Priceless (an InuYasha FanFic)

Old Friends

On their way down the shrine steps, heading back to Sesshomaru's car, Kagome caught sight of the very last two people on the planet she had ever wanted to see today. At the foot of the steps, was a girl about Kagome's age with her hand linked with a boy's arm. Said boy looked to be around 19, and he stood at least 6 feet tall. The young woman looked so much like Kagome that a stranger might have mistaken them for twins. The most notable difference between the two, however, was the young woman's countenance. Kagome's presence was a soft and soothing one. She was one of those rare people who's aura lit up a gloomy room and comforted those in her vicinity.  And her face and the way she held herself humbly reflected these traits. The young woman at the bottom of the steps had a much different effect on her environment. Her aura was sharp, fiery, and challenging. She carried herself with an air of confidence and walked with an almost arrogant swagger. And her face, though almost identical, was all angles and sharp edges.

Kagome froze where she stood. Kikyou. Her joints locked. Her hands turned clammy. Her heart almost stopped. Kagome was panicking. Luckily for her, she had not come alone today.

Sesshomaru glared down the steps at Inuyasha and his conniving girlfriend. They were just walking down the street, but Sesshomaru couldn't help the growl that escaped his chest at the effect that just seeing them had on his mate. At hearing the growl, the young man at the foot of the shrine steps stopped and turned to look up at the pair that was descending said stairs.

Reeling his beast back in, Sesshomaru looked over at Kagome. He could feel the waves of panic rolling off of her. And he. Was. Furious.

Tamping down the sudden violent urges rising, once again, inside of him, Sesshomaru moved the bags that he had been carrying all into one hand and turned to take Kagome's hand in his. She needed support right now, not his brother's blood, as appealing as the idea was at that moment. Gently, he squeezed her hand in an attempt at pulling her out of her panicked daze. It worked. Her head snapped up to look at him, tears welling up and lips trembling.  Forgetting that they were in a public place, Sesshomaru wrapped Kagome up in his arms and leaped to the foot of the stairs, bags and all.

Kagome was so out of it, that she didn't even notice that she and Sesshomaru had flown. She didn't notice when Sesshomaru lifted her into the van, or when he buckled her into her seat, but she came back to reality as soon as she saw Inuyasha and Kikyou walking back towards them. Kagome practically tries to crawl inside of herself, slouching low in the seat in a vain attempt at trying not to be noticed by the couple.

Ignoring his brother's approach, Sesshomaru dropped Kagome's things into the back seat and was about to just get into the driver's seat, intent on getting his mate home, when Inuyasha blatantly grabbed his forearm. 

Sesshomaru's body went rigid. "I am trying my hardest not to kill you, little brother." Sesshomaru snarled through gritted teeth, fighting back his beast, which cried out for Inuyasha's blood. "I agreed to leave this matter to our parents..." Sesshomaru said, recalling the talk he'd had with his mother after Kagome's confession about her past. "But if you continue to try my restraint, I wash my hands of what my beast may do to you." Sesshomaru turned to face his half-brother, his eyes already a bone-chilling shade of red. 

Inuyasha let go and backed off. "What's your problem, asshole?" Inuyasha barked. "Let our folks deal with what? Why the hell are you so pissed off?" Inuyasha had gotten defensive. 

Apparently, Izayoi had not confronted her offspring about Sesshomaru's new mate just yet, but that was to be expected. The insolent little whelp was going through a rebellious phase and hardly ever came home. Sesshomaru trusted that Izayoi would properly punish her son in her own time, but there was no avoiding this introduction. Inuyasha had known that Sesshomaru had found his Mate, but he wasn't aware of the details, or circumstances. Well, now he would learn, it was unavoidable at this point.