InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Sweetest Escape ❯ Surprise, Surprise ( Chapter 10 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, Rumiko Takahashi does.

Author's Notes:

And now…the long awaited and much demanded arrival of! (drum roll please) THE OTHER CHARACTERS IN THE SERIES!!! TA-DAAAAA!!!! Well…three of them at least…

And here you go.

Chapter 10: Surprise, Surprise

“He's totally faking that.”

“No way! There's no way!” Kagome exclaimed, practically retching.

“There's no way that's real,” Inuyasha said in a deadpan, yet questioning voice. The strange English man picked up the large mound of elephant feces and began to squeeze the liquid from it…essentially…drinking it. “There's no freakin' way that's real!”

“It's all real!” Souta insisted. “I swear, they say it's all real!”

“I think I'm going to vomit,” Kagome groaned.

“Same here,” Inuyasha muttered, frowning as the man wiped his lips of the remaining juice. “Gross,” he coughed.

“That's so totally staged,” Kagome reiterated, pushing the large bowl of popcorn away from her.

“Nu-uh!” Souta argued. “He's got contracts—he's got to survive the wild all alone!”

“How much do you wanna bet,” Inuyasha said slowly, watching as the man packed up his gear and prepared to move further along in his journey. “That he's got a big sandwich in that bag, just waiting for him on commercial breaks?”

“They can't do that…” Souta pouted. “He's got to survive on nature by itself—no outside help.”

“Betcha he's got help.”

“Betcha he doesn't!”

“I bet ya when the cameras are off, the filming crew is giving him lunch and a fan.”

“I don't think they'd do that….that's the whole point of the show! Besides, if it was fake, then what was that he just drank?” the boy asked smugly.

“Well…I dunno. But there's no fucking way he just drank water out of elephant shit, after passing up a perfectly good stream,” Inuyasha stated with certainty. Kagome smiled at the two boys' bantering. Even if she preferred that Inuyasha's language was a bit…cleaner. She wasn't about to correct him on it. Not when he was just beginning to lighten up around her. And she used the phrase `lighten up' very loosely. Somehow, Souta had roped them into watching some American show, Man vs. Wild, where the queer man supposedly stranded himself in various places of wilderness, and then had to survive on nothing but the fruit of the land. And in this particular episode, abandoned in the heat of the African desert, the man decided to drink from elephant feces.

Well…Souta had more so roped Inuyasha into watching it than herself. Souta may have idolized Inuyasha, but Kagome was fast beginning to suspect that the fawning went both ways. Inuyasha was so patient and tolerant with Souta…she made a mental note to ask him if he had any younger siblings, since he seemed so adept at handling children.

The doorbell rang, and Kagome jumped, shooting Inuyasha a guilty look. He didn't seem to notice, as he and Souta were still bickering about the show's validity.

“Be right back,” she muttered quietly, and tiptoed into the foyer to greet her friends.

“Kagome!” Sango and Miroku exclaimed in unison, immediately crowding the doorway to get in.

“Ssshh!” she shushed them with wide eyes, and shoved a finger against each of their mouths.

“Hey, what are you—“ Sango began, pushing her friend's hand away, frown on her face.

“Be quiet!” Kagome hissed emphatically, shooting nervous looks in the direction of the living room.

“What's the big idea?” Sango asked, frowning at her. The pair began to kick off their shoes, stepping lightly around the fast melting puddles of snow.

“I…I um…look….I've got somebody over, and I forgot to tell him—“

“A new boyfriend? Kagome! You've been keeping secrets! You've got to tell me absolutely everything—“

“No, he's not my boyfriend! He's just my friend, but it's complicated, see…he's—“

“Kagome? Souta said he's tired and he's gonna go to—“ Inuyasha's voice came as he rounded the corner. He froze at the edge of the tiled foyer, eyes going wide.

“Oh, whoa,” Miroku murmured, leg lifted, in the process of pulling off a boot.

“Kami,” Sango breathed, her hands raised to pull her scarf off.

“Shit,” Inuyasha whispered. They stared at him, took in his long, colorless hair, his unusual eyes, his ears. He stared at them, took in their shocked, wide-eyed expressions; Kagome glanced frantically back and forth between the three. `Perhaps I could have gone about this a better way…' she thought uncomfortably. A hard shudder passed through Kagome, and she was unsure whether it came from the draft of the open door, or from the awful feeling she got from seeing the horrible blush that covered Inuyasha's face. His ears flattened to become completely obscured in his nest of snowy hair. He shuffled a few steps backward before turning about face and disappearing into the house, undoubtedly to the bathroom.

