Universe: Inuyasha (Modern AU)
Pairing: InuKikyo, SessKag(?)
Genre: Comedy, Family, Fluff
Diclaimer: Inuyasha and its characters do not belong to me, but to the literary genius that is Rumiko Takahashi.
Author's notes: Originally posted on my "Teacher (With Benefits) fic on FF, but I have a soft spot for it so it gets it's own fic on Dokuga.
Anywho, this one is rather long and features a character that seldom gets love in the fandom. I'm not a huge Kikyo fan either, but I can appreciate that , if none of the jewel stuff had ever happened, she might've been an actual decent human being. Maybe even nicer than Kagome. So here's me adding some love to an underappreciated character, since she always gets featured as such a massive bitch in fics. I hope you enjoy!
White belt in Karate, Black belt in bed...
888
"So let me get this straight. You want me to meet new people…by learning how to beat them up?"
For the millionth time that morning, Kikyo let out a strangled groan.
Kagome was being unnecessarily difficult. She was doing this on purpose just to aggravate her, Kikyo was sure of it. Why else would her 4.0 GPA genius of a sister purposely be so obtuse about this? Kikyo brushed a tired hand over her face, leveling a steady glare at the mirror-image of a woman sitting in front of her. Kagome stared back, the challenge in her eyes making the corners of her mouth quirk in defiance. Very well, Kikyo would play this game with her.
"Kagome," Kikyo tried again, managing to keep the strain from her tone. "I think enrolling in classes would be a great way to socialize with people outside of our usual social circles." She was trying her best to keep her frustration with her twin sister at bay, her pleasant manners coming to the rescue. "And besides," Kikyo added enthusiastically. "you've always expressed an interest in martial arts!"
"Having a crush on The Karate Kid when I was five years old does not qualify as a valid 'interest' in martial arts, Kikyo. There's a difference." Kagome shot back, sipping from her coffee, effectively shooting down another of Kikyo's 'Great reasons to take Karate!'. Kikyo pouted, trying to come up with another argument that had not yet been dismissed by her twin. As her sister racked her brain for more ideas, Kagome allowed her mind to wander, staring around the cozy family-owned cafe.
Taking another sip of her coffee, Kagome hummed softly. Not bad, she thought to herself – this place could easily cure her of her Starbucks addiction by becoming her new favorite.
Kagome looked back to find Kikyo with a conflicted frown marring her delicate features. The blue-eyed raven leveled her glowering sister with a steady stare. Their eye colors were the only physical trait the twins didn't share; Kagome's sky-blue orbs contrasting beautifully with Kikyo's warm honey eyes.
Kagome let out a fluttering sigh. "Why does it have to be Karate, anyways? Couldn't we take Zumba or something?" she asked, putting down her cup.
Kikyo's face lit up, feeling her sister slowly budge to the idea of at least taking a class with her. "Well, it was actually Inuyasha's suggestion! After those robbery incidents in all the nearby temples, he begged me to take some self-defense classes. You know how worried he gets about me, caring for the temple by myself."
Yeah, more like ridiculously over-protective, Kagome thought with a grimace. Inuyasha was Kikyo's bad-mouthed boyfriend, and he always threw a hissy fit whenever he would find out about Kikyo putting herself in any sort of scenario that would endanger her. They had been going steady for two years now, and although he had considerably mellowed down, he still threw a tantrum every now and then.
In his defense, Kagome's sister didn't help the situation any by putting herself in exactly the type of position that would provoke that type of response. Being a miko and a shrine maiden, she would invite homeless people to spend the night at the temple (doors away from where she herself slept), would go on midnight excursions to pray for the sick (almost always to the "bad" neighborhoods, on foot), and even visited the confined in the nearby prison (inside their cells, without a priest or escort). That had always been Kikyo's way of being, and it had been by pure divine intervention that she had not yet suffered any misfortune. If you didn't count her meeting the hooligan that was Inuyasha, that is.
While her sister had taken the more humanitarian way of serving others, Kagome had diverged completely from that and instead had studied law. She found a sense of purpose out of protecting 'the little guy' and putting away criminals for good. And although she wasn't arrogant enough to boast about it out-loud, she was damn good at it. 'Shooting them down with the arrow of justice', she would muse to herself. The only reason why the clever lawyer had not yet argued herself out of this silly idea of Kikyo's was because she was too emotionally invested in the case to be objective.
In truth, Kagome adored her twin. And despite seeming to put up a fight for the sake of appearances, she always ended up doing everything the kind miko asked for. Kagome always indulged her, irrational as it may be, and more often than not Kikyo would get her way. It was just how things had always been. Kagome may have been the more rebellious of the two, but she always caved to her sister.
