Refuge
Inuyasha darted toward the direction of where he just came from. As soon as he reached the pit that his head made earlier, he started to walk toward Kagome again, to make it look like he wasn’t deliberately spying on them and that he hasn’t heard Rin’s cries.

By now, Kagome had succeeded in making Rin and Shippo stop their screaming, mostly because Rin got tired and Shippo was too busy laughing.

“What are you guys doing just standing there?” Inuyasha yelled from far away to notify them that he was there.

Everyone looked back and saw the hanyou, standing taller than usual with that usual arrogance. Kagome blushed, unable to move. What if he heard us? Maybe not, it doesn’t look like it.

But of course, Inuyasha’s sudden appearance only caused the other members to laugh even more. They looked as though they were about to die from laughter. Kagome had the urge to kill all of them with her arrows.

“Stop laughing, what the fuck is wrong with you all?” Inuyasha was doing his best not to hit every one of them. What’s wrong with Kagome wants to be my mate? Am I not good enough for her? “Oi, let’s get moving. The faster we get those shards the better."

Kagome was half-stunned. He’s not mad about the fifteen “osowari”s? Is Inuyasha sick?

But Kagome said nothing. It was rather peaceful for the rest of the morning. Inuyasha said nothing unnecessary to Kagome or anybody else. The others finally managed to control their laughing and walked on in peace.

But all peace was disrupted by the time Sesshomaru and Jaken caught up with them. Sesshomaru wasn’t the problem. He just ignored everyone. But Jaken’s foul little mouth was really getting on people’s nerves.

“Oh, Sesshomaru, how did you know where to find us?” Kagome asked in surprise as Sesshomaru and Jaken suddenly appeared before their group.

Sesshomaru stiffed, he wasn’t going to let them know that he heard Rin’s outbursts. And luckily, Jaken’s ears weren’t as good as his, and he heard nothing.

But even though Sesshomaru kept quiet, his little toad follower couldn’t. “Sesshomaru-sama has the best tracking skills in the world. It’s not hard for Sesshomaru-sama to find insignificant runts like you!”

Just as Jaken finished speaking, Inuyasha drew his Tessaiga, transformed it, and pointed it at Jaken’s neck. “What did you call us?”

Jaken fainted. He froze like a little statue and fell backwards. Sesshomaru groaned inwardly. I should get better servants.

“Are you here for Rin?” Kagome asked as Rin ran to hug Sesshomaru’s leg. But since Rin still had her hands in Haruko’s up to the point where she hugged Sesshomaru, Haruko was being dragged along with her. Without realizing it, Haruko was standing face to face with the Lord of the Western Lands.

“Uhh, konnichiwa.” Haruko blushed furiously, praying in her heart that Sesshomaru hasn’t heard Rin’s outburst earlier. She flashed Sesshomaru a smile. Being so close to his face was quite unnerving. His eyes, they’re so... shiny!

Sesshomaru’s face remained blank and expressionless. He patted Rin’s head, though his eyes were digging into Haruko’s. In a low voice, Sesshomaru greeted back. “Konnichiwa.”

Damn feet, move! Haruko berated her feet to shift, but Sesshomaru’s glare was like chains, they bound her to him. Her breathing sped up.

Why is she not moving? Sesshomaru pondered inside his own head. If you won’t move, I will keep staring at you like this. Though his outside appearance remained still, Sesshomaru was having the time of his life while watching the blush grow on Haruko’s face, and hearing her heartbeat speed up until it became a loud drumming to his pointy ears.

“Oi, Kagome, what’s going on here?” Inuyasha whispered to Kagome. Everyone was watching Haruko and Sesshomaru’s staring contest with great interest. Kagome only grinned.

Rin couldn’t stay silent like everyone else. Her round eyes went back and forth between Haruko and her Sesshomaru-sama. Finally she tugged on Sesshomaru’s new sleeve and yelled with utmost excitement: “Sesshomaru-sama, Haruko-neechan like you... a lot!”

Silence, everyone was silent. Different thoughts flowed in their heads.

Sesshomaru’s eyes were still on Haruko. Her breathing stopped, interesting.

Inuyasha’s eyes were bulging out of their sockets. O crap, how did I not see this coming? Sesshomaru’s gonna kill her for this! Is Haruko not breathing?

Miroku had a sly grin on his face. His thoughts, well, they’re not suitable for this fic’s rating.

Sango and Kagome were trying their best not to laugh. But at the same time, they worried for Haruko’s well being. Humans aren’t exactly Sesshomaru’s favorite beings in this world.

Shippo watched the exchange with a sigh. Those two are a lot faster than Inuyasha and Kagome. It makes you wonder, just how old is this kitsune.

Inside Kirara’s head: meow, meow, meow, ROAR!!

