“She's a good friend,” InuYasha quipped abruptly. He knew why Kagome was justifying her friend; they had both been out of line the prior night and Kagome didn't want to stir anymore bad blood between them. “I know what it's like to have a friend who thinks they know what's best for you. Miroku might be a letch, but he's so protective, it gets ridiculous. Sango does, however, have a streak of bitchiness that can't be denied in her, and you'll be a liar if you deny that. I can see that she's used to getting her way, and that shit don't fly here around me. As long as she's cool with that, she's alright.”

 

Kagome stifled a giggle. Prying her eyes away from the mundane features of route 36, she turned to stare at the handsome man next to her. “I know Sango comes off that way. I guess she can be a bitch, but then again, can't every girl?” seeing his wordless shrug, Kagome stretched and leaned back against the black upholstery. “It's hard to see Miroku as a protective type. With all the remarks and gestures that he gives out to girls, I'd be to think he'd sell his own grandmother for a good one night stand than to protect his friends from getting hurt. I know he hates Kikyo, and I know she hates him, but beyond that? He's really that into your life?”

 

InuYasha shook his head, a smile gracing those beautiful lips. “You'd be shocked at just how loyal this guy is. Granted, he might seem like a letch, and he is, but underneath it…he's a good guy. He wants everyone to think that he's some ruthless sexaholic who would do anything for some pussy, and he knows that you and the rest of the world consider him scum but he's all right with it. He honestly doesn't give a fuck about what others think of him, and I really respect him for that.”

 

Kagome raised her eyebrows in confusion. It seemed like a double negative. Why would a guy like Miroku want people to think the worst of him? Was it a self esteem issue? Kagome knew better then to dive into that with InuYasha; she'd get lectured about why guys don't give a shit about psychological bull shit. Miroku did what he did because he wanted to, or felt like he had to. Kagome knew those constraints, and respected them, all to well. “So it's a respect that keeps this friendship going?”

 

InuYasha shrugged with a lazy smile. “Partially. I mean, he's like the brother I never had.”

 

Knitting her brows, Kagome held her gaze at the side of his face, attempting to decipher that ambiguous remark. “But…you have a brother.”

 

With a very dry laugh, InuYasha shook his head. “Sesshoumaru doesn't count. He's been a prick to me since the day I moved into our father's house.” It didn't really hit him that he slipped up until the words had left his mouth. Did he ever tell Kikyo he wasn't one hundred percent of the Taisho bloodline? Did she or Kagome know that his mother wasn't Launia Taisho but one of Toga's secretaries from years past? `Shit, me and my god damned mouth!' It wasn't like him to let these things slip, he was getting to comfortable. With that cold douse of reality, he started to sweat.

 

“Moved in? You didn't always live with your father?”

 

InuYasha silently swore as he turned onto route 35. He didn't want to go into depth with Kagome over his past; it would leave to many questions, and he didn't want the shit to get back to Kikyo. `But I'm already a foot into this fire, and it's too late to turn back!' with a deep sigh, he tried to be as vague as he could. “Actually, no, not really; me and Sesshoumaru are only related by our father.” Eyeing her wearily, he frowned, “and I'd appreciate it if you kept that between us.” Somehow, he didn't doubt that it would be a problem. Seeing the honest look on Kagome's face, he was beginning to wonder why he hadn't already poured his heart out to this girl. “I lived with my mom until I was six. She got sick and couldn't handle an overactive child so I moved in with my dad.” Simple and to the point, and he didn't need to lie or go into more detail; InuYasha could only hope that she didn't push the envelope when it came to his life. Nothing was the rainbows and puppy dogs that he attempted to make it seem like. There was a lot of darkness and enough secrets to make the Nixon administration look like amateurs.

 

Kagome's mouth fell open slightly at the unexpected news. She had seen photos of Sesshoumaru from Kikyo and never would she have guessed that the two brothers weren't fully related. With hair down to their lower backs and features that could put any model to shame, the only differences between the two were the color of their eyes. Sesshoumaru's narrow and seemingly cold eyes were a cloudy gray that were mostly expressionless while InuYasha's eyes were so much wider and were quite literally windows to his soul. The silence that ensued was thick and nearly hostile. Kagome could instantly tell that he didn't wish to further disclose anything about his family and she could respect that. As her lips tilted down into a meek frown, she whispered, “I'm sorry.”

 

“Why?”

 

The sarcasm that followed his remark ended that conversation. He was obviously bitter about something that had to do with genetics and Kagome was not one to push. Balling her hands together in her lap, she stared down at them, as if they were the most interesting things in the world. Shifting her weight on the seat, she spoke up suddenly; “Why don't you drop me off at the dorms, if that's okay? I want to get changed and…” `Avoid going to see anyone else who knows me. Rin will get one look at me and flip out. This is not good.' For some odd reason, Kagome felt more secure with having Kikyo see the extent of her bruising more so than Rin. The rationality behind that, however, evaded her.

