After All This Time

Ch.11 The Secret Guest

The meals have finished and it was time for Inuyasha to go greet his guest. It would be inappropriate not to. He sighed and stood up. At the sign of his lord standing up Masami did the same. As his advisor and trusted assistant it was important for him to follow his lord in public events. 

Inuyasha turned to his daughter and held out his hand. She placed her hand in his and gracefully got up. Her confidence had a significant uptake unlike before. Moroha held her head high. Inuyasha was happy to see her acting more like herself.

Kouga was looking at them wondering what he should be doing. Moroha leaned back a bit making direct eye contact with the wolf demon. With her other hand she pointed to her hand being held by her father. Kouga lifted his eye brow puzzled until she worded out "he loves me more".

'Damn brat!' He thought pissed she was bragging so blatantly in front of him. 'Wait, am I that obviously in love that a child could tell?' He felt like he should smack himself for being unable to control himself, but he had to quickly dismiss the thought. It couldn't be true anyway, right?

Someone was on his right. Kouga glanced up to see a hand extended towards him and it wasn't Inuyasha's.

Kouga was confused.

"Human meat shield, what are you doing?"

Masami was unamused with that weird nickname. "That's not my name."

"Human?"

"I'm not just a human."

"Meat shield?"

"..."

He rolled his eyes. Masami was very close to kicking the wolf demon out of the manor, but he held his anger and vexation and pushed it aside. "Please just address me by my name."

He was offering a helping hand to Kouga. 'Was this his way of being kind?'

Masami and Kouga's relationship had greatly improved over the week after their conversation. The brown haired man didn't give him cold death stares and actually interacted with him. He was much more open after Kouga took an oath of loyalty to Inuyasha.

"Thanks..Masami." The wolf demon placed his hand in his and got up.

A light nod from Masami, accepting his gratitude. After Kouga was steady on his feet the brown haired man walked up ahead behind his lord and Kouga followed. Once Masami caught up to his lord, Inuyasha kept looking at his face trying read his thoughts.

"What was that back there?" Inuyasha questioned.

Masami had let out a small laugh under his breathe and quickly tried to mask his smirk.

"I'm not sure what you mean."

For some unknown reason Inuyasha was annoyed by that smirk and his behavior.

"You helping him up, why? He could get up just fine you don't have to offer your hand." Inuyasha couldn't put his finger on it but something about their interaction back there was nettlesome.

On the other hand it proved difficult for Masami to hold back his smile as he watched his lord interview him.

"I don't know what you mean my lord. I was only helping my lord's' precious pet. I have no ill intentions."