InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Through the Rose Colored Lenses ❯ Sweet Kisses and Deadly Sits ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: Inu Yasha is NOT MINE!!!!!!!! He belongs to Rumiko Takahashi

P.S. I HAVE NO $$$$$ SO DON'T SUE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Through the Rose Colored Lenses CH. 4

By Sailor Scribe

Kagome sighed as the baby behind her began to cry. Even in first class there are annoying cry babies. She turned around surprised to find a three-year-old boy rubbing his head while wailing. His mother was rubbing his back whispering encouraging words trying to calm him. "Hi there," Kagome began with a smile. The little boy looked up to her with his big blue eyes and surprised face. Though he was sniffling and tears kept running down his rosy cheeks. "What happened big guy?"

"The mean tway hit me on ma head." He sniffled.

"Wow, sounds like it hurt!"

"It did!"

"Wow, I guess you deserve a price for being so strong." She picked at her stash of in-flight candy she had bought at the duty-free before leaving Japan. "How about a peanut butter granola bar?" The kid looked up to his mother and she smiled in approval. He moved his hands from his golden curls revealing a nasty bump to take the piece offering now that the pain was forgotten.

"You're good with children." Kagome raised her eyes to look the baby's mother, who met her with a warm smile. "Have any yourself?"

"No, not yet." She replied as the woman moved her blonde locks from her topaz eyes.

"When is the date?" She asked indicating to Kagome's ring with a movement of her head.

"September 25th…it's the anniversary of the day we met."

"That is so sweet."

"Mami, the wap'r won't open fo' me!" The mother turned her attention back to her child, and Kagome turned into a more comfortable position. So much had happened between her and her true love since the first day they had met, she had never thought the day he would propose would come. They had faced adversity from so many different angles, but in the end, their love prevailed. She took out a piece of banana laffy-taffy and thought back to the first time she had had an engagement ring on her finger. She laughed lightly, those were the days when the tides were beginning to turn. Her life faced new adversity, but never had she received so much support: almost as if her mother and father had found a way to intervene in her life. She laughed again thinking of that first ring…

"Oh, Koga…it's perfect!" Kagome exclaimed as Inu Yasha followed her to the door. His ears twitched at the sound of a distasteful name, but he reminded himself it could not be the same person. "What are the chances that my biggest rival is somehow connected to the newest nuisance in my life?" He thought as he stopped a couple of feet from the girl. Kagome stepped out of the way allowing a handsome young man dressed in polo jeans and an untucked black shirt into the house. His cobalt eyes met Inu Yasha's amber ones. "Apparently higher than I thought." He growled to himself.

"Inu Yasha?" Koga greeted distastefully as he quirked an eyebrow.

"Koga." Inu Yasha acknowledged with equal distaste.

"Oh, Koga…I've never seen anything that shines this much!" Kagome turned admiring the way the diamond acted like a prism as the light hit it.

"Apparently you have never seen your face." Inu Yasha countered but froze as he took the ring on Kagome's engagement finger. It wasn't the mere size of the rock that caused his breath to get caught in his throat causing a painfully burning sensation, but the realization of who had put it there. "That is just what I need! My biggest rival and my biggest pain married! What have I done to deserve this?" He wondered as Koga defended Kagome from his insult. She seemed too fix on the ring to notice anything else.

"Wimpy Wolf." Was Inu Yasha's default response, and for the first time Kagome took notice of his presence.

"You two know each other?"

"Unfortunately." Both replied in unison.

"Koga!" Souta ran from the kitchen and greeted Koga like the faithful greet their god.

"Yo Shrimp! How's it going?"

"Keh!" Inu Yasha suddenly felt very out of place there and was about to make an excuse to leave when Kagome motioned everyone into the kitchen while taking off the ring. He held on a bit longer, she might just reject Koga. That thought put a smile on his face. "How good a boyfriend could he be anyway?" He thought as a sudden realization hit him.

"Oi, Kagome, you lied to me." The thought of stirring up trouble seemed to lighten his mood as he took his place in front of Koga. He wanted front row of the fireworks when they happened.

"Oh, how so?" Kagome asked confused. Souta rushed to Koga's side trying to take in as much of him as he could.

"You said you didn't have a boyfriend."

