some of us are still looking up at the stars

It hadn't been a good idea. Really not.

Being able to keep track of all the shards had been a literal pain in the ass, but remembering to check who was holding them probably could have been worth the time. Especially if it meant to avoid the current mess at hand.

To be fair, Yue kind of expected Shayo to become the problem. He's always been... a little distracted by "eye catching" guys, them being human or youkai - it didn't matter much: the water demon appreciated much the aesthetic, the handsomenesss and the muscles.

Yue guessed he couldn't really talk, because he too appreciated the same, but still.

The Problem was one.

Koga. Of the Wolf Tribe. 

The demon who harmed the little girl Yue's become so silendly fond of, over the time and the casual encounters with the inudaiyoukai's group.

The old kitsune was not one holding grudges - he was more the one acting on them. Thus, seeing his teammate being all excited to meet him and getting buddy buddy with him and his pack...

"Hun, your growl is showing." Shayo's voice chimed in, the waterbending youkai appearing at his side, while he watched over Miko and Koga like an hawk. At least the wolf leader looked like both confused at the familiarity and very happy at the attention, but overall cautious of not doing anything that could upset the little lady.

"Damn well it is."

"I assume you don't like him, hmmm?"

"Let's put it like this, if I had a volcano I'd throw him in."

Shayo snorted, laughing silently at his fellow youkai's distress. Another growl came up from Yue's throat when Koga had the wonderful idea of raising his voice against the human. The only thing keeping him from moving- actually scratch that, he's going to drag Shayo with him one way or another.

*

"You're a crazy woman, what the fuck-"

"I said sorry already!"

Miko pouted right in the wolf demon's face and Koga literally had to stop himself from backing away from her - cosidering that he just avoided being beheaded by a very annoyed and very territorial older demon... well, he didn't want to risk his neck more than once a day, thank you. 

He still felt a very deadly stare digging holes in his head... 

The wolf demon huffed and rested his head on his hand, sitting cross-legged on the ground next to the girl: not as far as his instincts told him, but as much as possible to not be rude to her. A respectable distance.

"Yeah, whatever... Honestly, your pack is full of crazy people though." he commented, feeling rather bold at it.

The priestess giggled, still busy with braiding the demon's hair. Only the gods know how he ended up like that, but the human seemed to like him well enough to want to... uh, how did Shayo put it? Have some "beauty time"?

What the fuck was that even.

"Well, they probably are, but they're nice people!" she offered with a smile, her eyes focusing back on the braid in her hands. She also looked very satisfied with the result (or probably it was just the fact that she was seeing him hair down and without the usual headband in place - he couldn't know of this, of course).

He really did want to object at that, but wisely kept silent in the end: no upsetting the miko was rule number one, even if that meant having to explain to Ginta and Hakkaku why his hair was full of braids and cute shit later. 

Not that he minded the human's gentle hands, though. She looked delicate and nice, and if Kagome wasn't his most beloved he'd probably give this little priestess a thought, but she had two demons accompanying her in their travels already: was she that powerful of a miko? Not to mention, something was telling him to be really careful with her - besides the fox' silent threat and the more playful yet slightly ominous stare from the water demon.

"What's with humans these times..." he muttered to himself.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"I've met another human girl who's like... pretty strong, nice an charismatic." Why again was he talking about Kagome with a semi-complete stranger? "She's also traveling around, unfortunately with a stupid mutt who believe's hes better than me."

He literally meant every word and he was half sure he was about to growl his disappointment out, but once again the girl just laughed mirthfully.

"Really sounds like a friend of mine and her teammate... Even if I must say, Inuyasha can be pretty arrogant, but Kagome knows how to tame him!"

Well, if they were friends than it makes sens-

"WHAT-"

What. the. fuck.

"What?" the girl echoed in panic, and that was the moment he knew he fucked up.

A paw purely made of fox fire - how the hell was that shit physical enough to grab him? - closed around his head and threw him meters away from Miko. 

He would fiercely deny he let out an unmanly screech forever.

Luck has never been on anyone's side, despite the common belief of "lucky people" and "unlucky people" existing. Whenever you think you're going to be fine, that's usually the moment when something unexpected comes up — or the exact opposite at that, which is really just as surprising sometimes.

The oldest son of the great dog youkai general was having a day like that, currently.

"I didn't think the golden kitsune would step so low to accompany themselves with a human, you said. Humans are below this Sesshomaru, you said. Aren't you being inconsistent now?"

He obstinately looked forward, busying himself with looking over his little ward, sitting with the other demon's human and demon companions. 

His little human ward. 

Honestly, when he said those words in the past he would have never seen himself with a child of man in his care, and yet here he was with Rin in his care, and not minding at all keeping an eye out for her and maintaining her wellbeing in general.

This didn't mean he would allow his fellow youkai to make fun of him.

Back then, he didn't understand how some youkai could get interested in such frail (inferior, he said, convinced) lives. Yet now, seeing Rin play with the other youkai and the miko from the odd trio he's come occasionally across, he kind of... sees it under a different light.

"This Sesshomaru doesn't need to explain himself." he announces, quite proudly at that, with the silent hope that the fox daiyoukai would leave him alone now that he had the fun cut from him.

"Sure you don't."

Clearly, such hope is shattered quickly as it came.

Did he say he hates the other daiyoukai?

*

Miko and Shayo were in love. Platonically speaking for sure, even if they're not speaking about themselves. More parentally speaking, or something like that - they didn't know, really.

Sesshomaru's kid, Rin, was adorable and sweet and kind, so much that the both of them amused themselves with the idea of kidnapping her. Which probably would end pretty badly for someone, since the inudaiyoukai was rather... protective of her, if the continuous stare they were receiving from him while he still talked with Yue was of any help.

Of course, that wasn't going to stop them from showering her with cuddles and compliments.

"So so sooo~ Rin-chan, mind of telling us how you met Old Maru?" Shayo asked while the child played with some water forms they created. She looked so happy when she first saw them so...

"Shacchan, you should address him a little more politely, maybe?" 

Miko's laugh showed how serious she was with that little reprimand. The priestess was busying herself with a flower crown, one full of the kid's favorite flowers (which, actually, changed every time they met, because whichever flower was the most abundant in the area became her favorite). That was what had Rin's attention before of the watery show the demon put up — making flower crowns for everyone.

The older human wondered if they could manage to put one on Sesshomaru's head, too. The idea sounded a little too entertaining for their own good.

"Rin found Sesshomaru-sama in the forest near the village she lived in. He didn't look very well, so Rin tried to help him... He really didn't want to, but Rin didn't give up! In the end Sesshomaru-sama got better and left and—" The child stopped abruptly for a few seconds, a memory she didn't want to come back again in her mind. She shook her head and continued her story. "Wolves attacked the village, lead by demons... Everyone died and... a-and Rin thinks she died too... but! But then Sesshomaru-sama saved Rin's life and since then—"

The little child squeaked when two pairs of arms surrounded her tightly, both Miko and Shayo cuddling her even harder than before, but just as softly.

Probably, that was the first time the child even spoke to them about her past. Somehow, the show of trust felt more precious than any other meeting had before.