Forged Dreams by Aimee Blue

Old Faces

Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha.

Old Faces

Kagome was leery of letting Sesshoumaru into her home, and as she stood in the doorway with her arms outstretched to bar his entrance, her teeth worried her bottom lip and her eyebrows bunched together contemplatively.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him not to murder them all in their beds – Sesshoumaru was the sort of person who would see attacking a mostly defenceless group as cowardice – it was more that he made her feel like a bumbling teenager again. That, and the house was a mess after Shippo and Chouko’s late night magic tricks and pizza binging.

But, whilst she was lost in thought, Sesshoumaru had already slipped under her outstretched arm and waltzed right on into her house. Kagome rolled her eyes at his broad back; how very like Sesshoumaru to stride ahead instead of being led inside.

Darting to his side, she surreptitiously attempted to straighten the place up a little. Having her dirty laundry on show for Sesshoumaru, literally, was not something Kagome had ever conceived of as something that would happen to her. But now it was becoming reality.

“You really can’t stay here,” she forbade him, though it sounded a lot like she was pleading with him, “You have no luggage!”

Sesshoumaru continued to stride through the house, not even bothering to glance back over his shoulder, he bluntly informed her, “My luggage is in my car.”

Startled by this revelation, though perhaps a car was a more socially acceptable mode of transport that a fluffy cloud, Kagome serrupticiously peered outside through the little window. Indeed, he had brought his car; it was a giant, shiny, black monolith of an automobile and had drawn a crowd of local teenage boys to it, like wasps to honey. They circled it, not touching it as if they would sully its perfection, and speculated on the owner of such a vehicle in awed hushed tones. Kagome drew the curtains jerkily and hurled an uncharitable glare at the demonic intruder’s back.

The glare cooled considerably as she watched him stare at a picture of Chouko’s that she’d framed and hung on the wall. It had won the girl an art prize at school and she was hugely proud of it.

At last, he turned back to look at her, some guarded emotion flickering in his eyes as he casually inquired, “You have adopted yet another stray, Miko?”

Kagome would have bristled at his somewhat callus words had it not been for the minute tightening of his eyes. The casually mocking tone he employed was not reflecting of the turmoil she knew he must be feelings.

“I’m not the only one who used to pick up strays,” she cajoled lightly, hands settling on hips mock-sternly, “You were just as bad as me.”

“Hn.”

“How noncommittal of you,” Kagome niggled exasperatedly; seriously Inu and their grunts! She despaired at their warped communication skills, Inuyasha had been the same even though he’d favoured striking a different note than that of his brother.

Sesshoumaru taped gently against the glass, the clink of claw meeting glass a subtle reminder that whilst hidden, he still retained his animalistic deadliness.

Kagome smiled indulgently at the... wistful expression on his face. You had to concentrate... and squint just right to see it, but Kagome liked to think it was there. “Chouko is my adopted daughter, and, yes, she drew that. Won a competition actually.” Tilting her head to one side, she queried innocently, “Do you like it?”

Sesshoumaru blinked as if startled by the inquiry and he flung her a look of irked surprise before turning his gaze back to the picture. “It is not displeasing to the eye.”

Chuckling into her hand, Kagome responded kindly, “High praise indeed.”

A crease developed between Sesshoumaru’s eyes that she inexplicably found adorable, though she’d never dare to tell him so. Puzzled, he looked puzzled; as if he didn’t know quite how to respond to jokey banter.

“Kagome-neechan!” a cheerful voice bid as a steady patter of footsteps against floors became apparent.

The sliding door slid back roughly and Chouko took a turn as if to tumble as she stepped on the hem of her kimono. But before an impact with the floor could be made, her shoulder was caught by Sesshoumaru and he very carefully righted her.

“Thanks, Onii-chan,” she chirped, beaming up at him toothily, not seeming to mind in the least that he was staring at her as if shell-shocked.

“Chouko-chan!” Kagome remonstrated carefully gathering the girl into her arms a safe distance away from Sesshoumaru; he looked like he was liable to explode.

Chouko, either oblivious to the edgy undercurrent in the room or adept at ignoring such things, ploughed straight on into what she wanted to say. “Look!” she bid Kagome, holding up her palm proudly, “I fell over,” she explained, when she saw Kagome’s baffled look at the bandage across her palm, “but Ken-kun’s Mama gave me this bandage, isn’t it good?”