"What are you talking about Inu Yasha?"

"Earlier today, you said you didn't have a boyfriend." He said innocently. "Though I can understand why you wouldn't want to admit that your boyfriend would be stupid enough to let you work nights, but that's just like Koga."

"You work nights?" Koga rose to attention.

"Koga isn't my boyfriend." Kagome laughed as she suddenly realized Inu Yasha's ignorance of the situation. She slipped the ring box back to Koga, and smiling told him,

"We had a late night emergency. Very rare."

Inu Yasha looked at the two confused. Koga seemed content with her answer and did not acknowledge that the box had changed hands. She had just refused him, dumped him, and belittled him in public, and he was taking it like if she had given him a peck on the lips. This out of character display of emotions from the wolf had Inu Yasha confused. She turned to Inu Yasha, and with an amused smiled continued, "I'm just helping him arrange his proposal to Ayame."

"Ayame? The cute red-head with green eyes you took to the awards ceremony last year?"

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" Koga smirked with the hint of challenge in his eyes.

"I could have sworn that she had some brains…guess not if she is still with you." Koga growled in defense and Kagome hit him in the back of the head with an oven mitt as she put the food on the table.

"Be nice boys, or no dessert. Oh, I forgot the drinks." Kagome turned around back to search her fridge.

"Yes Inu Yasha, be nice, and show some manners; take your hat off at the table, DOG boy."

"Right after you grace everyone with your death!" Inu Yasha growled.

"You have no manners!"

"Well, since he is a half demon, he wouldn't need manners." Souta reasoned out loud as Kagome dropped a jar of orange juice on the floor. The shattering glass introduced the uncomfortable silence that followed. Kagome cursed under her breath: Her brother talked too much, and she talked too much to her brother. "Are you O.K. sis? You didn't cut yourself did you?"

"No, I'm fine." But her voice was shaky. "Damn, just my luck. He knows, I know." She heard the chair behind her move, and she held her breath hoping someone would break the silence.

"Not only are you an awful photographer, but you are a klutz as well." Inu Yasha sighed as he leaned down to help her pick up the pieces of the glass jar, his signature smirk on his face. Her hands were shaking as she sensed his youkai aura getting stronger. It was unmistakable at this point. The glass cut her hand bathing itself in crimson.

"Inu Yasha?" she mouthed a little less than a whispered.

"What, miko?"

"How long have you known?" She asked surprised.

"Since I saw you're eyes for the first time. They truly betray you. How about you?"

"When I pushed you into the pool, I noticed your ears then…It all fell into place." She said regaining control.

"Oi wentch, don't you know how to keep yourself out of trouble. I swear, you and all your accidents are going to be the end of me." He took her hand on his and slowly removed the rather large piece of glass. "I know my brother is somehow going to blame it on me, which will lead to his nagging me until my ears burn off from his annoying voice." He took her to the sink and rinsed her hand. He was happy to see the cut wasn't as deep as the blood had suggested. She quickly wrapped it up and went for the mop and broom.

Koga, a little bored with the outcome of his bait, decided he needed to add more logs to the flame. Really, was it too much to ask for dog-boy to have his head bitten off by Kagome? "Oi, Inu-kuro, will you take off your hat now." Inu Yasha narrowed his eyes at him, but consented. Kagome gasped as she reentered the room. The broom and mop forgotten, Kagome, in a daze, walked up to the dog hanyou. He stared at her wide eyes with a questionable look. Suddenly she reached up and started to rub his ears.

"Me next!" Souta demanded as Koga broke into laughter.

"Get off wench!" Normally Inu Yasha didn't mind to have his head so close to a woman's breasts, but the thought that she had touched his ears in the way no one had since Kikyo left him…no he couldn't let her bring those memories back.

The conversation was lacking at first as an obese tension filled the kitchen. Inu Yasha was busy burying the memories of the other girl, while Koga was trying to find a way to get Kagome to snap at Inu Yasha. He knew from first hand experience that the girl did not beat around the bush in a confrontation. He was expecting her to explode at the wench comment, but instead she just backed away and lowered her gaze at the floor as if she had just been caught disobeying her mother. He looked over to her as she moved the food around her plate lost in thought.