She side-stepped around Miroku and Sango, pressing the door shut, and leaned against the wood.

“Um…th-tha…that was Inuyasha,” she muttered guiltily.

“Is…is he a demon?” Sango questioned, her wide eyes still fixed on the hallway through which the boy had disappeared.

“Half…he's half dog demon.”

“I've never seen a half-demon before,” Miroku commented thoughtfully.

“Me neither…” Sango said.

“This is all my fault,” Kagome moaned miserably, burying her face in her hands.

“He…he didn't know were going to be here, did he?” Sango asked.

“No…no, and I should have told him…it's just…everything's so complicated. I can't even tell you everything that's been going on at school,” Kagome sighed. She wished Sango and Miroku still attended Daisuke. They had, the previous year. But Sango lived outside the school's district, and had to be admitted by boundary exception each year. That year, she'd been denied a boundary exception, and thus, had to attend a school closer to where she lived. Miroku, being, well…Miroku, had of course followed Sango to her new school, claiming that Kagome still had Eri at Daisuke, and so their quartet had been reduced to two duos. `If they only knew…' Kagome thought.

“It'll be okay…” Sango comforted weakly, patting her friend's shoulder.

“No…he…he's really shy, because of…well…you know,” Kagome said, motioning around her head vaguely. “I was stupid. I…I've gotta go get him…” She gave the other teens a nervous look, expecting them to begin head out the door.

“Okay. We'll wait,” Miroku said, shrugging out of his coat and hanging it in the adjacent closet. Kagome gave them an appreciative smile before hurrying off to fetch her friend.

“I'm gonna raid your fridge!” Miroku called after her in warning.

~*~

“Stupid, stupid, stupid!” Inuyasha groaned, leaning against the tub. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Moron!”

Who were those people? Obviously they were people Kagome wished to keep him hidden from…She'd looked so guilty…Inuyasha winced, bit his lip. `Should I go?' he thought, eyeing the tiny window to his right. He could fit through it…but his shoes and jacket were downstairs. To get them, he'd have to pass Kagome and her friends, have to see their shock, and eventually their disgust…he was sure Kagome wouldn't want that. He could buy new shoes and a new jacket, but he would have to do without art supplies for a good long while. Not to mention he'd be half-frostbitten by the time he got home…

“Inuyasha?” came a tentative voice, coupled with a knock. He debated answering. “Inuyasha, please open up, I need to talk to you,” she pleaded.

“ `S open,” he mumbled. She pushed the door open enough so that just her head fit through, and looked down at him. She clicked her tongue sympathetically.

“Inuyasha…” she started, pulling herself into the tiny space and shutting the door behind her. She didn't hesitate to sit down facing him, perpendicular to the tub against which he leaned. “Inuyasha, I'm so sorry,” she said earnestly. “Are you mad at me?”

“Friends?” he asked, completely ignoring her question in favor of asking his own.

“Yeah, they're my friends,” she confirmed. He nodded his understanding, a slight frown marring his brow. “I'm sorry,” she repeated. “I should have told you they were coming…”

“Why didn't you?” he questioned, with a little more bite than he'd intended.

“I…I just thought that if I told you they were coming over, that you wouldn't. Come over, I mean. I thought that you wouldn't want to come over if you knew they'd be here too,” she muttered. “But that was…I don't know. It was stupid, I should have told you.”

He stiffened as a thought occurred to him. What if…what if this was the trap? What if she'd invited them over just to laugh at him? To laugh at the stupid, desperate hanyou who had the nerve to think that a pretty girl like Kagome would want to be his friend? He'd thought she was sincere after the whole car debacle…but…perhaps she was just that good? Perhaps she'd really been able to hold out her joke until now? Inuyasha was surprised to find that his heart clenched massively at that thought. Just when he was beginning to trust her…Inuyasha's face burned, and his fist gripped the fabric of his jeans tightly. He felt stupid and cornered.

“I should have told them, too, I guess,” she admitted. “Kami, I just screwed everything up…” Inuyasha blinked, frowned.

“They…they didn't know I'd be here either?” Inuyasha asked, something falling into place. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kagome falter and look at him shamefacedly.

“No.” He frowned deeply. Well. That didn't seem to fit. If they didn't know he'd be there…what, was she going to surprise them with the results of her joke? That didn't seem likely. Maybe it wasn't what he thought…he hoped not. He wanted to be able to believe in her. He wanted to be able to trust her.

