InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Tomaru's Story 2: Prejudice ❯ Chapter 7

Dragonfly: Seriously… what is it about Warm-Ice's reviews that inspire me to toss out chapters left and right?

 

Tomaru: (shrugs) I'm not complaining.

 

Dragonfly: I thought you might over Warm-Ice-sama saying you're going to need luck.

 

Tomaru: Keh! I don't need no luck! (puffs out chest) I'll just lay on my irresistible charm and they'll both be drooling at my feet.

 

Dragonfly: You don't need charm. Just twitch those ears.

 

Tomaru: Silence about the ears, wench!

 

Dragonfly: (glares) You want me to write both Haruko and Niji out of this? It wouldn't be hard… I never said that Niji was attracted to you. And Keiji needs a mate, you know… I'm sure Haruko would find him much more handsome and charming than you…

 

Tomaru: Over my dead body!

 

Chapter 7

 

Tomaru managed to get his raging hard-on to die down so that he could head back to the dining area and join his siblings for the usually chaotic first meal of the day. And then later the usually chaotic second meal of the day… and then the always catastrophic evening meal. He sighed, smiling. He may gripe about his siblings, but in truth, he adored every last one of them, adopted or natural.

 

He walked into the dining room once more and took his normal seat at the opposite end of the table that his father had occupied. Sesshoumaru and Kagome had already eaten and the two youngest had not yet appeared. He was, for the moment, alone with an entire table full of fruits and other breakfast items.

 

Picking up an apple and ignoring his youkai's protest for the ramen Kagome had “invented” during her first pregnancy and occasionally served to her family, he bit into it with a loud snap.

 

Delighted giggling preceded a small silver and pink blur that was his youngest sister, Haya, as she ran into the dining room, followed closely by Komichi, who was dressed in a light blue haori and grey hakama. At least, that's what Tomaru thought his younger brother was wearing- the young imp was moving lightning fast.

 

The two siblings hid behind a rather large fabric wall-hanging that Kagome had purchased years ago when she and Sesshoumaru had first become mates (and had immediately begun decorating the nearly-empty castle).

 

“Now, where could those two rascals have gone?” an innocent voice called out. “Have they vanished completely into thin air?”

 

Tomaru froze, his fangs embedded in the apple as he went to take his second bite.

 

Haruko, lovely as ever, entered the dining area and immediately espied the two pairs of feet hiding behind the wall-hanging. She smiled brightly and the effect on Tomaru was immediate. She went from simply beautiful to breathtaking. He swallowed the chunk of apple.

 

She glanced at Tomaru and blinked those sapphire eyes in surprise and her smile fading. “My lord,” she acknowledged with a bow. “Forgive me- I was just playing with the children…”

 

“Those rapscallion siblings of mine? Children?” He gave her a grin. “I would liken them more to little monkey youkai rather than inu hanyou pups.”

 

“Oi!” Komichi grumped as he came out from hiding behind the wall-hanging. “I am not a pup!”

 

Haya stepped out from the other side and did her best big-brother-Tomaru impression on her cherubic face. “Haya not pup neither.”

 

“Exactly. Little monkey youkai. Like I said.”

 

Komichi let out an irritated-11-year-old howl and launched himself at his older brother. Haya, not about to be outdone, followed, albeit giggling with delight. Haruko, watching as the inu prince feigned fright and allowed himself to be tackled by his youngest siblings, allowed herself a smile. He's very good with his siblings… not at all the cold, calculating dog from earlier.

 

This… is a new development.

 

“Haruko-nee-san? You come play dolls with Haya?”

 

Haruko looked down, not letting the surprise of the 5-year-old calling her “sister” show on her lovely face. She knelt down so she was almost eye-level with the little girl. “Are you sure you're done tormenting your brother?”

 

Haya nodded, her dark brown eyes as serious as one so young could get. “Toma no play dolls with Haya if others are `round,” she whispered confidentially.

 

Haruko's sapphire eyes widened slightly. “Tomaru… plays dolls with you?”

 

Haya nodded, her little silver dog ears flopping slightly with the movement as they weren't completely upright yet. “But don' tell no one, `kay?” she whispered loudly. “He's s'posed to be the next tai-yoo-kai. Papa said it'd be bad if people knew he played with me.”

 

The lovely inu-hime understood completely. Tomaru was the heir to the Western Lands- if it became known that he indulged his youngest sister in this manner, he would become a laughing-stock. Not to mention the effect it would have on his subjects later…

 

Haruko winked at the little girl. “This will be our secret, then.”

 

Haya flashed a bright smile that melted Haruko's heart. She giggled.

 

Tomaru walked over, Komichi flung over one shoulder as if he were a ceremonial pelt and just as light as one. “What is that imp telling you now?” he asked the female inu.

 

Haruko gave him a mysterious smile that sent shivers over his skin. “Secrets.”

 

Haya nodded importantly. “Yup. Girl secrets.”

 

Trying to ignore the grumblings of his youkai, he raised an intrigued eyebrow at Haruko. “Girl secrets? Kami forbid that girls should have any more secrets. You're mysterious enough without them.”

 

Haruko lowered her chin slightly and looked up at him at just the right angle to get Inuyasha cursing inside Tomaru's head. “Surely I am not mysterious, Lord Tomaru.”

 

Blasted wench! If I didn't know any better…

 

You don't. Face it, old man, you don't. Neither Kikyou or Mother ever flirted with you, so leave this subject to me!