"How could I've been so rude?" Kagome questioned herself. "Like working with him wasn't hard enough! Why did I have to touch his ears…damn, the way he reacted was the same way Sango does when Miroku touches her butt…Wait, what if that touch has the same implications? Can you say sexual harassment?" She sobbed in her head as her brother stared at her. He then shifted his gaze towards the rest of the group.

"What's the big deal?" He wondered. "OK, Kagome is embarrassed, but the rest of 'em have no excuse. Especially not Koga!" the thought gave him an idea. "Hey Koga!"

"What shrimp?"

"Guess what I did today. Give up? Inu Yasha taught me some neat tricks to how to block, so I might get to be goalie yet!" Souta perked up not allowing the wolf time enough to answer his question.

"Like dog boy knows anything about soccer!"

"He does to! He's really good too!" Souta defended.

"Yea Koga, don't forget who won the last company game!"

"You beat Koga-kun?" Souta's eyes glowed with heighten respect.

"I creamed him!"

"You cheated!"

"I did not! You are just a sore loser!" Inu Yasha stood up his fists firmly planted on the table as he hovered over Koga growling.

"And you are a sore winner!" Koga moved to match his opponent. Souta watched with wonder thinking,

"This is better than Monday Night Sumo Wrestling!"

"Sit!" Inu Yasha plummeted to the ground as Kagome turned to Koga and with one look she had him scurrying back into his seat.

"Wow!" Souta thought as he recognized the light around Inu Yasha's neck, "Kagome is stronger than those two! I knew I had a cool big sister! Still, Inu Yasha must be more powerful than Koga if she used a spell to subdue him. Koga went down with just one glare. How disappointing! I was right to prevent him dating Kagome: He is not strong enough to protect her if something ever happened to me."

Inu Yasha jumped up growling at both Kagome and Koga. Kagome was expecting this so she soothed him the same way she stopped Souta's temper tantrums. "Inu Yasha, would you like seconds or are you ready for dessert?"

"Dessert?"

"Ice Cream Sundaes."

"I could use a little more before dessert." He decided he wanted both, and forgetting his anger began to eat the large helping Kagome put on his plate. She then turned to Koga and changed the subject.

"I got the locale all set up for Saturday. They place has been closed for years, but the gardens are gorgeous."

"What about the song?"

"I found the old band leader, but the band is no longer together. He did agree to lend me the music to that song you wanted as long as we used the new band he is promoting."

"That should work. What about the food?"

"All taken care off. Did you remember to get the flowers?"

"Off course."

"Oi, what are you two talking about?" Inu Yasha asked right after he finished his food.

"Koga is planning to propose to Ayame where they first met."

"It was at her brother's wedding." Koga began smugly. "According to wolf tradition, the next woman in line for marriage from the groom must dance with the male next in line from the brides in order to promote another marriage that would balance the household powers. Since the bride had no male family, as the leader of her pack, I stepped in. I was shocked to find my dance partner didn't reach my waist. Of course the awkward situation caused teasing from the other children, and I as the gentleman that I am offered to marry her when she was older. I didn't see her again until three years ago when I was courting Kagome."

"Lucky for you that my sister didn't give you the time of day, huh Koga?" Inu Yasha began to laugh, and Koga growled in response.

"Well, I could sense that I wasn't Koga's soul mate, and when I met Ayame…I knew those two were meant to be. I spent about six months getting them together but it was worth it."

"But Sis, I thought the reason you fixed those to up was to get Koga to leave…"

"To get Koga to realize who his true soul mate was." Kagome interrupted sending Souta a glare that spoke volumes.

"Who cares how it started? The important thing is how it is going to end!" Koga continued. "I am going to marry the most beautiful wolf maiden that ever graced this Earth, and Inu Yasha is still single."

"Keh, you couldn't get me to commit if my Demon powers depended on it."

"Typical male!" Kagome sighed as the two demons started arguing again.

^**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

The rising sun's rays weakly penetrated the windows indicating Inu Yasha had not slept at all. He would soon have to go and pick up Kagome, but it was that same girl that kept him awake. He sat on his bed, head down cast, hands clutching a small wooden box, and eyes void of all emotion. It had been a long time since he had seen that box, since the need to feel her presence again had surged throughout his body, but that woman…his brother's prodigy girl, she had done it. She had brought the memories of Kikyo back into his head. "Why Kagome?"