 

InuYasha glanced at the clock in his car then stated without room for argument; “you'd miss class. It's too late, and I'm not facing Rin without you there.” After a hard pause, and some quick thinking, he added, “she's worried about you; she said so when I ran into her at the dorms a few nights back. She wanted to give you a call but I guess she got side tracked.” His eyes darkened at the thought of being alone with that girl. After their rendezvous a few nights back and her sudden interest in his concealment charm, he wasn't about to jump into private conversations. Hell, even if he had to drag Kagome kicking and screaming along with him, he would; all to avoid facing more questions that would lead to nothing but deceit and treachery.

 

There was something about Rin that completely unbalanced the hanyou. She seemed to be so full of life when they first met; she was giddy and ditzy and everything that normally made up the Monmouth girls. But after a month of getting to know her, a new personality had surfaced. She was nearly as sarcastic as he was, with a wit that could rival Miroku and a smile that could light up a room. She was mysterious and funny, serious and serene all at once. She knew how to get the information she wanted and InuYasha didn't doubt that she could be as manipulative as his bastard brother. It was just something about her that made her dynamic and dangerous.

 

What scared him at the same time was her awareness of his ring. Humans always overlooked the jewelry, judging it as a family heirloom or some symbol of wealth. Granted, they were right, but the look in her eyes went beyond that. She knew exactly what she was staring at. She knew that demon blood ran through his veins, masked by this ring, he was sure of it. Was it possible for a human to know what a power limiter was? Of course; since 1818 when it became a law that one had to mask their true ancestry, over five hundred thousand had been produced for all species across the board. The most common to find on this side of the hemisphere were Okami, Kitsune and inu youkai and most of the crests varied by only a line or two in the design. It didn't escape InuYasha, however, the look of nostalgia that passed through Rin's eyes when staring at his. She knew something more then she let on, and that off set him. If she knew the truth of his family, it could get dangerous for both parties. `But how the hell would she know that shit,' he kept pondering.

 

Oblivious to InuYasha's brooding Kagome remained vigilant at staring out the window. “Rin's a great person with enough personality to take over the school. I really wish we had more time to spend together. But…she has so many other obligations. She works all the time and studies and makes it to class. She never seems tired though, ya know? You have to be impressed though,” Kagome added with peaked interest, her eyes drifting off to watch the clouds as they continued their drive. “She juggles everything life throws at her no matter how shitty it is and doesn't back down.” Kagome hated the bitterness that swarmed her words. It tasted to sour to be directed while discussing one of her friends. This was Rin, and it was in no way her fault that where she succeeded Kagome had failed. Rin balanced everything with dignity while Kagome ran away and hid. `It wasn't your fault,' her conscience screamed, `there is a six year gap you're not attributing for. Weigh that in and then reconsider.' Kagome was sure that her aura flared in something akin to sadness, because the look InuYasha gave her required a tight smile and a shake of the head to ward off.

 

InuYasha stole a glance at her as they pulled into the commuter parking lot of the school. The wistful look on Kagome's face prodded his curiosity more so than her words. Such vivid arrays of emotions were splashed across her face, he couldn't decipher where one stopped and another began. `Better start getting used to this mysterious bullshit,' his conscience mused. The silence ensued as he pulled into a parking spot and stopped the roaring engine. Hesitating for a moment, his curiosity got the better of him. He knew better than to waste his breath asking personal questions that circled around Kagome, but gossip was another factor. `She's a girl, she's got to give. What does she know about Rin that I don't?' Opening his mouth to voice his thoughts, he found that Kagome had already slipped out of the car.

 

Stepping down from the SUV, he grabbed his books and jogged to catch up to Kagome. Falling into step next to her, he quickened his pace to keep with her. “What bad cards has life thrown Rin that she needs to juggle?” Why did it seem that nothing was what it seemed? Everyone was shrouded in lies and InuYasha was beginning to get a taste of his own medicine. `So maybe I'm not the only black sheep out here in the crowds,' he pondered as he kept an inquisitive glare on Kagome.

 

Kagome kept walking; her hands shoved into her jean pockets and her eyes downcast. “Well,” she began not really thinking about the question. She was so sure that InuYasha was going to recommence the inquisition over her life and her bouts of sudden silence; “for one, being a single mother that is attending school full time.”

 

InuYasha nearly face planted himself into the pavement. Tripping over his own feet, he stumbled for a moment before sliding up next to Kagome, his amethyst eyes nearly bulging from his head. “Come again!”

 

Kagome gasped and came to an abrupt halt while snapping her head to the left, so fast that she nearly gave herself whiplash. A hand fluttered up to her mouth as she nearly cried. “Oh shit, I didn't know she didn't tell you! I'm sorry; she didn't make it seem like a secret when she told me so I figured…” If she hadn't of been brooding, she would have been more aware. Instead, she was so concerned with herself she let something that had been confided in her slip. Despite the panic, a deep swell of shame overtook the young girl. How could she have been so careless? “InuYasha,” she began as she grabbed his arm. Her brain hardly recognized that this was the first physical contact they had had since the morning. “Please, I shouldn't have…I mean, don't…don't tell Rin I told. It was stupid, and I'd say to forget it, but obviously, you can't. Just…please don't say anything.”