“Why didn't you tell them?” he asked finally.

“…”

“Why didn't you tell them, Kagome?” he asked, a bit more forcefully. She wrung her hands and gave him a worried look.

“…”

Her silence was making his stomach churn. He decided he'd hazard a guess.

“You…you didn't think they'd come if they knew I was here…” he assumed. Her silence confirmed it. “It's okay…tell them they don't have to go. I will.”

“No, I don't want you to go,” she burst out finally. He cut her a look.

“You're embarrassed of me, yes?”

“No, of course not!”

“It's okay. I understand if you are…I don't blame you or anything. It's totally fine, `cuz I know I'd be the same way if I were you. And I—“

“Inuyasha, I am not ashamed to be your friend!” Kagome cut in. “If I were, do you really think I'd invite them over here when you were here in the first place?” Inuyasha froze. He hadn't thought about that. He'd just been jumping to what was the most likely reason for her omission. She sighed and leaned sideways to lay her head against the wall.

“I just…okay. I'll admit it—I wasn't sure if they'd want to come over if they knew you were here, and yes, that's why I didn't tell them. But that was only because of what happened with Eri and the others at school, and they're here now, and I know they won't leave!”

“How do you know that?”

“Because. Sango and Miroku are my best friends, and I've known them ever since I can remember. They're good people, and I—“

“If you weren't sure they'd show up in the first place, how can you be so sure they won't leave now anyway?” he countered. “And you said you'd known some of those people at school for a really long time too, but they were awful to you anyway. What makes them so different?”

Kagome was quiet for a long time, her face pensive. Inuyasha scoffed and turned away.

“People are all the same,” he muttered. “Nothing's changed.”

“You're wrong,” Kagome told him, her voice quiet. “People aren't all the same…I'm not the same,” she pointed out. “I…I don't know how or even if I can convince you that Sango and Miroku aren't like that…but…you'll just have to trust me on this one. I know what I'm talking about.”

Inuyasha looked at her carefully. Trust her. While it had been a strange, even absurd notion before…he was surprised to find, that now it was actually a very real possibility.

“Besides…I was thinking that maybe if you all met…you know…they could be your friends too. I mean, who doesn't need more friends, right?” she suggested brightly, nudging him. Inuyasha's cheek twitched.

“Yeah, sure,” he said absently. More friends. Right. As far as his track record went in that category, it wasn't a good one.

It wasn't as though he'd never had friends before. He had. Well…not friends. He'd had a friend before. A long time ago. It hadn't ended well….he had no reason to believe that this endeavor would be any different. Kagome beamed at him hopefully, and stood, beckoning him to follow. Well, if she was gonna look at him like that…

He supposed he could give it another try.

~*~

“I thought half-demons were supposed to be ugly,” Miroku mumbled around a mouthful of cheese curls.

“Where'd you get that idea?” Sango asked with a frown.

“Well…I mean, I've never actually seen a half-demon. Until tonight. But, you know, you always hear those rumors flying around about them being these hideous…things. But, I mean, he looked pretty…well. I can't exactly say average, but, he's definitely not the misshapen beast that the rumors make you expect…I've probably seen humans that look stranger than he does,” he replied thoughtfully. He broke a cheese curl in half before chomping noisily on each half.

“Yeah…I see what you're saying,” Sango agreed.

“He wasn't that mean, either…” Miroku mused.

“He seemed kind of…skittish….”

“Not at all like what you'd expect…Guess you really can't believe everything you hear…”

“He's gotta be okay, right? I mean, Kagome wouldn't hang out with anybody who wasn't a good person…she's a pretty good judge of character, I think,” Sango said.

“Yeah. He's probably alright…”

“Wonder if they'll come down anytime soon…”

“They could be…busy,” Miroku said off-handedly. He cut Sango a sly look, and deliberately chomped loudly on a cheese curl. “We could be…busy…too, you know…If you'll just slide over just a little bit—“

She threw a cheese curl at his temple.

“You're depraved,” Sango said flatly.

“Hey, guys, sorry about that,” Kagome's voice came from the living room's doorway. She entered with the obviously hesitant boy a step behind her, averting his eyes from anyone in the room. The silence that ensued seemed to stretch on and on until Sango finally spoke.

“Hi,” she began. “I'm Sango.” The boy looked up at her, eyes peeping through unruly bangs, and gave a brief, shallow twitch of his lips, something Sango could only interpret as a `nice-to-meet-you' smile. Loosely.

