Cherry Bomb by Asphy

Chapter 11

Disclaimer: The characters of InuYasha are not mine; they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

 =^.^=This is also a submission in Priestess Skye's Weekly Challenge Endin 12/20=^.^=

Two couples sat in the Tokyo apartment adorn in a loud clash of bright pinks and purples.  Kikyo sat on the sofa, while Inuyasha laid on it using Kikyo’s lap as a pillow.  Miroku and Sango were sharing the fairly new purple velvet beanbag chair, if sharing meant Sango sitting perfectly comfortable and Miroku clinging onto a sliver of the beanbag chair. 

The couples went out for dinner followed by some drinks.  Since it was raining outside they went back to Sango and Kikyo’s place to watch television, have a few more beers and hang out for a bit before calling it a night.      

“You know, if I known fondue was mostly bread and melted cheese, I woulda had a ‘real dinner’ before we went out,” Kikyo stated. 

Sango just rolled her eyes and muttered under breath something that was probably best left unheard.

“Wanna repeat that a bit louder…? Your loving and most obviously ‘stronger’ roomie didn’t quite hear you,” Kikyo asked, with a hard look directed towards Sango.

Sango’s face pasted with what looked like a petrified smile, responded in a singsong voice “Loveeee youuuu!”

“Uh huh” was all Kikyo said.

The guys decided to play it safe and just stay quiet.

Inuyasha’s cell phone began blaring its ‘My Milkshake Brings all the Boys to the Yard’ ring tone, ignoring the other’s WTF looks, Inuyasha shamelessly flipped open his cell phone and answered the call not even paying attention to the other three’s snickers.

“Yo!”  Inuyasha answered.

“Your brother is a fucking psycho, maniac!” 

“What the fuck? Who is this?” Inuyasha asked immediately getting defensive.

“It’s Kouga, your brother—” Kouga began but was sharply cut off by the hanyou.

“Half-brother, why are you calling me wolf?  Especially this late.” 

“I just woke up behind a bush, in a puddle of mud thanks to your douche-bag brother,” Kouga answered, ignoring Inuyasha’s correction regarding his relationship to Sesshomaru.

Kouga’s ranting was so loud, the others in the small Tokyo apartment could partially hear the conversation and kept their traps shut, hoping to hear more.

“Listen wolf-shit, you gonna just ramble on not making any sense or are you going to tell me why your in a muddy bush or whatever, and felt the need to call me and bitch me out about Sesshomaru?” Inuyasha asked blunt, he was becoming beyond annoyed.

Sango and Kikyo’s eyes both lit up at the sound of Sesshomaru’s name.

“On my way home from the office I passed by the University and happened to see Kagome, it was beginning to rain and as the gentleman I am—” Kouga was cut off for a second time by Inuyasha.

“Gentleman my ass, you mangy wolf.”

“Shut the fuck up, so I can fucking finish telling you!”

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at Kouga through the phone, “Continue asshole.”

“So I offered Kagome a ride home.  She’s totally into me, so of course she accepted.  Once we got to her house, I decided it was time to crank up the charm and bag the bitch,” Kouga said honestly believing it would have happened that easily.

“Feh, your so damn delusional, it’s scary.”

“Whatever, just as we’re about to start a hot make-out session your fucked up brother…excuse me your fucked up HALF-brother appears out of no where and pulled me out of my own fucking car!” Kouga said.

Inuyasha didn’t verbally respond, although the corners of his mouth slightly rose a bit. He waited for Kouga to continue, knowing the demon’s rant wasn’t over.

“I wasn’t expecting it, so that psycho totally caught me off guard and beat the shit outta me!”

Picturing this scene, Inuyasha started laughing not even trying to hide his joyful amusement.

“He totally freaked out Kagome, I’m sure in his beast state…”

This sobered Inuyasha’s laughter right away, he sat up from Kikyo’s lap to pay better attention to the wolf demon on the other line.

“…So after attacking me for no damn reason, guess what that crazy bastard did next? The motherfucker fucks her practically right in front of me! I passed out listening to that shit! I’m scarred for life!”

Inuyasha’s face formed a look of disgust, sure it wasn’t anything to imagine Kagome having sex, she was gorgeous, what revolted him, was envisioning Sesshomaru.

Inuyasha had to shake his head to clear his mind of the scene Kouga painted.

“Well you should have known Sesshomaru had something going on with Kagome, the girl reeks of him all the time now, he scent marks her every chance he gets, just short of spraying her. You’re a fool Kouga,” Inuyasha said with no compassion for the wolf demon whatsoever.

“Everyone knows I have a bad nose!  Especially in the rain!  Besides I flat out asked Kagome if she was involved with anyone and she didn’t say anything,” Kouga complained.

