The smell had to be the worst thing. It was the smell of far too many humans crowded into one small area that invaded his senses and for the first time in his long life the Inu Yokai cursed his sensitive nose. Normally this particular attribute served to be useful when hunting other demons and when hunting his own prey but now he couldn’t help but curse god.
The noise was also troubling to say the least as it bombarded his equally sensitive ears. The sound of hundreds of humans crowded into a small area all gabbling about their insignificant lives. He couldn’t help but compare them to ignorant little worker ants only noisier.
There was no comprehendible reason a proud Yokai such as he would ever cross the threshold of such an establishment as a ‘Supermarket’. He disliked humans to say the absolute least and being surrounded by them was not at the top of his to do list.
In fact if it were not for the five year old brown haired female clinging to his arm he would have swept from the shop in a terrible mood or better still he would never have come to this place and remained in slightly happier ignorance. As it was he instead stood there fuming an invisible aura of tetchiness warning the eager shoppers on some base level not to wander too close.
Many women stopped to stare at the beautiful silver haired man stood in the middle of this shopping establishment. They gawked at him until his cold golden eyes met theirs. That was enough to make them hurry on quickly. A bishounnen he might be but the look of merciless anger that was barely concealed behind the golden orbs was enough to make the pluckiest woman turn and flee.
“Sesshoumaru-sama!” the small female gushed completely impervious to the Yokai’s discomfort as she used his long arm as a bungee cord. Her brown eyes were alight with pleasure at being taken out by her new guardian. She was far more excited than any other child on a quest for toys because her Sesshoumaru-sama was taking her to buy new clothes!
Sesshoumaru made no reply to his young ward and instead looked at the huge selection of young girl’s clothes and shoes that sprawled in front of his eyes. He had no idea why Rin had dragged him to this particular establishment where mass production was strife. He was wealthy enough to avoid places like this and shop elsewhere. However having never bought clothes for a young girl before he had no idea where he should be looking and so he had allowed his young ward to lead the way.
He was regretting the decision.
He was at a loss as to what to buy for the hyperactive child and was there really such a need for everything to be such a sickening shade of pink? He looked down at Rin who had proceeded to relinquish his hand and run down and along the isle half skipping with excitement.
It wasn’t as if he could ask her what she needed. She was a child and would have no idea. He glared down at the basket he had picked up from outside the entrance of the shop as if it caused him physical pain just by being there. What truly bothered him was not the basket itself but the fact that this basket had been used by a tirade of humans. The only human he could sort of tolerate was Rin and he preferred to take her in small doses.
He watched as she tripped over her too small sandals and skidded a metre on the knees of her worn out jeans and came to a conclusion. She was going to need very sturdy clothes. Rin was not the least bit phased by her accident and pulled herself up off the dusty floor and wiped her dirty hands on her white t-shirt leaving two grey smudged handprints on the material. He quickly amended his mental calculations. She’s need sturdy clothes that were not white.
He tensed as a young woman invaded his personal space. He wrinkled up his nose preparing himself for the pungent stench of human and found that instead of ghastly her scent was more soothing and reminded him of a summers day in a natural flower field.
He looked down at the offending female who had dared to brave the onslaught of his furious gaze. She was quite short with long ebony hair that had a soft wave to it and reached her waist. She had stormy blue eyes the colour of a cloudy sky that were currently concealed behind wire rimmed cats eye spectacles. She was dressed drably with a huge deep green sweater that was obviously not intended for her small frame but instead intended for a man and on her legs were plain black leggings that showed her slim legs.
She surveyed him as studiously as he was surveying her. She took in the crescent moon on his face, the long silver hair that just passed his shoulders, the twin strips on his cheek bones and the pointed ears and cold glower that marred his otherwise perfect features. She smirked and dumped a bundle of clothes into the basket he was holding.
She always helped someone in need as it was writ in her very nature but helping this annoyed Yokai was amusing her.
He looked down at the basket in shock. Did this female believe this basket to be her own? It seemed impossible to believe this as said basket was currently hung on his arm. He inspected the new contents of his basket with a critical eye and then raised an elegant eyebrow at what he saw inside. This woman had put into his basket a variety of girls clothes in a rainbow of colours that seemed to stray away from the violent eyeball searing pinks and the easily stained whites. They all seemed about Rin’s size and they looked sturdy; the sort of clothes he had been intending on picking for his ward if he could have located them.
She smirked at the expression on his face and ducked past his arm to a pair of trainers just behind him and dumped them atop the haphazard pyramid of clothes.
“For her right?” she asked jerking a thumb in the direction of Rin who was standing next to a display with multicoloured skipping ropes looking besotted.
“Hn” he said
“That should do it” she said tossing a pair of blue sandals into the basket and dusting her hands. She smirked at his dubious expression and grinned “Does she need underwear?”
He looked at her with an expression of mixed disgust and loathing at his situation. “Hn” was his reply
She sniggered “I’ll take that as a yes” she rolled her eyes at the uncommunicative bishounnen and walked away from him to another set of shelves where she picked up a few bumper packets of cotton underwear before dropping them into the basket also.
The Yokai glared at this impertinent woman who seemed to think this great Yokai incapable of the simple task of shopping for his ward. Though some part of his brain seemed to accept that this female was aiding him in his completely stranded state he was not someone who took too kindly to help from someone who he deemed lower than himself. His pride got in the way.
She caught the look on his face and smirked wider. “There you go” she said not expecting any thanks.
“Hn” she was not disappointed
She saluted him cheekily and spun on her heel picking her basket up from the floor and sauntering off. Her walk was provocative and a little smug and Sesshoumaru ground his teeth together when he realised that the little wench believed she had gotten one over on him. She was gloating.
“Sesshoumaru-sama!” Rin squealed her rubber soled shoes squeaked as she skidded to a hyperactive halt beside him. “Are they for me?” she asked picking through the pile of clothes and smiling broadly revealing the gap between her two front teeth. “Thank you, they’re really good!”
He looked at the gratitude writ on her young face and sighed. He didn’t deserve that. But there was something he was grateful for.
“Let us return home Rin” he said curtly relived to have an excuse to finally escape this godforsaken place. He took her small hand in his clawed one and dragged her away fuming silently.
A/N: I don’t own Inuyasha, that much is obvious. So don’t sue me.