He had not fully realized it at first, probably because he had not taken the time to look at her eyes, but tonight, when he held her as the water was poured around them, there was nothing to see but her eyes. Her blue pools beckoned him into her soul, seduced him into looking deeper than the skin, until he saw a beautiful vibrant pink soul. A soul he had known so well…the one that had been promised to him in exchanged of his own. The one Kikyo stole in her departure.

"They share the same soul, but they are not the same person." He concluded as memories of Kikyo's soft tempered words returned to him. He opened the box and pulled out a picture of the shrine maiden that had subdued the demon in him years ago. He smiled as the memories returned to him: the walks in the park; the star gazing nights; his ring upon her finger; their union blessed; the white sheet covering her face. Cancer had taken her away from him hours after their marriage. They both had known the end was near, but neither wanted to face it. They were going to live out their time together to the fullest, too bad the gods had given them so little.

Now, fifty years later, she was here. She walked right up to him, declared her independence of him, and he had not even recognized her. No. That was a lie. From the beginning he had known on some level who she was. His dislike of her stemmed from the familiarity of her face, and yesterday…he spoke of youki traditions without a blink of the eye. Subconsciously, he knew she would understand. "I wonder if she realizes she gave herself away sooner than she thought." At the time, he had not noticed it, but now he understood, he had always known, and he would always know where Kikyo's soul was. He looked down at the black and white aged photograph of the young beauty in her miko robes underneath the same god tree he had kissed her for the first time. How much had the shrine changed in fifty years! How much had her soul changed as well! He examined the time and decided that it was time to pick up the wench. "One thing is for sure, the bitch is nothing like her! She isn't the woman I once loved!" He declared returning the box to its hiding place underneath his bed. "And there is no way in hell that I will fall in love with her either!"

^**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

Kagome came out of Kaede's store ready to run and pick up Souta, when a beautiful convertible parked across the street caught her eye. She settled on her bike as she admired the car from afar. "Wow, a Cadillac Roadster! Now that is a car I can make sweet love to…Ohhh, platinum white with black leather! I bet you it has all the fixings inside as well! Now tell me your daddy is as sweet as you, babes!" Kagome strained her eyes to try to catch a peak at the guy behind the wheel with the black baseball cap. "Oh, yuck grey hair! A green old man with a hot ride trying to pick up girls! How disgusting!" Kagome sighed and pulled out of her parking space.

Inu Yasha let out a breath of relief. "That was close! What was the bitch doing there any how! Doesn't she ever do anything right. Thank Kami she didn't recognize me!" Inu Yasha made his way into the store, walked past the only customer that happened to be staring at charms for hair loss. One look at his receding hairline and Inu Yasha laughed to himself, "there isn't a charm powerful enough for that guy's problem…You would think Maten would have given up by now." Inu Yasha jumped the counter and walked to the back room.

"Inu Yasha, I have been expecting ye!"

"Kaede, as sharp as ever I see."

"In a profession such as my own, there is no choice but to remain sharp!"

"It's been a while."

"Aye, it has."

"You know why I am here?"

"The girl...my honored sister's reincarnation." Inu Yasha was taken back by Kaede's forwardness and remained silent for a moment before proceeding.

"They are not the same woman."

"No, but Kikyo-sama and Kagome-sama share the same soul. One that was freely offered to ye, and which ye has held for fifty years."

"What are you saying old hag?"

"Watching over ye, my honored sister has been…for fifty years now."

"Don't start that 'you two can be together' crap again!"

"I do not believe, Inu Yasha, that my sister was reincarnated to fulfill a love story."

"No? Then enlighten me!"

"To take care of you, for ye are doing a horrible job of doing that."

"What are you rambling about?"

"Ye have thy fill of women and sake…ye live irresponsibly and thy temper is at its worst. Kikyo-sama would allow no harm to come to the holder of her soul, or the bearer of the soul she cares for."

"Keh, I want you to understand this old hag: I am not, nor will I ever fall in love with that bitch just because she holds your sister's soul!"

"Aye, Inu Yasha, I know. Ye be a fool to do that! Kikyo-sama and Kagome-sama might share the same soul as they walk upon this Earth, but they are different people, and though your souls will yearn to be reunited, your personalities will clash. My beloved sister would never ask of thy love, she would earn it." She finished the last part to herself, but Inu Yasha manage to hear it and became uncomfortable in the silenced that followed.

