Clash of Alphas by sarhea

Riku Ryuu's Prompt - Jellyfish

AN: Dedicated to rOo who managed to side track me yet again.

Prompt: Riku Ryuu’s Random Prompts on Dokuga.com Forums - Jellyfish

~ooO Jellyfish Ooo~

Sharp green eyes took in every detail before coming to a decision. Minami Shippo frowned faintly before making his way through the crowd and not towards the centre of attention.

“What game are you playing Soujiro?”

A blandly attractive brown-haired brown-eyed male turned towards the red-headed kitsune. “Whatever do you mean Shippo-sama?” he asked with a small smug smile.

Shippo was not impressed. He wrapped his hand around the other man’s bicep and dragged him away from the crowd and too interested ears.

“You’re acting like a brainless idiot with a jellyfish for a spine. And Kaa-san called you Hojo!”

Hojo, no Soujiro, smirked. “That is how Kagome-sama knows me.”

Shippo frowned . “Hojo. Kaa-san would talk about a classmate who chased her for a date.” Then green eyes narrowed. “That Hojo?”

Soujiro shrugged. “I heard the tales from obaa-sama, about the bumbling buffoon who chased Kagome-sama when she was in her own time. Hojo provided normalcy in her life, stability she really needed when she was still in love with InuYasha, and very unhappy due to his very fickle attentions and mistreatment.

“I kept an eye out on her and when I noticed there was no student named Hojo in her year I made arrangements to create a fake background and transfer in.”

“But why?” Shippo asked. “And why did you act so thick-headed in her stories? You’re smarter than that!”

Soujiro smiled more genuinely. “She needed the buffoon, the unconditional adoration from someone in her own world. InuYasha had rejected her in the past and she needed to know that someone loved her, that she was desirable and worthy in her own right, not just as a shard detector and miko. At least until Sesshoumaru-sama claimed her as his own.”

Shippo’s expression lightened and softened. “Thank you, for looking out for her, for caring.” Then he frowned. “You haven’t fallen in love with her have you?”

Soujiro laughed. “I love her but not romantically; only as a friend and honoured elder.”

“Does Kagome know? That you were only pretending to be in love with her?”

Soujiro shook his head. “She doesn’t know I’m a hanyou and a descendant of Kagura. I’ve avoided other youkais for the last five years so she wouldn’t sense anything off about me.”

“You were always the best at blending in.” Shippo grinned. “So when are you going to tell Kaa-san? That you’re a hanyou and you knew all along?”

Soujiro wrinkled his nose. “I think I’ll let Kagura-obaa-sama tell her. After I leave Tokyo.”

Shippo laughed. “You sound like a spineless jellyfish. Where is your courage?”

“Buried under layers of common sense and self-preservation.”

 TBC...