Kagome grinned at the little girl, who now sported two butterfly bandages on each hand where she’d skinned her palms. “You didn’t go out to play in your kimono, did you?”

Chouko shook her head adamantly. “Last time I did that I ruined my favourite,” she pointed out, “but Mama, you’re missing the point!”

“I am?” Kagome asked wryly.

“Yeah,” Chouko remonstrated, “Ken-kun’s mama said that it was especially for me because I’m a butterfly child!”

“That is your name,” Kagome admitted indulgently.

“You gave me my name, right mama?”

Tugging gently on the sloppy side ponytail her daughter wore, Kagome nodded. “Because when I first brought you home you chased the shadows of the falling leaves on the paper doors; you were as energetic and erratic as any butterfly. Plus you would chase the butterflies around the garden given half the chance... and then you ate them.”

“No way!” Chouko denied, aghast, “but I love butterflies, there’s no way that happened mama.”

“It’s true!” Kagome vowed, “And maybe you love butterflies now, but back then you loved the taste of them more.”

Chouko made a face and stuck her tongue out. “Ew, no way.”

Giving her daughter the once over, she noted that the girl was wearing her wellington boots instead of her usual sandals or trainers. “You making a fashion statement.”

Preening and pointing her toes in her wellington boots, Chouko nodded. “Shippo-oniichan said he’d take me fishing, but that I had to get wellington boots and ask you.”

“Sure, rustle us up something good for tea,” Kagome allowed and was rewarded with a quick peck to the cheek before the girl scampered back to the door. In the threshold, she paused to glance back at their visitor. “Bye, Onii-san!”

Sesshoumaru merely nodded and continued to stare at the place she had been for a long time after she had disappeared.

Kagome wrung her fingers anxiously. “Sesshoumaru?”

Blinking for the first time since the girl had entered the room, he simply uttered. “Rin.”

Kagome smiled sadly, knowingly, and indicated that he should take a seat. “I’ll make us some tea.”

Kagome noted that whilst Sesshoumaru sat in perfect seiza, no hint of a slouch, and clasped the steaming teacup tightly with both hands, he neither took a sip nor moved his gaze from the picture of toddler-Chouko that Kagome had brought over from the less formal sitting room.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, sipping a little tea, “I probably should have warned you but I didn’t expect her to appear like that.”

“She first called you ‘Kagome-neesan’ and then she reverted to ‘Mama,” he commented hollowly.

Kagome nodded, glancing at the desk. “Outside these walls she’s too old to be my daughter. I look around eighteen and she’s eight.”

“Eight? She appears younger.”

“She’s always been a small child,” Kagome shrugged blithely, waiting for him to get to the point he obviously wanted to make.

“The likeness?”

“Is purely coincidental,” Kagome assured him, “Chouko is Chouko, Rin was Rin. That’s all there is to it.”

“Reincarnation?”

“No, I checked.”

“How?” Sesshoumaru inquired, intrigued despite his stunned stupor.

“Totosai plays Shogi with an old soothsayer, he told me so.”

“You trust the word of an acquaintance of Totosai?”

Kagome smiled indulgently. “Chikao-ojiisan is a wise old man; I’ve put my faith in him.”

“You have put your faith in untrustworthy places before, Miko.”

Kagome flinched, offended and hurt by this prickly statement. She’d hoped he wouldn’t bring up her past with Inuyasha but apparently it was a foolish hope indeed.

“Rin was yours, but Chouko is not Rin. She is mine,” Kagome hissed, leaning across the table dangerously, “I am her mother and I refuse to let you stay in this house if you continue to compare her to Rin. I know how living in the shadow of someone hurts; I will not allow you to do it to her.”

Sesshoumaru’s eyes flashed and he leaned in dangerously. “You think I would hurt her?” he whispered, the quiet level tone he used carrying more threat than if he had shouted.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Not intentionally... but... I need you to promise me. Sesshoumaru, please. She’s my daughter and I love her.”

Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth. He still felt insulted by her distrust in him but he was intelligent and knew that her reasons for making him give his word were good ones. He knew Rin wasn’t Chouko, no matter how closely the two resembled each other. Chouko was infinitely chattier than Rin, had a slightly wider mouth than Rin and smelt completely different to Rin.

“You have my word.”

A/N: This was written for Nisou Tenshi’s Fourteen symbol challenge for the prompt butterfly. Hope you enjoyed it!