 

InuYasha shook his head, attempting to get his hearing straight. All of Kagome's words were starting to fall on top of each other, cushioned by her prior statement that he had yet to wrap his brain around. Was it true? That young spitfire had a child? “Rin's a single mom? Who's the dad? Does he help out at all or is he a fuckin' dead beat? Does she need someone to beat child support out of him? How old is this kid?” InuYasha's brain continued to spin as his words died on his tongue. Is that why she knew about Youkai crests? Was it fathomable that Rin had possibly bedded a youkai without knowledge and ended with a hanyou of a child? `No, to father a child as a youkai, you cannot be wearing your power limiter. She would have had to of known he was youkai. Did she do it willingly? Was she raped?' That would make perfect sense, and it nearly made him see red. If anyone hurt Rin, especially a youkai, he'd have the fucker skewed on a stake by morning.

 

Kagome was still mentally berating herself as InuYasha fell into a rant of his own. Kagome picked up near the end of his, a small smile slipping to her lips. Casting her internal chastising aside, she couldn't help but smile at the man next to her. A month ago she was nearly sure he would have laughed and possibly called any single mother a barrage of horrid names. Kikyo excelled at that; the girl felt that any woman who had a child on her own was some sort of whore who should be locked away. `As if she's not engaging in premarital sex; fucking hypocrites, I hate them all.' At least this proved that InuYasha had risen above that bullshit. With a patient smile, she answered those questions that she could. “All I know is that the father is not in the picture at all. He doesn't know that he even is a dad, and Rin wants to keep it that way. She really doesn't talk about the father, but she loves the kid and something tells me that she loved the dad as well. She's very vague with the details, though. She said that he'd be two in a few months. She named him Kenren.”

 

InuYasha's purple eyes widened as they entered Edison Hall as he once again nearly fell face first to the floor. He had to get his ears cleaned; there was no possible way that she just said what he thought she did. “Kenren?” He swallowed the golf ball sized lump in his throat nearly sure some color had drained from his face. Forcing himself to continue lest he seem more suspicious than he did at the moment, he muttered, “Interesting choice; it's not a real common name, actually it's rare.”

 

Kagome shrugged as they strode down the halls, InuYasha looking anything but casual. Kagome was oblivious. “Sounds like some half cocked anime name if you ask me,” she muttered as they rounded a corner. “But it's not that bad, really.”

 

InuYasha didn't hear one word that slipped from her lips; his mind was a storm of thoughts and disturbances. It was a coincidence, it had to be. There was no fucking was this world was that small! The name Kenren hardly existed outside of a very small and elite group of Inu Youkai that dated back to the myths of the Jade Emperor by Chinese mythology* and to the ruling imperial family during the 9th century in China.

 

The legend was simple, and kind of stupid in InuYasha's books, but went as such; the Jade emperor had a vast military at his disposal that was lead by an array of various generals. One that happened to be a particular troublemaker went by the name Kenren Taisho. He was supposedly unstoppable and uncontrollable. He marched to the beat of his own drum, was fiercely loyal and overly protective of those he loved and cherished. Eventually he was cast from the heavens for fear of his leading a rebellion against the order and was banished to the island of Japan, away from his friends and relatives. Some say he took on the form of a dog to live out his days amongst mortals. The moral of the story was that he became the first Inu youkai to walk the earth; not quite corporeal, not quite god, he was a spirit with unfathomed power and became the figure front for Inu Youkai alike. InuYasha took the legend to mean jack shit besides for some drunken fool's tale of why he should be remembered in history.

 

The outcome, however, held to even the current generation. The ruling class of Inu youkai made it their blood oath to name the first child born into a family after the aforementioned deity. Of that said ruling class of Inu youkai, however, only remained his blood line. His father had followed tradition, however, and named the first child he had Kenren back somewhere in 1542. That child died, however, about two years later from a random strain of what would be later known as the black plague. It was completely unheard of for a Japanese family to take on middle names, and also to rename a child after a deceased one; so his father became trapped without an heir by such a name. The great Toga Taisho had been the youngest of his family and the sole survivor by time the first child was born. Sadly the name Kenren had been wiped from their family tree. However…his father refused to give up. He broke Japanese tradition at the birth of his next son, who would take on the empire upon his death, and forged him the middle name of Kenren. He was quite possibly the only Japanese citizen to hold a middle name, who was untouched by western society at the time of his birth. It would then be his legacy to sire an heir to carry the name Kenren for a new generation. InuYasha had always thought he had failed.