But this…
Figures this would be Inuyasha's idea. I should be glad he didn't just buy her a gun as well, Kagome mused to herself, hiding a smile. The man could be such a mother hen at times. Kagome knew it was only because he was madly in love with her sister, though.
Unaware of her younger twin's inner musings, Kikyo continued chattering away in that soft, mellow voice of hers. "I asked Inuyasha if he could teach me himself – you know how he's won a few of those MMA fights – but he refused. Said he didn't feel right thinking he might accidently hurt me." Kikyo blushed a bit at that. "He recommended we go to this place an hour away from the shrine. It's a bit far from what I would prefer, but Inuyasha was adamant about it. He was very convincing."
"I bet he was." Kagome smiled lewdly at her sister from behind her coffee cup, causing the shrine maiden to blush even more.
"Your head's always in the gutter, Kagome!" Kikyo chided, but a small smile blossomed. "What I meant was, he took special care to make sure we were both comfortable with the whole thing. He even got his brother to open up a space in his group so he could give both of us classes at his dojo."
At that, Kagome's curiosity was piqued. "His brother? Oh great, there's two of them." She grumbled theatrically, rolling her eyes at the idea of two rambunctious white-haired youths in the same room. She could already feel the incoming migraine.
"Step-brother, actually." Kikyo corrected quickly, biting her lip as if remembering something unpleasant. Kagome noticed though, and when she raised a questioning eyebrow, Kikyo spilled. "They don't seem to get along very well." She confessed hesitantly. "But Inuyasha trusts him enough to give us classes. So what do you say, Kagome? Will you take the classes with me?"
"I don't know, Kikyo…" Kagome looked up from her cup, and her words withered.
Oh, no.
Not that.
Not the puppy eyes! Kagome groaned internally, as Kikyo grabbed her hands and made her eyes impossibly wide and dewy. This was a move that Kagome herself had taught her back when they were in high-school so that Kikyo, who was very popular with the boys, could get them to do things for free for them, like carry their books or fetch them snacks. Kikyo had deemed it manipulative and indecent, so she had refused to use the move at all.
Until today.
And to your own sister, Kagome thought in dismay, feeling both strangely proud and betrayed.
"Pretty, please?" Kikyo whimpered, her lower lip quivering.
"Fine!" Kagome shouted, putting her hands up in defeat with a huff. Kikyo looked so pleased with herself, if she had been the type to she would've been pumping her fists in the air yelling "Victory!". As it was, she merely clapped her hands together and smiled smugly. "Perfect! First class is tomorrow, at six-o-clock in the evening, sharp!"
"Well, let me call Kaede to tell her that I won't be able to stay overtime tomorrow." Kagome grumbled as she searched for her phone in her purse. Although spending some time with her sister – albeit at the stupidest class ever – was a million times better than working overtime with her boss.
"Already taken care of! I called her this morning and she OK'ed it!" Kikyo said with a pleasant smile.
Kagome narrowed her eyes at Kikyo suspiciously. Wait…"How do you even have Kaede's number?"
"She's a regular at the temple. Sweet lady; said she always wanted to be a shrine maiden in her youth. We keep in touch over the holidays too, and talk about you sometimes." Kikyo beamed all too innocently. "She said that if it was for me, you could have every Friday off for as long as needed."
"So you called her in advance even before I had accepted? You're even more conniving than I am." Kagome chuckled in disbelief.
Kikyo beamed, unabashed. "I have no idea what you're talking about, dear sister."
This wasn't going as planned at all.
Kikyo watched in anguish from the sidelines as Kagome glowered at their instructor with venom in her eyes. The man countered that with a glare of his own, one which would have made lesser men pee their pants, but only fueled the fire in Kagome's competitive nature.
No, not as planned at all.
Perhaps this was divine punishment for trying to interfere in her twin sister's love life. Kikyo apologized to any deity listening, and swore never to meddle on things not within her shrine duties.
It had been a selfish wish that had pushed the gentle miko to concoct such a scheme in the first place. Although scheme sounded so evil and dirty. No, only sisterly concern and affection had fueled the desire to make her twin sister as happy as she was in the realm of love. Kikyo worried constantly about Kagome's romantic status – or lack thereof.
Being twins, they had been inseparable their entire lives, and nothing had come between them. Many suitors had come and gone for both of them, but in the dependency that came with youth and sisterhood, they had only eyes for each other.
That was, until two years ago, when Inuyasha had come into Kikyo's life and stolen her away from Kagome.
