The Syndrome by Sunset Miko

Four Guys, a Girl, and Some Chinese Takeout

I do not own Inuyasha and Company, no matter how happy it would make me. Rumiko Takahashi does.

Chapter 1 – Four Guys, a Girl, and Some Chinese Takeout

"I don't know how much longer I can take their shit," she grumbled, shoving a few strands of her unruly raven hair roughly behind her ear.

"My, my, Kagome... I think you may be spending too much time with Inuyasha. His... colorful... language is beginning to rub off on you." He smirked at the girl laid across his lap, her back half leaned against his chest and half against the arm of the couch. He was quite comfortable, his right arm around her shoulders and his left resting on her knee, and she appeared to be perfectly content to stay right where she was.

"Fuck you, fucking monk. At least I'm not a pervert!" the inu hanyou snarled at his friend. His head snapped to the other side of the room when he heard a snort of suppressed laughter. "You got somethin' ta say to me, runt?" It was his turn to be amused as the kitsune growled, trying to sound vicious but only able to pull off something similar to the sound of a puppy playing tug of war with an old gym sock. "Is that supposed to sound threatening?" he asked as he laughed.

"Inuyasha! Leave Shippo alone," Kagome ordered before lifting one leg and planting her heel into the hanyou's thigh as hard as she could manage.

He turned his eyes to the little miko lounging across Miroku as he sat at the end of the couch Inuyasha had plopped directly in the middle of, intent on getting the best view of the television, not that anyone was even looking at it at the moment. "Was that supposed to hurt?" he asked with a dangerous look in his amber eyes. Before she could move, knowing exactly what was coming, he'd wrapped a strong hand around her small ankle, holding firmly as she tried to pull it free from his grasp. "You should know better, wench," he said darkly. His silver puppy ears flattened to his head in anticipation of the noise he knew was to come before reaching out with his other hand and running the tips of his claws along the sole of her bare foot, barely brushing her skin. Shippo winced as Kagome began to squeal and laugh, all the while trying to free her very, very ticklish foot from her friend's torture.

"Inuyasha! Stop it! Stop! It tickles! Stop!" she managed to get out between laughs and high pitched squeals. Of course, she squealed as loud as she could manage, and in the shrillest tone, knowing he could only stand it for so long and would soon let her go to stop the eardrum shattering sound. She kicked just as his claws had moved in for another pass and squeaked in pain.

Immediately, Inuyasha pulled his claws back from her, eyes wide. "Shit," he muttered as he examined her now injured foot. "Kagome, I didn't mean to..."

"Inuyasha, it's fine. I'm the one who moved. It's not your fault." Really, she expected claw mishaps every now and then. That's what you get when you play with demons, especially when you play rough, and Inuyasha had never been one for gentle anything.

"The hell it isn't," Shippo muttered from his seat. "I told him before to watch it, that he was gonna end up cutting you."

"Shippo, it's not his fault," Kagome said with finality. She suddenly squealed and squirmed, looking down at her friend in surprise.

Inuyasha was dragging his tongue along the small cut, cleaning the blood from her skin while closing the wound with his saliva. He closed his eyes as the flavor of her blood exploded on his tongue. She tasted delicious and the little hint of miko energy only added to it, like the cherry on top of a sundae with the works. 'Mmmm, sundae,' he thought for a second before returning his attention to his task, cursing his DADD (Demon Attention Deficit Disorder). Once he was sure there would be no more blood and no scar he looked up at her.

Miroku had wrapped his left arm around her waist some time during her flailing, making sure she didn't end up on the floor. The monk was chuckling quietly behind her and quite enjoying her squirming. Her eyes were filled with shock directed at Inuyasha and he couldn't help but drag his tongue along the tender skin once again, slower this time, and his eyes danced with mirth as her squealing began again, though this time she didn't kick, not wanting to hurt him, like she even could. "So, that tickles too, does it wench? Well, I think I might just have to do that more often then," he said with a smirk.

"Eeewww!" she said while making a face. "Why would you want to lick my feet? I walk on those!"

"Well, duh," Shippo contributed.

"Oh, shut up, you!" the human miko growled at him.

"Are you sure there isn't a little demon in ya, Kagome?" they heard from the entrance to the living room. All four heads turned to take in the new arrivals.

"No, Kouga," Kagome said with a sigh. "There isn't any demon in me."

Miroku slapped his hand over his mouth. 'She is so asking for it.'