 

Was it possible that his estranged brother was somehow responsible for another life on this Earth or was this seriously one big fuckin' coincidence? InuYasha would pay serious amounts of money to see Sesshoumaru's face when he learned about this, and he wasn't even going to start on his father.

 

“Earth to InuYasha, are you alive in there or did all that hair finally consume you?”

 

InuYasha snapped his head around to stare at Kagome before blinking himself back to the world of the living. This was a conversation that he would need to have with Rin, not just himself. Only she could answer his aching curiosity. With a firm nod, he threw her a lopsided smile. “Nah babes, I'm still alive and rearing to go.” With a flick of his eyebrows that screamed seduction, he winked once and grabbed the door to the classroom. “You all right to go in?”

 

Kagome batted her eyes, his glare shooting right though her. She could melt under his heated stares, and though she could sense his preoccupation with her prior slip, she could still make out the lust that swam in those purple seas. “Just…not a word to her, okay?” Seeing his brief nod, she took a deep breath. “Do I look okay?” It was a stupid question, but the last thing Kagome wanted was more attention. Her objective was to go in, sit through class and get out before anyone could open their mouths about her battle wounds.

 

InuYasha smirked lazily and eyed her cleavage. “Nah, your shirt doesn't match that color of bruise on your face.”

 

Kagome sighed heavily at his stupid comment. Why was she even bothering to ask him? Grabbing his arm, she nearly dragged him into the door. “Come on, jerk.”

 

InuYasha reached out and opened the door for the both of them, sauntering into the classroom behind the girl. He nearly growled as Kagome walked with her face downcast to the floor, angry for the mere fact that she felt she had to. What did these little fucks matter to her? If they saw, she could say she kicked the shit out of some dumb fuck who messed with her. `That's not it and you know it.' Great, here we go again. `You're angry that she has to walk with her face down. You're angry that someone made her walk with her face down. You're pissed as all hell that someone else touched what's ours.' yup, he was certifiably insane. He was talking to himself and getting answers and even arguing points. He definitely needed to get some serious psychological help. Hearing Rin's audible gasp broke him of his meandering mental argument.

 

“Oh my god, Kagome; what the hell happened to you?”

 

InuYasha slid into the seat behind Kagome and threw Rin a nearly hostile glare that demanded she shut her mouth.

 

Rin missed it all together. Staring at Kagome's face, her eyes mirrored the anger that InuYasha had become intimate with. “What the hell!”

 

Kagome glanced up nervously, her eyes meeting Rin for only a moment. “Don't make a big deal out of it. I promise I'll explain as much as I can later.”

 

Rin's eyes narrowed as she stole a glance back at InuYasha. She studied his face for a moment then blanched as he grew angry.

 

InuYasha could feel her eyes burrowing into him, picking him apart to see if it was possible that he was the cause of this. Bearing his teeth, he hissed, “put your eyes back in your fuckin' head, Bitch. I didn't do this shit!”

 

Rin pursed her lips and tilted her head. `Who did,' she mouthed to him.

 

InuYasha pointedly rolled his eyes. “If I knew…” he held up right hand as a fist and jerked his left shoulder back and his right forward, giving ample knowledge of exactly what he'd do to the dumb fuck. Lowering his hands, he found himself reminiscing over his prior rage.

 

Rin shook her head slowly, glancing back at Kagome. “You're telling me later,” she said sharply, leaving no room for question.

 

Kagome raised a slender eyebrow then glanced back over her right shoulder at InuYasha. Seeing that darkness creeping back into his eyes, her hand sought out his on his desk. Giving it a tight squeeze, she silently begged him to snub out the anger before it could manifest. She needed him with a sane disposition while battling Rin. If they both were irate, she wasn't sure she could come out unscathed.

 

Rin watched the simple gesture with an intensity mirrored at a crime scene investigation. There was a profound bond that seemingly sprouted overnight between the two, and the intimate moment that seemed to float between the two privately wasn't lost on the younger girl. Crossing her arms, she raised an eyebrow to InuYasha when Kagome quickly turned around. Her eyes said it all, `you and me need to talk.'

 

InuYasha glowered at Rin, his eyes narrowing. He owed no one explanations for his actions, least of all this stranger. `Mind your own,' he mouthed before slumping backwards in his blue chair. Rin didn't turn around or relent from her staring contest. InuYasha attempted to ignore her.

 

Rin's mouth tipped into a frown before crossing her arms stubbornly. She respected secrets, hell, she had been living one for nearly two and a half years, but something was very unsettling at this present moment to her. Kagome had been beat to shit and InuYasha and she were acting all too comfortable for her likes. It was too easy to recall the harsh and bitter words exchanged between the two on the first day of class for Rin to believe that it had all been one large misunderstanding. Tilting her head to her left shoulder, her eyebrows vanished under her long angled bangs. `What did you do?' she mouthed to the boy.