"But that isn't why I came!" He finally spoke again.

"No, the subduing spell brought ye to my company."

"Yeah, how dare you give that thing to Kagome…I mean after two weeks of working with her, I can't take it anymore! If I get sit one more time, I will have made a tunnel to America! The bitch is trigger happy, and the damn freaking word is too common! About a third of the sits were accidental!"

"With thy reputation as a womanizer and thy ability to kill a field of lovely flowers with your anger, I thought it best to give the rose thorns to defend herself. My apologies, Inu Yasha."

"If you're truly sorry, you would remove this." He growled holding on to the rosary.

"My apologies, Inu Yasha, but Kagome is the only one that can remove it."

"But the bitch won't do it!!"

"Then, there is nothing I can do!"

"Yes there is! You can give me a subduing spell for her! That would make it fair!"

"Inu Yasha, I cannot entrust ye with that kind of power. Ye will be sure to kill her the first day. She does not possess thy healing abilities nor thy youki strength."

"Damn it! Then give me something that will have the same effect without plummeting her to the ground!"

"As ye wish, Inu Yasha." The old woman stood up and walked out the room. "Please come with me." She let him to the jewelry display. She removed a silver necklace with a milky-pink ball pendent. "Give this to her, and ye shall have the desired effect."

"What is it?"

"An old lost jewel…most believethis to be the best replica made, but trust in this old woman when she tells you it is the original."

"Doesn't look very powerful."

"Put it around her neck and thou shall notice a difference."

^**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

"Kagome, where do you want these props?" LB asked as she juggled a box full of fake fox furs.

"Around the back…Did security tell you if Inu Yasha is on the lot again?"

"Private Kirei Ko is clearing him as we speak…if you ask me that translates to Inu Yasha and Miroku playing cards with the soldiers here on the base while we girls do all the work."

"Watch it wench, I heard that!" Inu Yasha shouted as he came up behind her. "And where the hell is my coffee?"

"The ash tray wasn't full enough for me to make coffee with!" She huffed as she walked away.

"Hey," He turned to Kagome.

"I set up the background and Sango is almost ready. We needed to switch the lights because they were just not working…"

"Yeah, yeah, listen, I have something for you."

"My pink slip?" She asked raising her eyebrow.

"No," he put his most charming smile on. "You managed to survive to work with me for two full weeks…I can't think of any other of my brother's prodigy kids that did that, so I want to give you something." He pulled out a black velvet box.

"Inu Yasha?" She took the box with shaky hands. Inu Yasha smiled dreaming of the different curses that jewel could do. Kaede hadn't explained exactly what it did, but it had to be something as good as his rosary. "Oh Kami-sama! Inu Yasha…" Tears were spilling from her eyes as she had Inu Yasha put the necklace around her neck.

"How did you know?"

"Know?" He chocked, did she know what the jewel did…did she know how to protect herself from its power?

"Yes, how did you know I wanted this so bad?"

"Wanted-Kaede?"

"Oh Kami, Inu Yasha, you even thought of asking Kaede…that was amazingly thoughtful of you!" She hugged and kissed his cheek as she whipped away her tears. "Thank you so much Inu Yasha! This means so much to me." She hugged him again. "I'll - I'll get you your coffee…" She walked away desperately trying to control her tears.

"Damn, Yasha! Share your secret!" Miroku approached after the scene was over.

"I have no idea…Hey are we still going to the Three Legged Dog tonight?"

"Well, Sango wants to go to Diminuendo instead…It's Latin night."

"It's Lady's night at the Three Legged Dog, more chicks."

"Yeah, but the Three Legged Dog is a bar, chicks will be more casual. They will be in shorter skirts at the club." Miroku whined.

"You only want to go to Diminuendo because Sango wants to go!"

"Hey, at least I'm not asking to go to the Anime Turtle!"

"Because Sango would kill you if she caught you there again!"

"Yo, Inu!" LB approached with a hot cup of coffee. "I heard what you did to Kagome!"

"What did I do now?" He whined as he prepared himself for the bad cup of coffee. He nearly choked. "This is delicious…"

"And you deserve every drop."