Kagome watched as Kouga stalked closer, leaning over the back of the couch until his lips nearly touched her ear. "Do you want some?" he asked in his most seductive tone. "Cuz I'd be happy to help."

Kagome's eyes widened, not believing that she'd actually walked right into that one, while Inuyasha and Shippo both growled at the wolf that really needed to work on his pick-up lines. "How many times do I have to tell ya, flea bag? You'll keep your filthy hands, lips, and every other part of you off Kagome if you want to keep them attached!" Inuyasha said, his voice now seriously threatening. Knowing what would come next, she moved Miroku's arm from around her waist.

Kouga backed away, hands up, palms out. "Alright, alright! Don't get your panties in a twist." Kagome jumped forward just in time to land on Inuyasha, stopping his attempt to leap over the back of the couch and redecorate the living room with wolf intestines.

Inuyasha let out an "Oomff," of surprise as her small body collided with his torso. "Damn it, bitch! What the fuck?" he yelled, his hands moving automatically to rest on her hips to secure her as she sat straddling his stomach, hands flat on his chest.

It was Kouga's turn to growl, not liking the position of Kagome's body or the position of Inuyasha's hands on her body. "Get your filthy hanyou mitts off my woman!" Kouga hollered, feeling both his arms being held back as he tried to move towards the half demon to remove the offending appendages from the little miko's soft curves and quite possibly from his wrists as well.

"Calm down, Kouga," Ginta said, sounding like a mother trying to calm her child during a tantrum, which was quite appropriate considering Kouga's current behavior.

"Yeah, just chill dude," Hakaku added.

"Is there a reason for your visit or did you just come by to harass Kagome again?" Miroku asked, his tone rather condescending.

"We were in the neighborhood and I figured she'd be here, not that I can understand why she'd want to waste her time on you guys, so I decided we'd stop and check on my woman."

Kagome let out another slight growl, her fingernails unconsciously digging into Inuyasha's chest in her frustration. The hanyou fought a grimace, refusing to show that this dainty little female was actually causing him pain. "Damn it! How many times do I have to say I'm not your fucking woman?"

"Definitely too much time with Inuyasha," Miroku murmured from his seat, which was now behind her in her new position, one she'd yet to vacate. The monk didn't mind a bit. The way she was bent over their friend, he was graced with a fantastic view of the top of her panties, 'a pink thong today... nice,' he thought to himself, a lecherous grin spreading across his lips as her low-ride jeans slipped even lower than before.

"If you'd let me up wench, I'd be happy to get rid of the fucker. If he stays much longer the stink will get into the carpet and we'll have to tear it out." Kagome let out another sigh but refused to move, knowing her friend would never roll her off of him and risk hurting her so as long as she stayed put Inuyasha couldn't attack Kouga, no matter how tempting it was to let him. Of course that meant she couldn't stop Shippo, making her wish for a moment that there were two of her.

Kouga readied himself for the attack from the much smaller fox demon, shrugging off the hands of his two companions. Just as Shippo was about to reach the wolf and probably get his fluffy little tail ripped off, someone stepped between them, his back to the fox who barely stopped his collision with the ass that had appeared seeming out of nowhere in his path.

"Back again? I thought you'd finally learned your lesson. I guess not," a smug voice mocked. "Perhaps you need us to teach it again?" he asked. He might as well of been offering the wolf a cup of tea, the way he said it, as if politely offering an ass kicking.

Kouga rolled his eyes. "Like you fucking scare me? You're nothing but a worthless human," he said, sounding like the word left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Oh really? Nothing but a worthless human?" he asked. "Kagome, dear? Would you be so kind as to inform the wolf of your species again?"

"Certainly, darling," Kagome played along, her voice taking on an overly sweet tone. "Kouga, I'm a worthless human too. Did you forget?" Kouga's eyes widened comically as he realized his mistake. "Now, I suggest you get out of here before I decide to make sure you no longer have a 'little demon' to give anyone. I've been practicing my purification. Wanna see?" She lifted one hand from Inuyasha's chest, not noticing the slight hiss he released as her nails pulled from his flesh, leaving five little crescent shapes behind. She raised her hand enough that Kouga could see it before staring into the annoying wolf's eyes as her fingertips began to glow a bright pink. "Ginta, Hakaku, you're always welcome to stay, but if you do go then I'll see you Monday in class."

"Alright, Kagome!" Hakaku said with a fang-filled smile.