 

InuYasha grunted and sat up straight in his seat. Staring at her with something akin to rage, his entire aura flared with the indignation. He told her to back off, he warned her…what came out of his mouth was not his fault. He needed her to turn around, he couldn't stand the scrutiny. `Doesn't that tell you something,' his conscience mused before running for cover from his out lash. “No Rin, I will not have sex with you…again. Now will you turn around and leave me the hell alone?”

 

Rin sat up straight in her seat, ignoring the questionable glare she received from Kagome and focused her attention on InuYasha. “As if I would ever sleep with you, you pervert. It seems, however, that your morals are as corrupt as your mouth!” Her lifted eyebrow spoke the rest of her sentence. `Did he sleep with her after she was beat up? Did he take advantage of her?'

 

InuYasha nearly shot out of his seat. Had they of been alone, Rin would have been a foot of the ground, suspended only by her jugular. How dare she insinuate that he would have harmed Kagome! `That…isn't what she said,' something inside his head provided, `but it's humorous that's what you're taking it as.' With a deep growl, he shot back at the mousey girl; “easy to say when you're not under me begging for more. Funny you mention my mouth; you weren't complaining a few nights ago.”

 

Rin's eyes widened as his libel. “The only thing I'd beg for you to do, InuYasha, is to sit down and shut up. I don't play with little boys like you. If I want a good fuck, I'll run with the grown ups, but thanks anyway.”

 

A stern cough echoed from the front of the room. “Catherine Shinski, InuYasha Taisho, I do not want to have to ask you to leave, but you're pushing that envelope. Settle down, now, or get out.”

 

InuYasha slumped back in his chair, settling on glaring daggers at his opponent. `She just verbally raped you, you know that right?' why was his mind always against him? `Because you deserve this one. Face it, Rin didn't deserve to be on the end of that. She's just worried about her friend.' InuYasha shook his head, averting his eyes to his desk. How did Kagome manage to find such committed friends? He was nearly envious.

 

All the while, neither InuYasha nor Kagome noticed that the color had completely drained from Rin's features as the class droned on.

 

*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X**X*X*X*X

 

 

Walking into the café, InuYasha dropped his books onto the table closest to the food counters. Glancing once at Kagome, a smile briefly graced his lips as he extracted his cell phone from his pocket and turned it back on.

 

“Hope here's okay. I'm hungry as all get out.”

 

Kagome nodded once and slipped into the chair across from the boy. “I'm not really that hungry. I'll sit here while you get your stuff.”

 

Rin fell into the chair next to Kagome, still slightly pale. Looking straight at the table, she didn't even attempt to make eye contact with either party. It wasn't until InuYasha vanished into the back portion of the café to get his food that Rin finally looked at Kagome. “Hey…I have a question.” Her eyebrows lowered, shading her eyes as she attempted to add the clues together.

 

“I told you my stipulations. Anything that doesn't have to do with…”

 

Rin licked her lips and held up her hand, abruptly cutting Kagome off of her rant. “InuYasha…he has an older brother, doesn't he?” Though posed as a question, Kagome heard the statement that strengthened her words.

 

“Yeah, Sesshoumaru; but they really don't get along so well.”

 

If it was possible, Rin's face lost more color. “Oh.” Snapping her head back to stare at the table, she seemed to zone out of reality.

 

Kagome studied Rin for a moment before sitting back in her chair. “What gives? You were shooting your mouth off to him in class, and now this?” Pursing her lips, she suddenly shot forward on her chair and clasped her on the table. Ducking to look up at Rin's face, Kagome slowly began, “don't let him get to you. I mean, he can be a jerk and I thought you already knew that. He had no right to say to you what he did and if you want me to, I'll talk to him…”

 

Rin shook her head briefly, the movement seemingly nothing more then a twitch. “No, it's fine. I don't care.”

 

“Well something got to you,” Kagome stated. “You weren't this shaken in class.” Raising an eyebrow, she slowly thought back to Rin's question. “What about his brother?”

 

Rin stood up suddenly, nearly knocking back her chair in the process. Walking around the table, she muttered, “I'll be right back.” With that, she disappeared into the café lines.

 

Walking swiftly, she sought out her target. InuYasha was hanging out by the grill, waiting on something to be firmly cooked. Arriving at his side, she gently reached out and touched his bicep. “Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?”

 

InuYasha glanced down at Rin, all smugness wiped from his face when he took note to the lack of color that blanched her features. “Sure.” Grabbing his burger, he walked with Rin to the registers, paid for the food then followed her from the establishment. Walking through the crowded halls of the student center, they walked down a set of stairs that normally led to the student store. Rin veered off and walked past the store and around a corner. InuYasha followed obediently, glancing around every so often in slight confusion and well masked frustration. He was missing time he could spend with Kagome for this, and she was leading him…where?

 

Entering the back stairwell that no one ever took, Rin turned to face him, her hands clasped in front of his body. “I need…” she began slowly.

 

“—to tell me what's going on,” InuYasha's eyes stared into Rin's for a moment before he cracked a smile. “You do know I was only kidding about the sex thing, right? I mean, you're not going to try to rape me or anything?”