“I still don’t see how any of this is my problem wolf,” Inuyasha said.  He was getting tired of this conversation; he wanted to spend his evening with Kikyo and his friends, not as a counselor to the smell-challenged.  

“He broke my arm! And my car’s interior got soaked!” 

“Oh big fucking deal, Sesshomaru once broke my collarbone and dislocated my shoulder because he thought I drank milk straight from the carton, I didn’t even miss one day of work, and I’m a hanyou, would you just grow a pair already.”

“You better straighten out your brother half-breed or maybe I’ll reconsider our business arrangement—”

Inuyasha interrupted, “Listen wolf, don’t call me complaining about Sesshomaru, that’s between you two, I don’t wanna hear your bitching and moaning, and even though you should have figured this out already, but with you and your pea-sized brain…well…you never can tell, leave Kagome alone, she’s off limits.”

“I want my car detailed! It’s Italian leather for Kami’s sake—” Kouga started to whined.

That did it, Inuyasha snapped his phone shut, looked at it, took a deep breath and muttered, “What a pussy.”

Inuyasha looked up to see three sets of eyes staring at him obviously wanting to be clued in.  He inwardly cringed; this was not how he planned his night…

Before the hanyou could utter one word regarding the most idiotic phone calls he’s had lately, his dreaded phone rang again.

Hastily he answered it, “Listen asshole—”

“Such a predictable greeting from you, with your disregard of one superior to them.  Your uncultivated ways never seem to cease,” A deep voice on the other end coolly said.

“Oh it’s you, Sesshomaru,” Inuyasha said ignoring the insult.

“Indeed it is, this Sesshomaru calls to inform you that Kagura’s services will no longer be needed, she’s been replaced.”

“With who?” Inuyasha asked curiously.

“Her sister Kanna will take over the planning for the expansion, and you brother, have the duty of relaying this information to Kagura tomorrow,” Sesshomaru ordered.

“Kanna? Man, she is one creepy, ghostly lookin’ bitch…she freaks the hell out of me!”  Inuyasha said outwardly shivering.

“This Sesshomaru cares not, she is an acceptable replacement.  Do as your told.”

“Feh, fine whatever, I’ll let Kagura know she’s been canned.”

Inuyasha just couldn’t wait to tell the skank she got axed from probably one of the most lucrative projects she was ever assigned, sure, she’ll most likely have a fit, but it will be worth it in the long run.

‘I can’t wait to rub it in rubber-tit’s face,’ He thought.

“That is all for now Inuyasha,” Sesshomaru said preparing to end the phone conversation.

“Just a minute Sesshomaru, I heard you had a bit of a run in with our newest investor this evening.”  Inuyasha smirked knowing Sesshomaru hated it when he wasn’t direct.

Silence.

He continued knowing Sesshomaru was still on the line listening, “Listen, I don’t care what happened to Kouga, but Kagome, well I care what happens between you two.”

“This is no way any of your small mind’s business, watch yourself hanyou,” Sesshomaru’s baritone voice warned.

“She’s my friend Sesshomaru and that fucking makes it my business.  You better make sure you control yourselves with her Sesshomaru, she’s innocent to our ways, in more way than one,” Inuyasha stated, using the plural purposely.

“This Sesshomaru does not require, nor request your advice Inuyasha, this Sesshomaru is more then acquainted with how innocent Kagome is.”

‘Or not so innocent, thanks to his ‘selves’’, Sesshomaru mentally added.

Continuing he said, “Do not think to pry, and pray to Kami this Sesshomaru doesn’t sense threats in your words Inuyasha, you would not survive it.  Kagome is my concern and my concern only,” With that parting line, the phone went dead.

“Prick!”  Inuyasha huffed.

Inuyasha would never understand his brother.  He was still after all this time, so ‘old world’.  All the other yokai seemed to adapt to modern times easily enough, was his brother just this primitive demon refusing to evolve to the times?  Was he just an arrogant hardheaded pain in the ass?  He seemed to think the latter.  Old yokai mating traditions were just not practiced to this extent anymore.  Survival of the fittest, protecting what’s yours, centuries ago it was understandable to ‘claim’ a female, and posses her completely.  But the world had populated itself enough that there were plenty of females to pick from. 

Giving it more thought, Inuyasha pondered Sesshomaru’s actions, his behaviors in general.  Survival of the fittest huh?  Well nothing ever really threaten Sesshomaru’s survival once their old man past away, Sesshomaru was essentially the ‘fittest’ one thereafter.  Inuyasha finally came to a conclusion, hating to admit to himself; evolution didn’t skip Sesshomaru…Sesshomaru skipped evolution.