"Inu Yasha!" Sango approached and gave him a long hug and a peck on the lips. "Have I ever told you how wonderful you are?"

"Ok, am I going to die, and no one knows how to tell me?" Inu Yasha asked quite confused.

"Who cares? Get your hands off my girl!"

"I'm not your girl, Miroku!" Sango rolled her eyes. "But if you wanted to change that you would need to take a few lessons from Inu Yasha." Miroku's jaw fell unflattering to the ground. "What you did, Inu Yasha, was wonderful. You've made Kagome so happy."

"What are you talking about? I only gave her a present."

"Yeah, but it was something she really wanted. She has been saving for it since high school, but there always seems to be another expense. I really thought Kaede would have given it to her as a graduation present, but I guess it was too expensive for her too. This shows you that it was meant for Kagome all along! No one bought it in eight years, and then one day out of the blue, you buy just for her…it's destiny." Sango kissed Inu Yasha again. "You are a doll."

"I asked for a subduing spell Kaede, not her favorite piece of jewelry!" Inu Yasha shouted into his cell phone.

"Ye asked for something that would have the same effect, and it will. Give it time Inu Yasha!" Kaede hung up the other line.

"Damn bitch!" Inu Yasha threw his cell phone across the set.

"You are tense!" Kagome smiled as she approached.

"No…" Inu Yasha stopped mid-sentence as Kagome began to rub his shoulders. "Kami-sama, that feels like heaven."

"You are much too kind. If you want I can start the shoot. Take a breath and cool off. It can't be healthy for you to be that stressed." She smiled as she walked away. He stared after her with a confused look on his face. Had she just been kind and sweet to him? His cell phone came flying back to him, and he caught it before it hit him in the face. He took one sniff.

"Thanks Miroku." He dialed the old number. "Kaede, what is the spell suppose to do." The old woman sighed in resignation.

"Get ye to behave kinder to Kagome of course!"

^**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

"It's been two days, Miroku, and they haven't quarreled yet."

"Yeah, Sesshomaru. Kagome seems to forgive everything Inu Yasha does. I'm telling you, that present he gave her really won her over. That, and he started calling her Kagome."

"I cannot believe this…it is not beneficial for my plan for them to get along." He thought to himself as they walked over to the couple. This was the last day of shooting, and if they were not arguing, he was sure Kagome would not produce those wonderful edgy shots. Her work had become dull and safe once again. For some strange reason, the anger fueled by Inu Yasha was translated by her camera as an explosion of sexual energy. Just what he needed to sell swimwear.

Besides, he decided as they approached the couple from behind, he really liked Kagome's work. He wanted her to grow, and with her his business, and it wasn't like his brother wasn't benefiting from the competition. With her, his work became more complex and sharp. He had unknowingly risen to a new level of sophistication. There was nothing else he could do. "I'm sorry little brother…" He concluded to himself as he pushed Miroku forward. Miroku, being the gentleman that he was, broke his fall by placing his hands on Kagome's lower back in order to steady himself. Kagome's head shot up, and by the time she turned to look behind her, Miroku and Sesshomaru were no where in sight.

"You groped me!" Kagome accused Inu Yasha.

"Huh?" he looked up to see her stormy eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Right now…you groped me!"

"Someone groped you?"

"It wasn't you?"

"No…why would I want to grope you? It isn't like you got a killer body like Sango…or that new model Sierra."

"I take it she is your flavor of the week?" She asked taking a defensive stance.

"Why? You jealous?" Inu Yasha took a step closer with his classic bad boy smirk.

"Please, I have nothing to be jealous about."

"Yeah, all you have to do is lose ten pounds and you would make a chubby model…could almost compete with them."

"Are you calling me fat?" There was something in that tone that sent alarms off in Inu Yasha's head.

"No, I'm just saying that you wouldn't be fat if you lost ten pounds." Since when did the strong hanyou listen to warnings?

"Inu Yasha," The jewel around her neck began to glow dangerously. "Sit." Inu Yasha crashed hard into the ground leaving a crater similar to the Grand Canyon in his wake.

Sesshomaru looked at the scene with pleased eyes, his face free of all emotions. "I knew I could always count on your mouth to get you into trouble, little brother."