 

Rin narrowed her eyes, obvious upset tugging at the corners of her eyes. “You can't rape the willing, InuYasha, but no. I already told you I don't play with little boys.”

 

InuYasha's eyes narrowed at the challenge. Though he had no interest in Rin sexually, there was something about a challenge that could always get him hard. “You really want to push that button, sweetheart. Cause I ain't afraid to bend you over this stairwell and show you how much of a man I can be.”

 

Rin stomped her foot once, ending the trivialities. “Enough. Look…I need to know something, and I need to know now. But there's a catch.” Looking at InuYasha, she nearly lost her collective cool. “I won't tell anyone, I swear to God, but I need you to make me a very similar promise.”

 

That managed to peak the hanyou's curiosity. Shifting his weight onto the balls of his feet, he slowly rocked back and forth. “Well, I guess that would depend on the question.”

 

Rin faltered for a moment before sighing. “Look, this is really important InuYasha. I wouldn't be wasting your time if it weren't. But I can't say anything if I don't have your promise not to say anything…to anyone!”

 

InuYasha studied Rin for a moment, his mind reverting back to his conversation with Kagome for a recap. Was it possible that she had his brother's child? If she did, she might be looking for confirmation to the family name. Would she use it against them? Would she expose them as youkai? Eyeing her over, he somehow doubted she could be that cold and calculating. But then again, money would a great motivator. “I understand your points, Rin, but you have to appreciate mine. There are always, and will always, be secrets that some people just can't expose. You know this, and I know this. I mean, look at what happened to Dan Brown and that was fuckin' fictional shit. He still got the Catholic church after him.”

 

Rin rolled her eyes. “Look, just promise me you won't say anything.”

 

InuYasha threw up his hands. “Fine Rin; I won't say anything to anyone.”

 

It seemed to please the girl, regardless that a verbal contract was not binding in the state of New Jersey. “Okay….umm…have a seat.” Walking over to the dull gray cement stairs, she dropped to sit with her head against the eggshell cement blocks that lined the walls.

 

InuYasha carefully sat down next to her. “Let's skip the bull shit. Tell me what you're going to and let's get on with lunch.”

 

“You're…” looking up the stairwell, she hesitated before turning back to him and gently prodded the ring on his finger with a hard stare. “Right?”

 

InuYasha felt his back stiffen as he inadvertently slid a few inches away from the girl. Restrained from any further movement by the guard rail, he gulped. “Rin, remember what I said about…”

 

If anything, she looked annoyed. Gritting her teeth, she did the one thing she hated to do. She slipped into the native Japanese language. “Inu no baka, I know you are youkai. Besides for the crest on your ring, you just about scream it. It is the crest though, that worries me.”

 

InuYasha felt his eyes darken as the thought crossed his mind that this could be a problem. He had lived for twenty five years without anyone finding out that he was a demon, and now within a week's time, two people had found out the truth. His ass would be grass when his father or brother got down wind of this. Matching her choice in language, he shot back; “I don't know what you're talking about, wench. I'm not…”

 

“Yes you are,” she interrupted. “InuYasha, please, don't make me seem ignorant on this. I know your family line, and how far it goes back. I know your father was the Inu no Taisho of Japan, hence your last name.”

 

InuYasha wanted to hit something; his conscience was really digging into him now, nearly ripping him in two. If he admitted it to Rin, regardless of her claim to know the truth, he could be putting the entire family at risk. If he denied it, he was sure she wouldn't stop. “I'm not saying anything, Rin. You have your beliefs. That's fine. Now what do you want?”

 

Rin looked to the ground, obviously offended that he wouldn't commit to an answer. “InuYasha…” looking up slowly, she wasn't quite sure where to begin. “I…know your brother.”

 

`Oh God, I was right. Holy hell, Sesshoumaru's gonna shit a brick!' InuYasha sat forward a little, his eyes widening. “I was curious about that. Your kid's name is Kenren, right?”

 

Rin fought down a blush that threatened to engulf her face. “Kagome…told you then?”

 

InuYasha winced. “She didn't mean to. Don't be angry with her, she slipped up. I don't care Rin; I'm honestly impressed that you're a single mom. But Rin…what does this have to do with my family?”

 

“I'm not angry,” she said after a moment, her eyes downcast to her feet. Wiggling her toes, she shifted her weight nervously. “InuYasha…my son….he's…”

 

A very shrill ringing erupted from InuYasha's pocket, coming in the form of Hinder's Get Stoned. A scowl broke out across InuYasha's face as he reached for the phone, intent on dashing it to the floor. Glancing at the LCD, he denied the call. “Sorry…” he muttered after a moment. Looking back to Rin, he nodded sternly. “Go ahead…your son is…”

 

Rin made a face, as if this was painful to her to get out. Opening her mouth, she was cut off when the cell phone rang again. “Maybe you should…” she nodded to the phone with a sad smile plastered to her face. This was the closest she had ever gotten to a confession, and she would be damned before she kept waiting by a booty call for the boy next to her. If she was going to tell him, it was going to be without interruptions. This was crucial, it meant the world to her child, and it could also prove to mean a normal life for the kid, instead of the seclusion that he was currently a captive of.