“Miroku,” the other boy said, with a jovial wave and a disarming smile. Inuyasha merely nodded, his lips pressed firmly together, hands tucked securely into his pockets, and Sango felt bad for him. He was obviously uncomfortable and nervous. Looking at her friend, Sango could see that Kagome wasn't much better.

“Kagome? Come in the kitchen with me. I need to talk to you,” Sango said suddenly, pulling the slightly protesting girl along with her into the hallway.

“But—“

“It's okay…let the boys talk,” Sango smiled sweetly, and dragged Kagome down the hallway into the dining room. She slid the door closed to grill her friend more thoroughly.

Miroku looked at Inuyasha. Inuyasha looked at Miroku. Two sets of eyes wandered to the doorway through which the girls had disappeared. Miroku began to whistle. Inuyasha strained an ear in their direction.

“Are you trying to eavesdrop?” Miroku asked suddenly. Inuyasha sent him a look that clearly said `no shit, aren't you?'.

“Well I could if you'd shut up,” he said flatly with a pointed look. Miroku nodded solemnly.

“Eavesdropping on the ladies…I think me and you are gonna get along just fine.”

And without a moment's hesitation, the two raced after the girls to listen in closer to the dining room.

“Okay, spill,” Sango commanded with an eager smile.

“Sango! Shhh!” Kagome hissed, eyes wide.

“What?”

“He can hear you!” Kagome mouthed.

“How?”

“He has very good hearing! Trust me!” she whispered.

“Okay, okay, I'll whisper,” Sango said huffily. She slipped the other girl a sly look.

“What's that look for?” Kagome asked uneasily.

“So…you two are really just friends?”

“Yes!”

“You sure?”

“I'm positive! Why are you so hung up on it anyway?”

“Well…all I'm saying is…he's really cute,” Sango shrugged. Kagome didn't say anything. “You don't think so? Haven't you noticed?”

“Of course I noticed!” she exclaimed. “I just…didn't say anything.”

“How did you two meet? He goes to Daisuke, right?”

Kagome proceeded to give Sango the gist of her and Inuyasha's chance meeting and subsequent friendship, leaving out the bits about him finding her crying and their little heart-to-heart in her garage. She figured she really wasn't ready to tell Sango that Inuyasha was now her only friend at school; and the part about their secret chat really wasn't anybody's business but their own.

“Wow…so he's—“

“Shh—“ Kagome commanded, still mouthing her words. She squinted at the door from which the snorting sound came. “Do you hear that?”

“Yeah…” the other girl said suspiciously. There was another snort and an `ow!'. Sango and Kagome crept toward the door. Kagome slid it open, only to have two boys topple over at her feet.

“Inuyasha!”

“Miroku!”

“What!?” the boys exclaimed in unison.

“Were you two eavesdropping?” Sango asked needlessly. The boys didn't answer. Inuyasha propped his chin up in one hand, leaning on his elbow and looked away. Miroku merely peered up at them from his prone position on his back.

“You…you can't even really call it eavesdropping since he's so damned loud,” Inuyasha grumbled, shooting his accomplice a dirty look.

“I told you I was getting a cramp!” Miroku defended, massaging his right calf. “I can't crouch like that forever!”

“You're the worst spy ever,” Inuyasha told him flatly.

Sango and Kagome could only laugh and step around the two as they bickered. Kagome sent her two friends a silent thank you. She knew she could trust them to treat Inuyasha well. How could she possibly repay them for being so wonderful?

~*~

Inuyasha scrubbed at the stain of sauce that had splattered across the floor in the scuffle. He'd have to cook everything over again. He rinsed out his rag in the sink, and resumed his scrubbing, praying that the stupid red sauce wouldn't leave a ghost on the cabinetry's pale wood, as it had splashed there as well. He pressed his wrist against the gash at his hairline where blood flowed thickly from the wound.

It had been his fault, really. He'd stayed a bit too long at Kagome's house, and thus, had missed his curfew by a few minutes, since he still had to `air out'. He was glad he'd taken the time to get rid of the scent, though. He was sure that the punishment he'd received would pale in comparison to what he'd have gotten if his father smelled a girl on him.

Awful as he felt, he was glad he'd gone that night. He'd had a good time. But that didn't surprise him, because he always had a good time when he was with Kagome. Between her, her family, and now her other two friends…Inuyasha was beginning to think that maybe he'd struck gold. From what he'd seen so far…they seemed to be pretty nice. Yes, they'd been a bit shocked when they first saw him, but he reckoned that was a pretty standard reaction, and not nearly as awful as it could have been.