Rin watched as Haruko’s face turned pale, then red, then blue, then deep purple. Did Rin do something wrong? But Rin’s happy that Haruko-neechan likes Sesshomaru-sama. Rin likes Sesshomaru-sama too!

Why is she still holding her breath? Sesshomaru frowned as he could not detect any hints of air entering Haruko’s body. She’s going to faint if she keeps doing this...

And so she did.

Without giving any warning, Haruko closed her eyes and her limp body collapsed sideways. By reflex, Sesshomaru caught her body. One word ran through his mind: idiot.

Kagome and Sango gasped. They ran to Haruko and Sesshomaru, half expecting Sesshomaru to throw Haruko’s body to them, but he didn’t let go. He couldn’t let go.

“Umm, let’s rest here.” Kagome pointed to a shaded area nearby and everyone went to take a break. The girl from the future took out a blanket and lowered it on the grassy ground.

Sesshomaru picked up Haruko’s body bridal-style and calmly walked over to the blanket Kagome laid. Haruko’s head was pulled by gravity and sank deep into his chest. Reluctantly, the youkai lord lowered the girl in his arms.

“What happened?” Sango asked while Kagome sent Inuyasha with a water bottle to gather water from a nearby stream. The hanyou left with a scowl at his half-brother.

With his eyes still on the fainted miko-in-training, Sesshomaru sighed inaudibly and then said: “She was holding her breath.”

Everyone cracked up instantly. Though Sesshomaru tried his best to hide it, his mouth couldn’t help but curve up a little, just a little.

But he snapped on his disdain look as soon as he noticed that he was about to smile. He turned around to face Rin and said in the usual emotionless tone: “Rin, we’re leaving.”

Rin ran over and hugged Haruko’s body. “Rin can’t leave Haruko-neechan like this. Rin can’t go yet! Sesshomaru-sama, don’t make Rin go!” She was on the verge of tears again.

Sesshomaru growled in discontent. What was he supposed to do? Leave and come back when the human wakes up? He had better things to do than to constantly come back to check whether Rin wanted to leave. He can’t force Rin to go, not on the expense of her crying. Humans. He thought with minor disgust.

Kagome noticed the tension in the air. “Uh, Sesshomaru, how about you stay here until Haruko-chan wakes up? It’s not like we’ll be going anywhere with Haruko-chan in this condition.”

Sesshomaru nodded after a final look at Rin’s watery eyes. Then everyone heard a faint sound coming from Haruko. She was snoring. She... fell asleep... Sesshomaru sighed in his head, This is going to be a while. What’s...

Sesshomaru heard a faint sound coming from the bushes. They were upwind so he didn’t smell it. But now as he focused on the sound of heartbeat and the scent, he noticed a youkai in the bushes.

“Sesshomaru, what are you...” Kagome asked as Sesshomaru disappeared in the bushes and came out with a kitsune youkai in his claws.

“Let go of me, I’m just here to see Inuyasha-sama!” An orange fur ball was struggling in Sesshomaru’s claws. It looked exactly like Shippo, except for its green eyes, pigtails, and a girly-looking kimono.

Sesshomaru threw her into Kagome’s arms. The girl caught her by reflex. Shippo crawled up to stand on Kagome’s head. Looking down, he asked “who are you?”

The girl kitsune looked straight into Shippo’s blue eyes. “My name is Kit. I’m looking for Inuyasha-sama.”

“Why are you looking for Inuyasha?” Kagome set her down next to Haruko’s sleeping body, everyone except for Sesshomaru crowded around her to hear the answer.

Kit bit her lips and looked down. Reluctantly, she replied with several sniffs and hiccups, it was clear that she was crying. “I met Inuyasha-sama yesterday, in the forest.”

“Oi, I’ve got the water!” Inuyasha hit Miroku on the head with the full water bottle to announce his return. “Eh, who’s this?”

Kit looked up at the hanyou and jumped to grab his face. “Inuyasha-sama!!”

“Geh ov mm vace.” Inuyasha tossed the bottle to Kagome and pried the crying kitsune off his head. He sniffed the brawling youkai in front him. “Oi, what are you doing here?” Inuyasha sniffed some more, then both he and Sesshomaru’s faces went into shock. The brothers screamed out simultaneously: “Naraku’s smell!”

“Inuyasha-sama!” The kitsune went on brawling. It took the gang a good ten minutes until she finally told them the story:

“After Inuyasha-sama questioned me yesterday morning about the Kagome thing (Inuyasha blushed), I went on to find more berries. But when I got back to our cave, my papa and mama and sisters were all missing! And their blood was all over the place! And I fell asleep crying. So when I woke up later, I just had to find you, Inuyasha-sama!”

Sesshomaru frowned, his face no longer expressionless. Inuyasha was growling and punching at trees.

“Naraku killed her parents.” Sesshomaru turned his back to the gang. “His scent was probably over the cave, that’s why this kitsune reeks of that bastard.”

