Modern Love

The sliding of a curtain woke InuYasha. He stirred, waking Sesshoumaru. Brooke had a clipboard in her hands, a pin clipped to it. She smiled softly as both men stood up.

“I want to check you one last time before we let you go, Sesshoumaru.” She took his wrist in her hand and took his pulse. Then she moved to wrap a cuff around his arm. “This is just precautionary. I don’t want you to collapse after you leave.”

“That’s understandable.” Sesshoumaru seemed ready to leave.

“Everything seems to be fine.” Brooke wrote a few things down then handed the clipboard to Sesshoumaru. “ Just sign there and on the yellow sheet.”

Sesshoumaru took the pen and clipboard and signed the papers. Handing the clipboard back to her, he moved to leave. Brooke picked up the book and handed it to him. He looked at it questioningly. He looked at InuYasha as Brooke explained.

“There is something you should read in there. InuYasha can bring it back when he returns to work.”

“That reminds me, Brooke, we work on the third floor, in pediatrics. Why are you down here?”

“Low census. It was either coming down to the ER or go home. I chose to work, though I’m of tomorrow. I think he wants to leave.” Brooke pointed to the exit where Sesshoumaru was standing.

InuYasha walked down the hall to him. They entwined hands and left the ER together. Walking across the ambulance bay, Rose ran to catch up with them. Her footsteps echoed in the hollow area.

“Wait!” Seemed a bit winded by her short run. “I hope your hand gets better soon, and I hope you get better soon too, InuYasha.”

Rose handed InuYasha a small slip of paper then turned to walk away. Figuring it was her phone number, he wadded it up. He moved to toss it away when Sesshoumaru took it away from him. Smoothing it out, it turned out to be a note. Sesshoumaru stuffed it into his pocket without reading it.


* Three days later *

Sesshoumaru sat on the couch, next to him sat InuYasha. Kagome had called earlier in the day to ask if she could discuss some things with them. She had arranged to come by at six, and it was now twenty minutes till. InuYasha stood and began to pace.

“Stop.” Sesshoumaru commanded simply.

“I can’t. I don’t want her near me.”

“She don’t have to be, but please just hear her out”

“IT’S MY HOME SHE’S ALLOWING HIM TO FLOP IN!”

“This is your home, as long as you wish it to be. Remember, the apartment is mine, too.”

“I know, but you allow me to live there. I let her move in with me, then she let that...”

Sesshoumaru pulled InuYasha close. How he wished he could help InuYasha come to grips with losing Kagome. He truly loved her, he tried desperately to make things work. They had reunited a few years ago, and had rekindled their relationship. After Naraku’s defeat, it was her decision to have things return to normal. InuYasha would stay in the feudal times, she to return to her time. She was shocked to see him. It had seemed eternity had passed, but now they were in the modern time, their love had rekindled.

“She has her life now. You have to respect that.”

“She told me she’d wait.”

“She’s human. Humans forget. They are wanton, they want instant gratification. Some care not how their actions affect others.”

“I broke everything with you off, to give her the chance she deserved.”

A car pulled into the drive, it’s engine cutting off abruptly. Two car doors slammed, steps could be heard on the walk. Sesshoumaru stood and went to the door. The door bell chimed just as he reached the door, and he opened it. Kagome and Hojo stepped through the door, wincing as Sesshoumaru slammed it behind them.

“Thanks for seeing us, Sesshoumaru.” Kagome’s voice sounded strained. “I want to..”

“He deserved it, Kagome. He knew you broke it off.”

Kagome turned to face Hojo. Her face was white with anger. He backed up a step, but didn’t offer to take back his words.

“No, I hadn’t told him. You assumed. You were the one who left that note, and then you were the one who wanted me be cold to him. He’s nice enough to let me stay in that apartment.”

Sesshoumaru motioned for the couple to follow him into the living room. InuYasha remained seated on the couch, not looking up as they entered the room. He frowned slightly as he waited for them to be seated.