Now, Kagome would never admit to feeling abandoned – she was too proud for that. But the steady relationship between the two lovebirds had certainly caused a strain in their own twinship. Now instead of just the two of them hanging out together like they had done their entire lives, another addition had been added into the mix and it threw off the entire chemistry of the group, leaving Kagome as the awkward third-wheel. Eventually, Kikyo started seeing less and less of her sister, despite inviting her to every significant event or occasion. She realized that Kagome was only being considerate, in that roundabout way of hers, but it still made Kikyo incredibly sad for her twin. She only wished that Kagome could find such a respectful, passionate and caring man like Inuyasha for herself.
When she confided this to Inuyasha, he laughed, remarking at the irony that both of their headstrong siblings were single.
And then a plan started to hatch in Kikyo's head.
Inuyasha had spoken about a step-brother. Her boyfriend made him sound like an asshole, but as Kikyo cleverly picked out the biased insults and attacks in the stories that Inuyasha told, she started to see the possibility. Sesshoumaru was serious, perhaps more so than the regular man, and very intelligent. He appeared to be very down-to-earth, nonsensical, sensible and practical – everything that Kagome wasn't. Kikyo loved her sister to death, but Kagome was always day-dreaming and despite her bright and cheerful disposition was always looking for a fight. It was one of the reasons why she and Inuyasha didn't get along at all in the beginning. They were too much alike, their similar personalities clashed and as such their bickering was constant. Sesshoumaru sounded like the perfect cool complement to Kagome's fiery nature.
Or so she had thought. As she stared at the two facing off with the promise of annihilation in their eyes, all she could hope was they could come out of this class intact.
"So, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Kikyo intervened, fluttering like a nervous bird between the two. "How long have you been teaching martial arts?"
The question was enough to pull the man into his senses, and he switched automatically into his cool and stoic demeanor. He turned to the miko, balancing his weight on one foot.
"It is my fourth year as a teacher at this dojo." He responded simply. Kikyo waited for him to elaborate. When he didn't, she tried again.
"That's great. And how long have you been taking martial arts?" she prodded.
"My father has trained both Inuyasha and I since we were only toddlers. Although formal training begun when I was five years old."
If Kikyo could've whistled, she would've. "Oh wow! Kagome isn't that amazing?" she called, trying to bring her younger twin into the conversation.
Kagome gave her a bland look. "Super."
Kikyo sent an imploring glance at the woman, then turned back to Sesshoumaru with a strained smiled. "What she means is, you must be quite skilled, correct?"
"If one where to measure one's skill in years of experience, then yes. I suppose I am quite formidable."
Kagome scoffed loudly. "Yeesh. Cocky, much? Ever heard of humility, pal?"
"Kagome!" Kikyo gasped.
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at the feisty raven. "Class will resume shortly." He turned to Kikyo, although she had the distinct impression he was speaking to Kagome. "I suggest you take the time to cool your heads, and once done you may be allowed to join the rest of the group."
He excused himself and with that turned on his heel sharply, walking away to the other side of the room without a single glance back at Kagome.
Kagome crossed her arms with a huff. "Man, can you believe that guy? 'You may be allowed to join the rest of the class'?" she mimicked, making a face. "God, he's so full of it!"
Kikyo turned to her sister with a scowl, and Kagome flinched.
"Kagome, what has gotten into you!?" she reprimanded in a hushed whisper.
"What?! ME? You saw how he came at me! You can't expect me to just shut up and take that sort of abuse!"
From the moment that Kagome had stepped into the dojo, she could sense doom.
The lawyer's sense of foreboding was confirmed when a stiff voice next to her said "Please pay the proper respects to this dojo by removing your shoes."
"Excuse me?"
"Your shoes. They are filthy. My dojo is not. Please remove them, or I will remove you."
Kagome laughed, disbelief clearly writ on her face at the haughty tone of the beautiful man standing before her. "Excuse me?" she repeated.
"You are excused. Although how basic manners still seem to be an elusive concept to modern civilization to this day continues to baffles me. Unless…" The man raised one perfectly arched eyebrow, as he looked Kagome up and down. "Are you one of my special education students?"
Kagome almost lost it there, but Kikyo, perhaps sensing the incoming fury, slipped between the two with a frantic smile on her face. "I apologize! It's our first time in a dojo like this; we'll take our shoes off right away."
Sesshoumaru looked from one woman to the other, his face controlled. If he thought it strange that he was now seeing double, he didn't show it. He nodded at Kikyo, and turned to the rest of the students already in place for class.