 

InuYasha growled darkly as he pushed the phone open so fast, he half expected it to snap in half. Switching back to English, he sneered; “What is it, Miroku?”

 

The voice on the other end of the line sounded frazzled, to say the least. “Hey…you need to get home.”

 

InuYasha's face scrunched up in confusion. “What?”

 

“Where are you?”

 

InuYasha exhaled loudly and growled once more. “What are you, my wife? I'll be home later…”

 

“You have a guest.”

 

InuYasha understood immediately. No wonder why Miroku sounded like he was at the end of his patience. But there was something else to the boy's voice, something that sounded like…fear? “Tell Kikyo I'm in class. I'll stop by the dorm later.”

 

Miroku's voice grew strained. “It's not Kikyo. I need you here now!” With that, Miroku hung up on InuYasha.

 

The hanyou stared at his phone for a moment, before hastily shoving it back in his pocket. This conversation was important, he understood that, but there was something in Miroku's voice that seriously unbalanced him. Standing slowly, he offered Rin an apologetic smile. “Look…”

 

Rin shook her head, a little relieved that she wasn't able to finish. This was going to take a lot more guts than she thought she was equipped with. “Its fine,” she waved him off with her hand, “I heard him. Go on, we'll…talk…later.”

 

InuYasha furrowed his brows then slowly crossed his arms. “How about you stop by my apartment later? Miroku…knows…” he nodded towards his ring, “so it won't be a problem.”

 

Rin shook her head and smiled up at him. There was a hue of sadness that swept through her eyes, something very close to nostalgia that made InuYasha nauseous. “I can't tonight. But…I will soon. Promise.”

 

InuYasha nodded, it was good enough for him. Shooting up the steps, he didn't stop to reconsider Rin's words or decipher that look in her eyes. This was some deep shit; he didn't need to be a rocket scientist to realize that. He wanted to be able to offer Rin his full attention to the confession. Besides, if his bastard brother really was the kid's dad, he had a lot of questions he would ask Rin. He hadn't seen his older brother in…well…ages. How long had it been? Eight years? He had come to InuYasha's graduation but strayed before InuYasha could talk with him. `Avoiding Dad, probably,' he noted wryly. Stopping by the café, he took note that Rin had already beaten him back to the table. Instead of saying his goodbyes, he simply took off. Goodbye always complicated things, and that was one thing he and Kagome didn't nee. Kagome would understand. Or so he hoped.

 

*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X

 

 

Pulling up outside of his apartment, there were two things he noticed. The first was that Miroku's car was being blocked in the driveway by a brand new 2007 Audi TT coupe. The second was that Miroku was staring out the kitchen window in what seemed like trepidation. InuYasha eyed the car for a moment before a lingering feeling of dread crept into his bones. `Dad? He must have got himself a new toy; at least he has good taste,' he decided as he parked the hummer on the street. Sliding out of the vehicle, he slowly sauntered his way up to the house. What would bring his father out to the apartment? InuYasha nearly blanched at the thought. He hated dealing with his father, and more than that, he hated the confrontations it always led to. `At least it explains why Miroku was scared on the phone.' With that thought, InuYasha cringed. Was the apartment clean? Had they picked up the beer cans from two nights ago? When was the last time they cleaned the bathroom?

 

`Oh, not good, not good!' InuYasha reached out for the door knob then paused. Taking a deep breath, he attempted to control his thoughts. `It's just your father. What do you care about? He's a dickhead, remember? Come on, Yash. Pull it together. You can't let him see you sweat!' nodding in agreement, he pushed open the door to the apartment.

 

The first sight that greeted him was Miroku, standing wearily against the kitchen archway. His eyes locked with InuYasha and he shot him a very `what the fuck' glower. InuYasha shrugged then turned to the couch and stopped dead in his tracks. He had expected to see the graying head of his father, and then to receive the end of whatever harsh words he would be worthy of for the visit. What he got, instead, was a head of inky black hair. As he opened his mouth to speak, his guest of honor stood and slowly turned around.

 

InuYasha felt as if he had been punched in the stomach by a sumo wrestler. His eyes narrowed as he took another step forward, doubting if what he was seeing was real. There was no possible way the ice prince himself would step off his pretty pedestal to grant his lowly half brother a visit. Light brown eyes clashed against amethyst as the two stood staring for a moment, neither one properly prepared to exchange words.

 

InuYasha finally was able to find his voice, and with it, he barked out loudly, “What the fuck are you doing here, Sesshoumaru? Someone better of died to make this worth it.”