“I will start this talk.” Sesshoumaru began. “Kagome, you understand that it was agreed that if you and InuYasha split, that you could stay in the apartment until you could either find another home, or move back with your mother. You have broken the agreement letting this man stay with you”

“Are you saying she has to stay with him to keep the place?” Hojo asked, irritation in his voice. “She’s made her choice.”

“Then she has one month to get out. That apartment belongs to InuYasha, not her. She is free to date, but not have you live there. Seeing as you made her choice, she must move. I pay the rent there, I make the choice who lives there.”

Kagome looked shocked. Tears glistened in her eyes. Hojo looked over at her, then back at Sesshoumaru. Fury sparked in his eyes.

“You are a heartless bastard. You want to put her out on the street on that jerk’s words.”

Sesshoumaru vaulted off the couch and landed deftly in front of Hojo. His whole aura flashed with anger, his hands shaking. Hojo gasped sharply, but tried to hold his ground.

“First off, you don’t insult InuYasha. Secondly, I have a letter from the manager of those apartments saying you’ve lived there for three weeks.” Hojo shrank back at the angry man in his face. “I suggest you keep you mouth shut, and that if you want what’s truly best for Kagome, YOU move out.”

Hojo was at a loss for words. He’d come prepared to reach a reasonable agreement. However, he thought these two were being unreasonable.

“This is unreasonable. You mean to tell me that Kagome can stay, but I move out. Are you going to tell her that she should break up with me next?”

“I wouldn’t dare tell her what to do.” Inuyasha broke the silence. “She is her own person, and I respect that. All Sesshoumaru is saying is she agreed that if her and I broke up, she could have the apartment. The only thing that would change that is if she moved back home with her mother, or if she found her own place. No one said anything about her not dating you.”

The ringing of a cell phone broke the silence following InuYasha’s words. Hojo jumped up and left the room. They could hear him talking in the kitchen. InuYasha got up and moved to sit next to Kagome. He slipped an arm around her, pulling her into a half embrace. He reached a hand up and brushed away a tear.

Hojo reappeared and stood next to where Kagome was sitting.

“Kagome, I have to go. I just got a urgent call and I need to go out of town for a few days.” He turned and left. He made no offer to take her home.

Kagome looked at a loss for words. She listened as the car shot out of the driveway, and with a screech of tires took off down the street. She buried her face in InuYasha’s shoulder and sobbed.

Sesshoumaru seemed torn between leaving the room and staying. When the couple had reunited six years ago, Kagome had been pleasantly surprised to learn that Sesshoumaru and InuYasha were lovers. She’d been a little curious about a few things, and with both brothers, had some experiences.

Kagome knew her way around the house, and was quite familiar with the layout. She pulled away form InuYasha and stood. She walked to the bathroom and shut the door. Sesshoumaru followed, something wasn’t right with her. He paused outside the door, then knocked softly.

“Come in.” Her voice sounded strained. “Oh, Sesshoumaru...”

“Kagome, I know you as well as InuYasha. Is there something bugging you? You are not acting like yourself. The Kagome I know would never let a man run her life.”

“He told me he’d expose your secrets if I made him move out. He’d tell the world about you two..I don’t know what he knows. If I make to leave...” Her voice cut off in a sob. “He even tortures me. He’s not the Hojo I knew and liked at all. He’s changed.”

“Tortures you... how?” Sesshoumaru pulled Kagome close. “Tell me.”

Kagome showed no signs of being physically tortured, but then again he hadn’t seen her body. He didn’t know if he hit her in places not seen.

“Sex is a game for him. He aims to get himself off, but never me. I just wish, one time, I could have some enjoyment.”

“Kagome, nothing he can say is bad. The world knows InuYasha and I are lovers, very few know we are brothers, and even fewer know we are demons. The most he could get is a few overly hyped tabloid stories. As for the other stuff, InuYasha and I both are capable of tending to those needs. Stay here while he’s out of town, you’ll want for nothing.”

InuYasha poked his head in the door. Seeing his brother holding Kagome brought back pleasant memories. He longed to feel her skin against his. From the look in Sesshoumaru’s eyes, he was feeling the same.