Now, Kagome may have forgiven his pride had he not so brutally wounded hers. As such, she found fault in every single thing he did during the beginning of the class, muttering angrily in Kikyou's weary ear to the point that the twin had hissed back an angry reply. Their bickering had caught Sesshoumaru's attention.
"Is there a reason you two keep interrupting my lesson? As far as I was concerned, the only person who should be talking is the teacher. And unless either of you wish to take the role on for me and lead the class for the rest of the evening..."
"Ah, no! We'll be quiet!" Kikyo promised hastily, as she stepped on Kagome's foot to keep her from lashing out at the man.
Sesshoumaru stared steadily from one twin to the other. Without moving his gaze, he addressed the rest of the class. "We shall take a short recess."
The students moved to the locker rooms, grumbling and laughing amongst themselves. Yet Sesshoumaru and the Higurashi twins did not move from their spots, a stand-off of sorts occurring. Kikyo swallowed as Sesshoumaru crossed his arms.
Finally he spoke. "Which one of you is my half-brother's mate?"
"That would be me!" Kikyo answered, hiding her nerves behind a smile. She was both relieved and worried that Sesshoumaru at least knew who they were and was expecting them today. She walked forward and extended her hand, which he shook firmly. "My name is Kikyo. Kikyo Higurashi. And, um, this is my twin sister, Kagome."
His yellow eyes slid to the older twin standing next to Kikyo, the look indescribable and guarded.
They did not shake hands.
Sesshoumaru huffed, a sound very close to a laugh. "I am not sure what Inuyasha told you, but I do not give out special treatments in my class. These students take Karate very seriously, as they should, and I would appreciate it if when you are in my dojo you do the same. The Taisho family has been instructing on the art of martial arts for years, in this very floor on which you stand. This is a place of respect and comradery-"
"Funny you say that, because respect has been the last thing I've felt since coming here." Kagome interrupted with a click of her tongue. Sesshoumaru stopped mid-sentence so suddenly he might've swallowed his own tongue, words dying immediately. His pale yellow eyes, so much sharper and colder than Inuyasha's, slid dangerously to Kagome, where the stare-off of the century had begun.
Back to the present, Kikyo rubbed her forehead, remembering the ensuing arguments that followed and that led her to arguing with her twin now outside the dojo doors.
"All I saw was you acting like a child!" Kikyo huffed, crossing her arms. "This is really important for me! This man is the brother of my future husband, so please try to get along!"
"Stepbrother." Kagome coughed.
"Kagome…"Kikyo warned.
"Al right! Fine! I wont't screw up your chances of marriage and-"Kagome stopped in her rant, something finally clicking. She looked at her twin, eyes wide, and Kikyo smiled back shyly.
"Husband…?" Kagome asked in a hush.
Kikyo bit her quivering lip, trying to hold back a smile, and nodded. "He proposed last week."
"Oh my god…Oh my god, Kikyo!" Kagome cried out, lauching at her older twin and pulling her into a tight embrace. Kikyo laughed, a fountain of giggles pouring out of her nervously. Kagome drew back, and looked into her twin's face, tears streaming down both their eyes.
"You idiot, you should have told me!"
"I was planning on telling you after the class was over. But you just kept being so difficult and I just…" Kikyo took a quivering breath, trying to calm her emotions. "Kagome, I am so incredibly happy and I love Inuyasha and I just want all of us to get along."
Kagome could read the words between the words. She smiled sadly at her sister, knowing full well that she was the only one not playing nice. Inuyasha, rude and brass as he could be, always welcomed her and invited her to his home without complaints. And Sesshoumaru had done nothing to earn her wrath except be connected by blood to the man that was taking away her other half. Kagome squeezed Kikyo's shoulders, begging her to feel the sincerity of her remorse. "I'm sorry, Kikyo. I've been such a bitch. I know that you love Inu, and that he loves you; I can't do anything to stop that. And I'm happy for both of you. I mean it." She insisted when Kikyo averted her eyes.
"I'll take your stupid Karate class, on one condition."
Kikyo looked up, thoroughly confused. She looked at her younger twin, suspicious and wary. "What condition?"
"Don't make me wear something stupid as your Maid of Honor." Kagome said with a wide grin. Kikyo laughed and smacked her shoulder. The sisters giggled some more, then with one last hug Kagome grabbed her hand and headed back inside the dojo. "Come on, if we make sensei wait any more than he already has he'll blow a gasket." Kagome grumbled, rolling her eyes, and Kikyo laughed.