There was nothing that nature or time could have fixed, nothing about Sesshomaru was broken.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After his phone call with both Kouga and Sesshomaru, Inuyasha was enlightened to the fact that if he didn’t ‘spill the beans’ telling the two girls what had occurred on the phone it would be… um to quote Sango’s words exactly…“Death by torture”.  Man that chick can be scary.

So having to relive both phone calls, Inuyasha was unusually thoughtful to exclude the part about Sesshomaru and Kagome’s romp in front of the wolf yokai, in the outdoors, and if his timing was correct, in the pouring rain.  Although the girls were best friends, he didn’t think it was his place to share the knowledge, Kagome can do that herself if she wanted to, plus he wasn’t so sure that she was even aware that Sesshomaru and her had an audience.

Grabbing a beer and attempting to settle once again on his makeshift ‘Kikyo pillow’ there was a knock at the door.

Kikyo’s eyes met Sango’s who had a look of utter surprise.

“Wow, who could that be this late?”  Sango said.

“I don’t know, we weren’t expecting anyone,” Kikyo added.

Not even enough time to enjoy a forth of his beer in peace, Inuyasha looked over to see Miroku was past out on the floor. 

‘Useless.’

Sighing he said, “I better answer it, if you’re not expecting anyone at this hour. Stand back ladies…” He stood flaunting his ‘guns’ to Kikyo and Sango.

“Stand back ladies?  What are we defenseless damsels?  Haha Inuyasha…there’s this thing called a peek hole.  See, you look through it before you open the door, see someone you don’t want to let in, you don’t open the door,” Sango sarcastically educated the hanyou.

“Feh, whatever…”

Walking over to the door of the girl’s shared apartment Inuyasha reached for the doorknob and thought twice. 

Apparently Sango made him paranoid; he looked through the door’s peek hole.  There standing on the other side of the door was the ‘big and bad’ Rin!

Rin standing on the outside of her friend’s apartment patiently waiting for someone to answer the door, she was wearing a short black skirt, complemented with a silver-studded belt loosely hanging lopsided around her hips with a red and black buffalo-plaid button-down shirt half tucked in and half tucked out of her skirt, typical Rin decided to wear red converse sneakers with the outfit.   

Inuyasha noticed even through the peek hole Rin always seem so disinterested, this small girl’s personality was truly a secretive thing, a privilege to uncover and really get to know.  Hopefully one day he could earn that honor…oh yea and maybe actually beat her at one videogame!

Unlocking the door, Rin walked in without being invited and without an apology for the late visit, like it was a normal everyday occurrence.

The girls sitting in the living room looked to see it was her tiny friend and greeted her warmly. Rin inclined her head, looked up at Inuyasha, who was standing directly in front of her, and in one motion stood up on her tippy toes and gave a quick tweak of his soft puppy-dog ear, preceded to the couch where Kikyo was still sitting and laid on it, resting her head on Kikyo’s lap.

Inuyasha was shocked, totally dumbstruck.

‘Oh she’s good…’ He became thoughtful, ‘She planned this.’

Of course Rin’s entrance was strategically premeditated, just in order to steal and conquer his spot on the couch…

“Hey,” Rin finally spoke once she got comfortable on her friend’s lap.

Kikyo absently start playing with the younger girl’s thick hair, twirling loose curls around her fingers.

“Um hi Rin, it’s pretty late, how did you get here?”  Sango asked with an expression of amazement.

Looking up and the ceiling she answered like it was a silly question, “I walked.”

“From the dorms?  This late?  Rin are you crazy?  Were you drinking in your dorm again?  Are you… are you high?”  Kikyo asked thoughtfully looking at Rin, as if staring at her would reveal something.

Plainly answering the question and choosing to ignore the interrogation of whether she used narcotics, she said, “I didn’t walk here from the dorms, I walked here from Naraku’s place.”

Inuyasha finally found a replacement seat…on the floor propping his back against the foot of the couch, next to a snoring Miroku. 

He joined in the conversation, “Naraku’s huh? What were you doing at his place?”

“Trying to get some.”

“Get some…what…?” Kikyo asked eyebrows drawn together.

Not even taking a moment to pause, take a breath, or even blush, Rin not skipping a beat answered, “You know, some ass.”

Two high-pitched “What’s!?” Came out at once. 

“Wow, Inuyasha I never knew you could squeal like that,” Rin said her attention still fix on the ceiling.

“Wench you know that wasn’t me,” Inuyasha growled, not serious.

“I know.  I was making a joke,” Rin countered, with a monotone voice that one wouldn’t consider ideal for ‘joke telling’.