“But why would Naraku kill an innocent kitsune family?” Kagome and Shippo were in charge of comforting the frightened Kit.

Inuyasha took his anger out on a nearby tree. “Shit, this is my fault. That bastard somehow saw me talking to this kitsune here and killed her family.”

Sango put a wet towel on Haruko’s forehead. “Then we’d have to take her with us. She’s our responsibility now.”

Miroku sighed . “Shippo’s father was killed over the Shikon shards, and now Kit.”

Kagome reached for Inuyasha’s arm. Inuyasha looked back and saw something familiar in her eyes: guilt. He patted her hand and decided to change the subject.

“Naraku will be killed sooner or later. We just have to find him.” He nodded his head toward the sleeping Haruko, but his eyes were on Sesshomaru. “If you harm her over that thing, then we’ve got a problem, bastard.”

Sesshomaru turned his head sideways and glanced at the hanyou. “I have no concern for your human emotions.”

Inuyasha cocked his eyebrow. “Why are you still here?”

“To wait for night and then take Tessaiga from you. Then I will kill all your human and youkai companions.” Sesshomaru faced Inuyasha with a bemused look, “Is that the answer you expected, little brother?”

Inuyasha scoffed and paid no attention to his brother. “Keh, whatever.” He grabbed Miroku by the collar. “Yo, bouzo, come with me. We’re gonna catch tonight’s dinner.”

Miroku sighed in defeat. “Why must I be treated like this?”

Inuyasha dragged Miroku toward the direction of the denser part of the forest. Behind them, Sesshomaru followed silently. Inuyasha heard his brother but paid no heed to the youkai lord.

Kagome now has two kitsune cubs in her arms. She smiled down on both and asked, “lollipops, anyone?”

“Is he gone?”

Everyone stopped and looked over to the source of the voice. Haruko was propping herself up by her elbows, one of her eyes was open.

“Haruko-chan?!” Kagome and Sango yelled in surprise, but Haruko covered their mouths in a rush.

“Shh, he might hear you!” Haruko let go as Kagome and Sango started to giggle. “Oh, shut up!” She turned to a guilty looking Rin and pouted. “Rin-chan, why did you do that?!”

Rin’s eyes became watery again. “Haruko-neechan, did Rin do something wrong?”

Haruko’s heart softened at the sight of tears. She shook her head wearily and took Rin into her arms. “It’s okay, I guess. At least he’s not going to kill me.”

Kagome and Sango were still laughing. Haruko pouted again and pointed her index finger at the two. “Keep laughing and I’ll make sure both of you end up in the same situation as me!”

The two girls stopped right away.

Kit looked at Shippo with a puzzled expression. Shippo shrugged and said: “humans.”

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

She’s awake. Sesshomaru kept one ear out for the conversation. That stupid girl, was she planning on faking sleep the whole time I’m here? He couldn’t help but smirk. Then I’ll have to stay a little longer.

“Really, Inuyasha, why do you need me here?” Miroku leaned against a tree as Inuyasha tossed him his second catch. “Surely you can carry these yourself.”

“Shut up, bouzo, you think I’m just gonna leave you there with the girls?” Inuyasha jumped onto a tree and started to toss some fruits to the monk below him.

“After all this... time... you still won’t... trust... me?!” Miroku ran around the trunk and caught the fruits with his robe.

Sesshomaru was walking toward them calmly, his astute posture did not waiver, not that it ever did. But as soon as Inuyasha saw the smirk on his half brother’s face, all went to hell.

Inuyasha jumped down from the tree and withdrew Tessaiga. Miroku stopped running around and looked over to the two brothers. Sesshomaru stopped as well.

“Damn it, I knew it was too good to be true!” Tessaiga transformed. Inuyasha held it in an attack stance. The hanyou growled at his brother angrily.

Sesshomaru is rarely surprised. But the look on his face definitely spells expresses his astonishment. What’s with this hanyou now? And to think, I’m actually being nice to him.

“Inuyasha, what’s wrong?” Miroku carried the robe full of fruits like a cradle over to the flaming hanyou.

Inuyasha spat out angrily, his golden eyes were almost on fire. “Get away, Miroku! Sesshomaru’s planning on an ambush on the two of us!”

Miroku looked back and forth between the hanyou and the youkai lord. After a good while, he managed to say the most intelligent word in human vocabulary: “huh?”

Sesshomaru sighed. “What are you talking about, hanyou?”

Inuyasha advanced a few steps. “Don’t think I don’t know. You were smiling! And the only time you smile is when you’re up to something evil!”

Time froze for both Sesshomaru and Miroku. Miroku’s face faltered immediately. “Whatever you say, Inuyasha.” The monk then left Inuyasha and went on to more fruit picking.