It had felt good to with other people his age. Granted, he was silent for most of the night…he honestly hadn't known what to say. He was just learning how to talk to Kagome, and he certainly didn't have that down to a science. And so, he'd sat there placidly listening to them catch up on old times. He listened to Sango and Miroku's band trip story, the narrative mostly given by Sango. Miroku had nudged him in the side and commented on how many `pretty ladies' there were in the marching bands from the competing schools…and then quickly told him to keep that little statement to himself.

He'd felt included. He'd felt good.

Until he'd gotten home, that is.

`It really was my fault,' he thought. His father's unspoken time schedule dictated that dinner be made by seven o'clock at the latest. Inuyasha had arrived at six forty-five, and didn't have nearly enough time to fix the meal in the time restraints. And so, his father had of course taught him what the consequences of being late were. In the end, Inuyasha was left with a sizeable gash on his forehead, a few lumps and a burn on his arm from where the hot sauce had caught him, but he supposed it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

The doorbell rang, frightening the boy out of his wits. His father had long ago gone upstairs to take a nap, he said, forgetting completely about the dinner that he'd so boisterously yelled for. Inuyasha wrung the dirty water out of the rag and left it on the faucet to dry before straightening his clothes and rushing to answer the door, cursing under his breath. Whoever this person was, they were going to get him killed. It didn't matter if it wasn't his fault; if his father was woken, it would be his neck.

He flung the door open, ready to chew out whoever it was, but stopped short.

“Sesshomaru!”

The tall, elegant demon regarded him with a cold eye, his slightly turned up.

“Inuyasha,” he said briefly, impersonally. Inuyasha smiled, relief flooding him like a warm feeling.

“You're here…Kami, it's been like, two months since I saw you last…how long are you staying for?” he asked, hope lacing his voice. The cavalry had come, and he was safe; at least for a few days. Sesshomaru sighed exasperatedly and moved him aside, entering the house. He slipped out of the thigh-length leather coat he wore and dumped it unceremoniously into his younger brother's unprepared arms, along with a small, sleek-looking black suitcase. Inuyasha faltered, balancing the load. Sesshomaru cleared his throat, methodically brushing imaginary dirt off of his polished, highly tailored, clary sage suit. Once again, the glaring inadequacy slapped Inuyasha hard. He looked down at his once-white t-shirt and his socks with the large holes in them, and wished he could just hide.

“So…so you're gonna stay for a while, right?” Inuyasha repeated. His voice cracked, and he mentally berated himself. `Can't you just hold it together for a few minutes?' “Huh, Sess? You're gonna—“

“Where's Father?” Sesshomaru asked suddenly, ignoring the boy.

“Oh—he's upstairs. He said he was gonna take a nap for a little while, but I think he'd be glad to see you…do you want me to go get him?”

“Clearly,” the older demon said condescendingly.

“Okay…I'll, um…I'll take your stuff up to your room,” Inuyasha said needlessly. Sesshomaru had already walked away, surveying the house with a disdainful eye.

Inuyasha went to his father's room, prepared to knock and let him know that his favorite son was downstairs. There was no need. As soon as Inuyasha lifted his fist to knock, his father's door swung open, and the man barreled past Inuyasha to get into the hallway, knocking the boy sideways. Inuyasha stared after him for a moment, watching as he disappeared around corner, his footsteps pounded down the steps.

“Sesshomaru!” he greeted jovially.

“Father, it's been far too long,” Sesshomaru responded in kind. Inuyasha could see them embrace in his mind's eye.

He trudged to Sesshomaru's old room, and flattened his ears as the hinges squeaked in protest. It looked how it had the last time he'd brought Sesshomaru's things upstairs. Neat, immaculate, and perfect. The periodic table of elements still hung on the wall over the desk, leftover from Sesshomaru's high school days. The cup on the desk still held pens and pencils. Inuyasha crossed the room and laid the suitcase and coat side by side on the bed. He allowed his hands to move gingerly over the soft leather, reveling in the feel of the material. He briefly wondered if everything in his art studio equaled even half of what this coat cost.

That cut on his head wouldn't stop bleeding.

Heading back downstairs reluctantly, Inuyasha passed by the main room, knowing that his father and brother would most likely balk at his presence, even if he only wanted to listen. He opted to go to the kitchen and finish preparing the meal that had been thrown.