“Feh, very funny…”

“I thought so,” Rin agreed missing the sarcasm.

“Rin, don’t change the subject, what is this about you trying to ‘get some’ and with Naraku!”  Kikyo demanded.

“Well I was horny and thought Naraku would be willing to go all the way,” Rin answered, like it was nothing at all to be speaking of such things.

As if the word ‘horny’ was one of the many magical words that could activate lechery, Miroku instantly sprung awake, and sat up against the couch next to Inuyasha.

“Whoa, I must have dosed off for a second there, oh hi Rin…so um, what are we talking about?”  Miroku asked nonchalantly.

“What the hell?  You were fast asleep???”  Sango exclaimed.

“Perv,” Inuyasha added.

Inuyasha looked back over to Rin, “Why would you try to hook up with Naraku?  I mean he’s okay I guess, but I know you could do better; he’s not exactly a relationship kind of hanyou.”

“I know, that was part of the reason I pursued him, either way it doesn’t matter, because nothing happened, I reconsidered it at the last moment,” Rin answered.

“Do you want to tell us what happened?” Sango asked, seriousness in her voice.

“Yea I do, I guess seeing all of my friends with guys, made me feel left out, being the only virgin left.  Plus well I’ve been having all these thoughts about sex lately, all the time,” Rin answered completely, honestly and shamelessly. 

A single bead of sweat formed on the brow of Miroku, his face was flushed, and he looked like he was about to explode. 

“Awww our little Rinny is growing up, and having big girl feelings!”  Kikyo teased bending over and hugging her small friend tightly.

“Kikyo your boobs are suffocating me!” Rin bellowed trying to free her face from Kikyo’s bosom.

Miroku audibly swallowed.

Rin took a breath of air, “Anyways at Naraku’s, everything was going as I planned, I could tell he was sexually attracted to me, although I was having trouble getting use to his affliction with my neck and ass.  He also really likes to use ‘dirty talk’ a lot…”

Miroku shot straight up from his seated position on the ground, stammering, he began, “I um, I’m going to the quickie mart to go get…to go get more beer!” He declared, proud he could form the sentence.

“We have beer in the refrigerator babe,” Sango looked at him with an annoyed expression.

“We need more…much, much more…” Miroku said making his way on the front door, promptly exiting.

“Your boyfriend becomes uncomfortable easily,” Rin stated.

“Yeah, and with the nearest ass to grab being mine, he was in self-destruct mode,” Inuyasha added. 

“Oh don’t worry about him, he’ll wag his eyebrows the whole way to the quickie mart and get it out of his system,” Sango replied, waving a hand in the air, as if this lecherous meltdown was a common everyday occurrence.

Getting back on topic Sango continue, this time more serious, “Well I’m glad you didn’t do anything you might have regretted, I’m sure you’ll meet the right guy soon enough Rin, don’t try and rush what should happen naturally.”

Even Sango sometimes can give ‘good’ advice.

“Although Naraku, is pretty sexy in a dark forbidden kinda way…” Sango continued.

Scratch previous statement.  Sango has a one-track kind of mind.

“Well, doesn’t mattered, Naraku will defiantly not want to see me again, when he figured out that I had changed my mind and didn’t want to have sex, he pretty much called me a…um…oh yes, he called me a ‘cock tease’ and basically told me to get out of his house,” Rin said, she didn’t exactly sound regretful either.

“What an asshole,” Inuyasha commented.

Sango nodded with Inuyasha’s statement.

“Well thanks for allowing me to vent guys, I need to learn how to manage these ‘big girl feelings’ as Kikyo stated it so nicely, and not put myself in potentially bad situations,” Rin said.

All three friends nodded.

“No problem Rin, we’re always here for you like the good friends we are, just like you’re here for us incase we ever need anything…” Sango overstated.

Without pause Rin caught on to her friend. 

“What favor do you need to ask me?”  Rin asked looking at Sango.

“Oh I’m so glad you asked, nothing gets past you!  I need a big favor, Rinny, could you please, please, please pick up my younger brother Kohaku, from the train station, he’ll be arriving in a few days, but I’ll be at work.”  Sango playfully pouted sticking out her lower lip.

“I don’t mind.  Why’s he coming to Tokyo?”  Rin inquired.

“He’s coming to take a tour of the University you go to, he’ll be attending next fall.  He’s only a year younger than you,” Sango answered Rin with a twinkle in her eye.

“Why do you have that look on your face?”  Rin asked with suspicion.

“What are you talking about?”  Inuyasha asked Rin, taking a look at Sango to see what the small girl was talking about.

“Uh-oh” added Kikyo.