 

Keh… fine. Don't say I didn't warn you when you fall flat on your ass.

 

It's your ass now too, Uncle Yasha.

 

Komichi took that moment to whack Tomaru upside the head- and right against a sensitive ear. Tomaru let out a yelp and dropped the youngster, who landed on his feet more like a cat than an inu and ran out the door, sticking his tongue out at his older brother before disappearing. Haya followed, yelling at the black-haired pup for hurting her Tomaru.

 

Tomaru held his abused ear as his entire being simply shuddered. His ears were so sensitive- yet another reason he hated them- and when Komichi hit him… Blast that whelp for being born with normal youkai ears!

 

Haruko acted on instinct. She quickly moved over to Tomaru's side- the side his aching ear was on- and placed gentle fingers on him. “Don't move… let me see if he tore your ear…”

 

Tomaru let out a muttered string of invective that nearly had Haruko chuckling. But the feeling of his velvety soft ear against her bare hands had a strange heat tingling across her skin.

 

His silver ear, so like yet unlike her own, was starting to swell slightly and there was, indeed, a slight tear near the base of the appendage, which was starting to bleed. Haruko let out an unladylike curse of her own. “There are times when human blood is a curse, is it not?” she murmured as she smoothed the silver strands away from his ear automatically so she could see the injury better.

 

Tomaru grunted softly, trying to concentrate on her words and not her actions. The feel of her gentle hands on his hair, on his super-sensitive ears… he clenched his teeth in an effort to stem the tide of delightful reaction she was creating. He reminded himself he didn't much like the girl. “Wish he had torn the damn things off,” he muttered.

 

Haruko blinked her sapphire eyes at him, even though he wasn't looking at her. “Tear them off? Your ears? Whatever for?”

 

He scowled at the floor. “Never mind. You wouldn't understand.”

 

The female inu growled oh-so-softly and moved directly in front of him and glared into his gold eyes. “What makes you think I wouldn't understand? In case you hadn't noticed, I'm a hanyou as well. You think you're the only one to suffer because your ears mark you as hanyou?” she snarled, her previous concern for his injury forgotten. “You think that your pampered, Kami-given position is so horrible? Try being born a female in a male-biased world. You've never had to watch your father beg and plead with youkai after youkai to marry his only child because her human blood disgusts them. Because they don't want to taint their bloodlines. Because I'm an abomination.”

 

Tomaru glared right back. “Yet your father got his way, didn't he? You're marrying me in two months' time. You should be ecstatic to finally have someone accept you.”

 

Haruko bared her fangs at him, her silver bangs falling over her brow and nearly hiding the lavender crescent moon on her forehead. “You really are an egotistical bastard, aren't you? You honestly think you're Kami's gift to females… Well, your highness, I beg to differ! I'd rather be married to some bat youkai than you!”

 

“Be my guest!”

 

“I humbly apologize,” came a soft, airy voice. “I did not mean to intrude.”

 

Tomaru and Haruko both turned to see Kagetsuniji standing demurely in the doorway to the dining room, dressed in a very fetching pale gold kimono that set off her unique hair color perfectly. Her turquoise eyes were locked on Tomaru, who, in turn, completely forgot the other female he had been arguing with.

 

“Don't be,” he said calmly, smoothly, as if Haruko weren't even there. “It was an inconsequential discussion.”

 

“Discussion my tail!” Haruko hissed softly under her breath. “That was a full blown argument, baka.”

 

Ignoring her because his eyes (and his hormones) were focused on the lovely wolf youkai, Tomaru offered his hand to Niji and she allowed him to lead her to a seat at the table. He sat down next to her and proceeded to ask politely what she wanted to eat.

 

Haruko was inwardly seething but was calm and expressionless on the outside. Her sapphire eyes nearly turned to ice as she watched her betrothed practically drool all over the wolf maiden. She almost snorted, but managed to hold it in as she stalked from the room, her long silver hair fanning behind her.

 

Niji smiled shyly at Tomaru. “I was… surprised… to see you this morning, Lord Tomaru,” she murmured. “Your sisters had asked me to stay the night- I did not know that you were not aware I was with them.”

 

Keh… yeah right. And I'm a neko youkai.

 

Will you shut up? The girl of my dreams is right in front of me- the last thing I need is you talking to me!

 

I'm warning you pup… something doesn't smell right.

 

Probably you. Now shut up!

 

He gave her a smile that his father used only for his mother- and got nearly instant results from Kagome, as well. Niji, it seemed, was not entirely immune to it either. He caught a whiff of her scent- and it was beginning to get aroused. “Do not concern yourself, Kagetsuniji. Being greeted by your beauty was truly the greatest beginning to any day I've had.”

 

She flushed and he had to fight to control the rush of desire that resulted. “Arigatou, my lord,” she said softly.

 

He didn't take his eyes off her lovely face. “Where are my sisters?” he asked, even though he really couldn't care less.

 

Niji shrugged delicately. “They said something about a meeting with your mother. I did not wish to intrude, so I simply came here.”

 

Tomaru lifted one of her soft hands and brought it to his mouth. “And you don't know how glad I am that you did…”

 

From outside the dining room, watching silently, Haruko's sapphire eyes flashed crimson and her ears flattened against her head as she clenched her teeth together, baring her fangs in a silent snarl at the wolf who was flirting with the inu prince.

 

I may not like the haughty bastard, but he's still my betrothed! And no one takes what's mine!