“Inuyasha!” his father called.

“Yes, Dad?” he asked, rushing into the room. He waited with baited breath. Usually, he could get away with calling his father `dad' when Sesshomaru was there. Everything was better when Sesshomaru was there.

“Go pour us some wine, will you?” Sesshomaru produced a tall, slim bag with the tip of a wine bottle poking out of the top of it. “We're gonna celebrate tonight.”

`Celebrate what?' Inuyasha wondered as he took the wine into the kitchen. Taking out two fancy flutes, he filled each glass halfway, and served the two elder demons. He waited silently at the doorjamb, and simply watched them interact with one another.

“…is pretty sure she wants to have it there…”

“…lovely little garden…”

“…going to have it in Rome…”

Inuyasha tried to follow the little snatches of conversation that that he could catch from across the room, but found that they were either too cryptic or incomplete for him to derive any really meaning from them.

“…haven't told her about him…”

“…humiliating little…”

“…ruin the whole event…” Sesshomaru's eyes found their way to Inuyasha's at that point. The boy shifted uncomfortably under the weight of his brother's stare.

“For Kami's sake, Inuyasha, comb your hair once in a while. It looks like a bird's nest,” he said smoothly, his nose wrinkling slightly in distaste. Inuyasha blushed and ran a hand through his locks embarrassedly.

“You see? It wouldn't do,” Sesshomaru said to his father as if he were proving a point.

“I understand…however it's your call. I'm going to go and get some cigars.” Their father left the room. Inuyasha fidgeted, and his curiosity got the best of him.

“Um…wh-what are you celebrating?” he asked timidly. Sesshomaru delicately picked up the fragile wine flute and took a small sip of the burgundy colored liquid, swallowing the tiny mouthful in precise measurements. He held Inuyasha in an appraising look before answering.

“I'm engaged,” he said briefly. Inuyasha's eyebrows raised, and he tried to smile.

“Wow…really? Congratulations, Sess,” he said in an attempt to be amiable. He wanted to hide his nervousness. He was always some combination of three things around his brother: embarrassed, nervous, or desperate. He hated that he still wanted his brother to like him. He hated that he wanted the man's approval so desperately. Hate, hate, hated it.

“Mm,” he responded in kind.

“So…what's her name?”

“That's of no concern to you.” Inuyasha's brow wrinkled.

“Huh?”

“Try to be a little more articulate, Inuyasha. You aren't a caveman, so speak as though you have some type of education,” Sesshomaru said fluidly. Inuyasha's cheeks burned.

“I'm sorry…I just—what do you mean it's of no concern to me?” Inuyasha asked, confused. Sesshomaru didn't answer, and Inuyasha suddenly didn't need him to anymore. “I…you…you don't want me to meet her, do you?” he asked despondently.

“No,” he said bluntly. Inuyasha bit his lip and pressed the heel of his hand against that still-flowing cut. His head was throbbing.

“I…I'm not…invited…am I?” he questioned quietly. “Your wedding…I'm not invited to your wedding, am I?”

“You wouldn't have a good time,” Sesshomaru said patronizingly.

“It's not about having a good time, Sess!” Inuyasha exclaimed. He frowned deeply and looked away, hand still held to his head. It truly wasn't about fun. He rarely had fun as it was. It was about…it was about being included. In his own family! It was about the fact that his own brother, who he practically worshipped, didn't want him to attend a life-changing event for him. It was about the fact that his brother was ashamed of him—no, worse, disgusted and repulsed! And the fact that he would hide Inuyasha from anyone that he could, so that no one would know that he shared DNA with a half-breed. In all honesty, Inuyasha couldn't care less about the actual wedding. He only wanted to be accepted into the one group that should have claimed him from the beginning.

“I wouldn't…I wouldn't be any trouble…” he whispered. “I promise…I would stay out of the way…and I would keep quiet. I promise. I…I'd even stay out of sight if you wanted me to…I…I just want to be there—“

“Even if you stayed out of sight, nothing would be able to cover up your stench,” Sesshomaru bit out, his voice as venomous as his claws. Inuyasha's heart clenched.

“Please…please? I'm supposed to be there…that's what brother's do—“

“Don't call me that,” Sesshomaru snapped. Inuyasha looked at him, bewildered.

“What?”

“Don't call me your brother. I am not your brother.”