The rest of the class went by without incident, and Kagome was in her best behavior. Kikyo could almost swear that her sister was really getting into it, paying close attention to Sesshoumaru's instructions and trying her best to mimic the poses he was teaching. Sesshoumaru was much kinder as well, correcting her stances with gruff but gentle instructions, and Kikyo was baffed by how different yet similar both brothers were. All in all, as far as first classes went, it wasn't half bad. No blood was spilled and that definitely counted as a success for the young maiden. With optimism for the future, Kikyo finished the class in much higher spirits than she thought she would upon entering it.
As they gathered their belongings to go home, the last two students left in there, Kagome paused in her packing and stood up. Kikyo looked at her with questioning eyes.
Rubbing the back of her head sheepishly, deliberately not looking at Kikyo. "I'll be right back. I'm…I'm going back to the dojo… to apologize." She sighed, turning away, her face slightly pink with shame. "I acted like a jackass, and I'd rather be on good terms with my future brother-in-law than bad ones."
And with that, the raven turned and headed back inside. Kikyo blinked after her. Kagome had never, EVER in her life felt she had to apologize for anything she ever did, so the fact that she was doing so now, for Kikyo's sake, meant the world to her. Moved almost to tears – she was easily the biggest crybaby in existence - Kikyo grabbed hers and Kagome'stuff and waited for her twin outside.
After fifteen minutes though, Kikyo began to feel anxious again. How long did it take somebody to apologize? Unless they weren't talking and once Kikyo went inside to investigate she would find them duking it out in the dojo floor, a bloodied tangle of limbs and hair. Fearing the worst, he was about to march inside when Kagome burst through the shoji screens.
Wordlessly, she grabbed her stuff from Kikyo's arms and walked toward their car with such speed she might've been sprinting. After a baffled pause, Kikyo followed suit, running to catch up with her twin's pace.
With both women strapped inside the car and heading back to their respective homes, Kikyo found the silence both eerie and puzzling. Kagome was very pointedly not looking at her, blue eyes glued to the road as she drove on autopilot, her gaze a million miles away. Kikyo noticed the sly reddening of her ears and neck, a dead give-away that the raven was embarrassed. But of what? Not able to bear the quiet and confusion any longer, Kikyo spoke.
"So how did it go?" she asked softly, her voice unbearably loud in the quiet confines of Kagome's sensible Prius.
"It went fine." Kagome responded evasively.
"Oh…." Okay, that was…vague. Especially coming from her usually verbose sister. "Well, that's good." Kikyo replied, looking forward as well, a mimicry of her twin's pose. "At least next class it won't be so awkward-"
"I won't be going to the next class."
The sound of the wind howling past the car windows was the only other noise in the car.
"What?" Kikyo asked, as she stared at Kagome's profile. The raven still refused to look at her.
"I'm no longer a student in that dojo."
"WHAT?" Kikyo repeated, this time a little bit louder. Kagome winced at the volume, but Kikyo was still shouting. "Kagome what did you DO?"
"I didn't do anything!" Kagome shot back, a tinge offended. "Why do you always assume it's MY fault!?"
"Because it usually is!" Kikyo snapped, her mild manners flying out the metaphorical window as annoyance gave way. She left Kagome and Sesshoumaru alone together for a minute and now- Kikyo breathed deeply through her nose, exhaling through her mouth in an attempt to calm down. Al right, say she gave Kagome the benefit of the doubt. She opened her eyes to see a sheepish Kagome still not meeting her twin's eyes, gaze locked on the road.
"Kagome…why can't you come back to the dojo to take classes with Sesshoumaru?"
"Because…"she began slowly, "… he said he doesn't date students."
"…"
"…"
"…Wait, WHAT?"
"Well, I went there to apologize and we got to talking and he asked me out for coffee next Saturday on the condition that I dropped his class altogether. Said I didn't really need to learn Karate anyways-
"Why-"
"-because my body is already kickin'."
Kagome at least had the decency to blush in embarrassment at Kikyo's violently bewildered look.
A/N: In my head, Sesshoumaru is a stick-in-the-mud with no proper clue how to flirt except using 'the smolder' which ends up looking like a glare and outdated pick-up lines. Fortunately, Kagome falls for it every time.
Really though, this drabble has been in my computer since last May and I finally came to terms with the fact that while I like it, I'm bored with it and will probably never finish the damn thing properly. So, sorry for the sloppy and rushed ending. Kagome and Sesshoumaru do end up together, as Maid of Honor and Best Man at Kikyo and Inuyasha's wedding. And Kagome never takes another single karate class in her life, although she gets plenty of exercise in Sesshoumaru's dojo after class hours. Namely in the dojo baths. The end.