“That’s the same look you were giving Kagome before, anytime that you guys happen to be talking about your boss.”

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about Rin,” Sango said, lying poorly, with a ridiculous, cheesy smile on her face…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Heading downstairs early in the morning, following the fragrant and delicious smell of her gramps homemade sticky buns Kagome was greeted by her family. 

“Good morning everyone!”  She cheerfully announced walking into the kitchen.

“Hello there Kagome, so glad you could join us this early,” Her old and pleasantly wrinkling grandfather welcomed her.

Kagome smiled, “How couldn’t I?  You’d have to be dead to ignore that wonderful smell of homemade breakfast.” 

“Good morning dear.”

 Kagome’s mother walked over to where Kagome took her seat at the kitchen table, and gave her daughter a delicate kiss on the forehead. 

“What time did you get in last night Kagome?  Was it raining?  We had a terrible thunderstorm last night,” Kagome’s mother asked curious.

“Oh um, I came home pretty late, everyone was in bed already I guess,” Kagome answered.

“I was worried, I’m sure I heard animals fighting last night.”  Her mother said.

Turning beet-red Kagome quickly tried to calm herself before responding “Oh I didn’t noticed any animals in the shrine last night.”

‘Just a couple of yokai,’ She thought.

“I heard the growling too mama,” Souta, Kagome’s little brother stated, joining the discussion.

“I better set up those pest wards, I’ve been putting off,” Gramps stated.

“Oh Gramps let me help you!”  Said Souta getting excited.

“Of course I’ll let you help me, first we need to go out to the storage room, to gather our supplies…” Gramps started listing off directions, as he placed his dirty dishes in the sink.

“Come Souta lets get started!”

Cheerfully Souta gave his gramps an enthusiastic, “Okay!”

Kagome rolled her eyes mentally at her corky gramps and younger brother, as they left the room to prepare the ‘pest wards’; they were two of a kind. 

“So Kagome, you’ve been so busy lately I haven’t gotten the opportunity to speak to you, I miss talking to my daughter,” Her mother said looking at her. 

“I know school and work are really keeping my schedule filled up,” Kagome said happily, but on the inside felt as though she was neglecting her mother. 

She loved to spend time with her family; she’s been so preoccupied.

“How’s school, are you finding proper time to study Kagome?” 

Not wanting to lie, Kagome answered as honestly as she could, “I could be dedicating more time to my studies that’s for sure.  I’m gonna try to set-up more study dates with Rin to catch up.”

‘There that wasn’t too bad.’

“Speaking of dates…are you dating anyone Kagome?  You’ve been spending some much time outside of the shrine, I thought perhaps you got yourself a boyfriend,” Her mother asked trying not to sound too pushy, but the curiosity just oozed from her. 

The question nearly made Kagome’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head.

After willing her eyeballs to stay in their sockets Kagome, answered her mother, “Mama don’t be silly!  I’ve just been working long nights, that’s all.”

Guilt washed over Kagome, this is a flat out lie.  She had no problem telling her mother that she was dating someone, but she just didn’t know how to describe her relationship with Sesshomaru.  Sure, he likes to growl out ‘MINE!’ when they’re in the midst of passion. But was it just pillow talk?  Or was he serious?  Besides if Kagome confided to her mother that she was currently seeing someone and that someone just so happened to be her boss…her Inu-taiyokai boss, well lets just say she wasn’t quite up to it at this point.  She was plain chicken.

“Are you sure, Kagome? You know you can tell your mama anything.”  Her mother lovingly reassured her.

Smiling Kagome said, “Thanks mama, I don’t know what gave you that impression, but I’m just a busy college student.”

“I don’t know, I thought you had this glow that a young girl gets when she’s falling in love, I guess it was just motherly intuition, that happened to be wrong.  I guess even mothers can be wrong once in a while” Kagome’s mother playfully teased. 

“Oh mama…”

Kagome got up and kissed her mother lightly on the cheek and headed back to her room to get dressed for the day.

Still sitting at the shrine’s kitchen table Kagome’s mother slowly sipped wild-cherry green tea, looking out the window admiring the lovely day and pondering her daughter.

Kagome, her beautiful and only daughter, she was in love, it was plain to see. She had faith that her daughter would eventually open up to her.  She’ll give her the time to come to her.  Time was passing and her little girl was growing up into a proud woman, why would it be silly to think her Kagome had a special man in her life?  

“Mother’s intuition,” she said to the empty room.

She smiled to herself.

“Or maybe it’s the hickys all over your neck dear…” She whispered softly to no one…. 

=^.^= Finals are over! I hope everyone has a lovely holiday season. =^.^=

[Take Care.]