“But—“

“But nothing. You are merely the product of a human egg and a sperm that just so happened come from the same demon as I. That's all. We are related only in the strictest biological sense of the word. That is all. Don't ever mistake my…tolerance…for feelings of brotherly love, because for you, I have none.” Sesshomaru's insult was swift, direct, and cut straight to the heart. He was continually playing with the younger boy. Sometimes he would be halfway cordial and decent…and then other times, most of the time, he would hand out invectives like that one. The ones that always put Inuyasha in such a state of shame, that he was actually nauseated from the force of it.

Inuyasha could say nothing. His jaw clenched tightly, and he couldn't bear to look at the older demon's too, too perfect face anymore. He fled the room in favor of locking himself in his own.

He laid carefully on his side, cushioning his head on his pillow and pressing his fingers to his cut. He was beginning to think that perhaps his father had put a bit of poisonous venom into that blow, whether intentional or not; something that was causing it not to clot properly. He didn't have the energy, or the will to get up and wash it out. So he lay there, hurting, hungry, and embarrassed.

Every memory Inuyasha had of Sesshomaru when the two were younger were always very vivid. He supposed that was because he'd so adored his brother when he was smaller, that he strove to remember every little detail about the older demon.

He could remember the first time he'd met Sesshomaru.

The social worker had parked her car in front of the imposing house that he was to now call home. He remembered feeling not much of anything, completely numb and cold. His mother had died only two weeks prior. There was no family willing to come forward and give her a proper burial, and so, Inuyasha had stood next to the strange-smelling, mean social worker lady while the grounds men worked deposit the plain-looking box into the dark hole, in what was only a half-step above an anonymous gravesite.

Now, he had to meet the father whom he'd never seen, and live with him. It hadn't taken the district's resources long to locate his father after searching through his mother's things…what had taken the most time was convincing the apparently enraged demon to take his own son in.

The nine-year old was hopeful, bleak as his demeanor was. He hoped that the man would like him. He'd never had anything close to a father before—he was eager to see what he looked like.

The lady opened the car door for him and popped the truck of the black sedan, taking out his small suitcase full of clothes. He carried on his back a small bookbag that held his crayons, paints and drawing pads. He was glad to get out of the boys' home. It had been awful there.

He remembered the feeling of absolute trepidation that clenched him as the woman rang the doorbell, remembered the apprehension with which he shifted his gaze from his sneakers.

His father had opened the door. He remembered gasping at him, and feeling afraid of him for a fleeting moment. The tall man made an intimidating figure to his eyes, staring up at him. The jagged blue stripes that etched down the man's cheeks both frightened and intrigued him.

“He's all yours, now,” the woman said, and promptly got into her car and sped off. Inuyasha had watched the woman peel off from the curb, and turned slowly to face his father. But he'd already disappeared into the depths of the strange house. Inuyasha grabbed the suitcase that the woman had dropped on the stoop and hurried to follow him. He was already halfway up the stairs. Inuyasha decided he would try his hand at speaking with the man.

“I'm—“

“Silence,” the deep voice commanded, booking no room for argument. Inuyasha immediately quieted, biting his lip. “I'll show you to your room. See to it that you do not leave until you are called…until I can figure out some use for you…” He sounded tired to Inuyasha's ears.

He did just that. He deposited the little boy in the bare room, and shut the door, leaving him to his own devices. Inuyasha sat forlornly in the middle of the empty room, his hands clenched into fists. `What now?' he wondered.

His mother had lied to him, he realized. She'd always told him that his father loved him very much. She'd told him that the reason he couldn't come and see him was because he was an officer in Japan's army, and always in far off and exotic places, saving lives and defending liberty. She'd made him seem like the perfect father, everything a little boy could want in a dad: a hero, an adventurer, and a humanitarian all rolled in one.

That idea shattered around him in a million irreparable pieces as he sat in the vacant room, accompanied only by his bags within five minutes of being inside the house. It was a far cry from the welcoming Inuyasha had been expecting. He'd been expecting arms to be extended out for him to jump into, expected those arms to wrap around him and tell him that everything was going to be okay, because daddy was here now. He'd been expecting…something. Anything. But not this.

He needed to use the bathroom. Badly. He'd been told not to leave…but he really had to go. He crept out of his room, quickly located the restroom and took care of his business. On the way back to his room, he saw him.

Sesshomaru had been only seventeen at the time, and had not nearly reached his looks' ethereal peak…even still; Inuyasha couldn't help but stare as the teen passed him on the way to his own room.