Sesshomaru finally caught Inuyasha’s “logic”. He sighed inwardly and chuckled slightly. “There, little brother, I chuckled too. Does that mean I plan on taking over the world?”

Inuyasha flinched a bit at the sound of his brother’s chuckle. What’s up with him?

When Inuyasha still didn’t sheath Tessaiga, Sesshomaru sighed once more. Then, in a voice which sent birds around them flying, Sesshomaru laughed aloud. His eye squinted together, his usually closed mouth opened wide, his long fangs glinted in the afternoon sun. Sesshomaru was laughing.

He’s...laughing!! Inuyasha finally lost his mentality. His mind was blank.

Sesshomaru finally stopped, a smile still visible on his face. He then walked passed a frozen Inuyasha, but didn’t forget to stop and pat him on the shoulder first. “I never knew you had a problem with others laughing, little brother.”

Inuyasha sputtered. His brother had just made contact with him without an intention of separating his soul and body.

“Okay, what’s going on?!” Inuyasha snapped himself out of his daze and unsheathed the giant sword.

Sesshomaru reached up to an apple tree and plucked a red apple with his good hand. “I’ve heard that laughing extend your life.”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “What, two thousand years aren’t enough for you?”

Sesshomaru ignored his comment again. He rubbed the apple against his kimono until it was squeaky clean, and then stored it away inside his robe.

Seeing how his brother wasn’t planning on answering his question any time soon, Inuyasha decided to change the subject. “And why are you following us? We can catch some rabbits by ourselves, ya know!”

On hearing that, Sesshomaru’s posture went frigid again. He turned around to face Inuyasha and his face was solemn once more.

“I did not want others to eavesdrop. Do you care about your companions’ safety, Inuyasha?”

Inuyasha scoffed. “Keh, of course. But don’t think you can use that against me, I’m prepared, twenty-four-seven.”

Sesshomaru lifted an eyebrow. “Twenty-four-seven?” Inuyasha made no effort to answer him. “Well, little brother, I’d say you need to prepare more, and maybe use that puny little brain of yours.”

Sesshomaru was really trying his patience, and when you have as a short fuse as Inuyasha, it doesn’t bode well. “Fuck you, Sesshomaru! Just spit it out!”

“I wouldn’t have gotten involved if it not for the fact that Rin refuses to leave that human,” Inuyasha eyes widened slightly as he noticed the fact that Sesshomaru didn’t call Haruko a bitch, like how he always refers to Kagome, “but do you not think it’s weird, how that kitsune knew to go to you to find help, when you’re already so far away from that forest?”

Inuyasha crossed his arms, and praised himself as he reminded himself that Sesshomaru can’t even do a simple action such as crossing arms. “So? She respects me!”

Sesshomaru scoffed this time. “What were her reactions when she met you yesterday? Surely when such a small youkai sees a grown dog youkai, there’s more than respect in her emotions, even if he is a hanyou.”

Inuyasha scratched his head. “So she was sacred out of her wits.”

“So you’d call her a coward.”

“I guess. She’s just a cub, like Shippo.”

“But even that kitsune fears you from time to time. And he can never sit still when he sees me around.” Sesshomaru reached up and plucked off another fresh apple. “But when I caught the female, I did not smell any fear from her. And there was no sorrow when she retold her story. In fact, the only things I smell from her are...”

“Naraku, tears, blood, and forest.” Inuyasha was finally catching on. “She had... no emotions...” He shook his head, “No, can’t be, she’s just in shock.”

“Open your eyes, hanyou,” Sesshomaru stored the second apple in his robe. “she’s not who she claims to be.”

“But I was the one who found her yesterday. She was hiding from me.”

“Then something happened between yesterday morning and today.” Sesshomaru began to walk back in his usual nonchalant manner. “It’s best if you leave her behind. She’s not trustworthy.”

“No!” Inuyasha aimed a punch at Sesshomaru, who dodged it easily. “If anyone’s not trustworthy around here, it’s you, you bastard! Her family died because of me, I’m not going to leave her to Naraku!”

Sesshomaru’s expression changed somehow. It wasn’t cold and expressionless anymore, but it wasn’t angry or even happy either. The youkai lord walked away without a second word, leaving his little brother behind, still wondering what that look on Sesshomaru’s face was about.

“Aww, it ending already?” Miroku came over with a robe full of apples and peaches. “Ya know, he kinda has a point. I mean, if Naraku wanted to kill every little being that we’ve ever talked to, he’s be very busy.”

“Miroku...”

“Yes?”

“Shut up!” Inuyasha snatched off Miroku’s outer robe along with all the fruits he gathered.

Miroku faked a girly giggle. “Inuyasha-kun, I’m so shyyyy!!!”

Inuyasha momentarily forgot his argument with Sesshomaru, a giant shiver took over and Inuyasha could swear that his arms were full of goose pumps.

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