 

*X*X*X*X*X*XX*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*

 

 

 

*- The Jade Emperor is the Chinese folk lore god of heaven who created humans from clay. It's also a direct reference to Gaiden Saiyuki and the character of Kenren Taisho (with my own twist).

 

Shout outs:

 

Inukag_obsession: ::joins in the dancing:: Sango is a bitch, and she'd admit to that if I gave her time to speak. But…she's also overly protective of Kagome. What she said…holds a lot of truth. It's just not sugar coated. Yeah, those two have faded to black for right now. They'll be back though; you can put money on that. But for right now, I have a new toy to play with. >.<

 

Drake Clawfang: lol, thanks hun!! I'm always happy to hear from you!

 

Sammy 22- wow! I need to give you a list of fics to read if you think this is the best. :blush:; but I'll take the compliment! Thank you!!! you really don't know how much that means to me! the flow will be choppy at points, but seriously thank you so much!

 

Tarzan14- why can't he break up with Kikyo. Hmm…well…his dad is paying for his apartment, his car payments, his insurance, his credit cards…need I say more? If he doesn't abide by daddy-dearest, he loses all those things. And trust me, having that hanging over your head is like having a shot gun under your chin. Yeah, lots of unrest in upcoming chapters. ^__^

 

Kik- dude, that song was so trippy, I wasn't sure if I was even sober by time it was done. LMAO. I was like, what the hell are they talking about? Lmoa. I'll stick with `shine on you crazy diamond'. Lol. thankies! ::Huggles:: couldn't have done all this without you!

 

Silveraloria: oh, miro is my escape in this. I have to have one character who can break that damned silence, and he's it. LOL. yeah, inu and sango will always bump heads in my fics.

 

Leilachan- yesh, reality is a bitch. It's not going to pretty at any point, because like you said, happiness is elusive. I hate to disappoint but there's going to be very little miro/san in this. They'll be mentioned and you'll see their relationship some, but this is mostly through the eyes of inu and kag.

 

Mistresskagome4U- thanks…though technically it wasn't a lemon cause they didn't do that deed. Don't worry, more will be coming on that. >.< ::cough:: anyway, yes, thank you! hehehe.

 

Caitriona: oh, I'm sure our beloved hanyou will be looking for those aforementioned pants soon enough. LOL. Kagome is afraid for Sha, but her attention has been swept away by InuYasha. As for inu recognizing Kagome…Inu wasn't always the brightest crayon in the box. And I attribute it this way; when you're in love with a shmuck, and all your friends see it, you don't (or you're in denial about it). It's hard to be able to tell anything apart when your in the thick of it. Besides, until this lime, he always thought Kagome was overly proper. He would never have attributed the two together. >.< thanks for reading! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

 

Shizuka Kaze: thankie! I love dialogue! I've said it before; I'd be a minimalist if I didn't have such a OCD about detail. Thanks. You know, I've been told I put way to much detail into things but…yeah. Thanks for noticing the little things. It makes me smile when someone picks up on it. ^__^ you know you have kudo's in my book girly! I'm always honored to hear from ya. So it makes me doubly happy that you're enjoying this!

 

Oyuki: who would know all about her mystery man? She has been overly protective over these little details. As for the morning after, it's one of those things that scream awkward! Lol.

 

Moon_essence1: AWW. I wuff you too Sadie! Thanks! Glad you're enjoying it!

 

Toyas_gurl: heheh…you asked for smut. I will always do what I can for ya girly! Hehehe. Tell you what, I'll keep looking, and if I find one, I'll let ya know. you do the same. Somewhere in this world, there has to be someone! LOL.

 

Inu_inu_luvluv: thank you so much! I'm glad that you're having fun with the story! That always means a lot to hear! LOL, unfortunately, quickness is something that doesn't come easy on this end. I'll update as often as I can, how's that? ^__^

 

Autumn_the_reviewer: that's hysterical that you know where Bloomsburg is. I went there for a year and a half. I ended up coming back to Jersey though. Not many people know where Bloomsburg is, that's really funny that I found someone online who knows it. twelve hours? LMAO> wow, I didn't' know it was that long! Honestly, this will probably be about half the size of COTD. That one just kept going with different plot thoughts. This one is pretty defined. I actually played with the thought of her throwing Oberon out in conversation and watching inu's reaction, but I reframed. It will all come in time. Will he notice the markings? No, something else will give it away first. But…those markings could tell others…. >.< …O_o you know, I really thought about that after you mentioned offing Jackie…but I love my Jakotsu, I really really really do. I don't think I could do that to him. LOL, email me, I'm always up for hearing input on the story. I'm up for ideas as well. ^__^ thank you so much for the feedback! I'm so happy that everyone's been pretty receptive to the story so far.

 

Girl_x_16- unexpected, really? Hmm. LOL, that would be horrid timing, and to easy. LOL. don't' worry, timing will play a significant role in Kikyo's knowledge…and inu's as well. ^__^ LOL, Sango was being a good friend, even if a bit radical over it. ^__^