“Hi,” he blurted gracelessly. The boy paused and slowly turned. He looked down at the child, not saying a word. “I…I'm Inuyasha,” he introduced hesitantly.

“I know,” he said calmly, without any inflection. Inuyasha tried his nose. He wasn't very experienced with using his heightened senses in any direct way…his mother taught him many things, but she hadn't been able to teach him that. Though inexperienced, he could still pick out the similarities between the youth and his new father. Aside from that, he looked just like the man, differing only in the color of the stripes on his high cheekbones.

“You're my brother?” he asked finally. There was no response from him. “I…never had a brother before…what's your name?” The boy turned away from him silently, retreating into his room. Inuyasha could only stare on, bewildered. What had he done wrong? The boy then emerged, a light jacket thrown over his arm, and Inuyasha watched as he jogged lightly down the stairs, long hair bouncing slightly with his movements.

“The half breed's out,” he heard him say. Inuyasha panicked, and ran to his room, instinctually afraid of what would happen if his father found out…

He'd followed Sesshomaru. All the time. He supposed that was what all little kids did to their older siblings: followed them, asked them a million questions, and pestered them to no end. But in his case, there was no room for play. It was no joking matter. Sesshomaru ignored him completely, as thought he were a mere fly; annoying, but of no consequence.

Inuyasha had adored him. He would watch as he practiced his kickboxing on the dummy that sat on the patio in the backyard. He asked him to teach him as well. He bluntly declined.

“Why don't you like me?” Inuaysha got the nerve to ask one day after one of Sesshomaru's intensely long training sessions. He was ignored. Sesshomaru blotted the sweat from his brow with a towel and took measure sips of water from his bottle. Inuyasha tugged on the pant leg of his sweats. “Hey!” he shouted petulantly. “Why don't you like me?”

“Because you are the ignominy of this family,” the teen said coolly, shaking the child off. Inuyasha screwed up his face.

“What does `ig-noh-men-ee' mean?” Sesshomaru crouched in front of the boy and looked him straight in the eye.

“It means that you're a disgrace. An embarrassment. You humiliate Father and me with your presence. You bring shame to this family. And if it weren't for you, Father would not have fallen into the depression that he has.”

“But—“

“There are no buts. That's all. You shame us. Do you not understand that? Do you not know that you were an accident? That you aren't supposed to exist? And that because of you, everything is ruined? Did you know that?”

Inuyasha could only shake his head, no.

“And now,” Sesshomaru said, standing. “You do. So don't forget your place in this house, Half-breed, is a low one. You aren't above the vermin that ravage the forest.”

Inuyasha stood there shaking.

“But…but…I'm just like you!” he exclaimed, trying not to cry. “I…I look like you and Dad! I'm a dog-demon too—“

“No!” Sesshomaru exclaimed, and it was the most emotion Inuyasha had yet to see from the teen. “No, you are not. You are a half-breed. You are a mistake. An abomination. You do not personify a true dog demon in the least, so do not make the fatal mistake of thinking that you do. You just remember that your mother was a human whore that tore this family apart, and you should get along just fine. So long as you remember your place.” And with that, Sesshomaru glided into the house, leaving Inuyasha alone.

Inuyasha remembered the confusion that knocked around in his head after that. `A mistake?' he'd thought. He couldn't stop the tears that slipped down his cheeks and collected under his chin. Sesshomaru's words were biting.

His mother had never mentioned anything about him being a mistake…then again…she'd lied about his father as well. Looking back, he supposed she'd lied about his father to protect him. When he began to wonder why she'd tell him such lies when they would eventually meet, he had to remind himself that she probably never intended for them to meet…at least not when he was still so young. She'd planned on being there for him always, so that he wouldn't have to meet his father, and see the hate that the man truly harbored for him.

But she hadn't planned on being murdered.

Author's Notes:

Dang, I didn't expect that chapter to be that long….whew! I just get to writing sometimes, and I can't stop…

Sorry, no 2 chapters this weekend—I had to work ALL DAY yesterday! But that's okay. More money more money.

I'm kind of shaky on the Sango-Miroku part, and I really don't know if I can fit Shippo in here without it being kind of weird and disjointed…but I think the Sesshomaru/flashback part turned out nicely. I like at least. Let me know if you did! (wondering if I was a bit over-the-top with the sperm-egg insult…meh…I dunno. It seemed Sesshomaru-ish—you know, the type: when they get you, they really get you…He seems like the `go for the jugular type.)

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