"We'll see you Monday then!" Ginta added cheerfully while the two dragged a stunned wolf from the house.

Bankotsu swung the door closed behind them before approaching the back of the couch. His hands reached out and he lifted Kagome off of Inuyasha and over the couch back towards his body. Her legs wrapped around his waist as his hands slid down her sides to support her. "You guys need to remember to lock the door," he said, amusement in his voice. "You never know who might show up and try to steal you away from us."

"Yeah, yeah, did ya get it?" Kagome asked, peering over his shoulder towards the kitchen.

"Have I ever let you down?"

"Well, how about you let me down now so I can go get my food? I'm hungry and you took forever!"

He merely laughed before lowering her slowly to the ground as her legs slipped from his hips. "I still don't understand how you can eat like you do and stay so tiny," he mused while watching her disappear into the kitchen, returning quickly with arms full of brown paper bags.

"I've got a high metabolism," she answered without looking up; too busy spreading the takeout containers around the coffee table. "Am I the only one that's hungry?" she asked, glancing around at her friends.

"We'd better hurry or there won't be any food left for the rest of us," Shippo joked.

Kagome shot him a half-hearted glare before throwing a pair of chopsticks at him, laughing when they bounced off his forehead. "Aren't demons supposed to have good reflexes?" she giggled.

"Oh just shut up," he mumbled before grabbing a container and sitting back in his seat. "So what are we gonna watch?" They had a brief discussion over movie choices, all of Kagome's responses muffled by the food she was literally shoveling into her mouth. "It's a good thing we love you," Shippo laughed when she was asked to repeat herself a fourth time because no one could understand her. Movie selected and lights turned down, the demon, hanyou, and three humans settled in to enjoy the film, food, and friends.

Their second movie selection ended and Kagome let out a frustrated sigh... again.

"What's with the sighs? Your roommates got you down again?" Bankotsu asked the girl lying on her side, stretched out on the couch, or rather stretched across three laps. Her head was resting on his thigh while he ran his fingers through her soft hair, her ass pressed against Miroku's stomach which made the monk very happy, and her feet bravely lay on Inuyasha's lap, trusting him not to tickle them again. Shippo sat on the ground between Bankotsu and Miroku's feet, Kagome's fingers idly playing with his bright red hair.

"They're trying to drive me insane, I swear. I keep finding my clothes missing, and they're wearing them! No asking or anything! And half the time I never see it again. The other half they've stained it beyond all repair, and I don't even wanna think about what the stain is, knowing how they act."

"Hey now! Kikyo's not that bad," Inuyasha defended.

"That's only cuz you think she's hot and wanna get into her panties. Really, Inu, if you knew what else has crawled into those panties and what's probably still crawling around in them you'd change your tune."

"You're just exaggerating."

"I wish I was exaggerating! I've never ever seen her with the same guy twice. You know her room and mine share a wall! And of course she had to put her bed on that wall. I'm surprised it hasn't cracked with the way her headboard slams into it all the time. The wall deserves an award for still standing!"

Miroku laughed as his right hand came up to rest on her hip, his fingertips lightly brushing the skin of her side that peeked out between her shirt and jeans. "Miroku, you'd better watch your hands. Just cuz I can't purify you doesn't mean I can't find another way to remove 'little Miroku'."

Miroku let out a huff before speaking, trying his best to sound injured by her words. "Kagome, you wound me. My hands had no intention of traveling to any inappropriate areas, but since you mentioned it..." He gave her rear a little squeeze, causing her to turn her head and glare at him, before continuing. "And I can assure you that no part of me is 'little'."

"Yeah, you keep telling me that. Just saying it a lot doesn't make it true," she replied, causing everyone else to laugh. "It's not just the clothes though, or that it sounds like they're filming porn in every room of the house at all hours" she started again once the laughter died down. "They eat all my food, they make huge messes and expect me to clean up after them, and they even use the last of the toilet paper and don't get out a new roll!"

Bankotsu let out a mock gasp. "How terrible for you," he said dramatically.

"It is! We keep the extra rolls in the hall closet! Kami, I don't know how I'm going to make it through the rest of this semester. And when we come back after the holidays I'm finding a new place!"

"Didn't you say the same thing last quarter?"

"Yeah," she said with a groan. "It's almost impossible to find someone looking for a roommate that isn't creepy." She shuddered, remembering the places she'd looked at previously. Not a single place that wasn't a shit hole came without a seriously disturbing or disturbed roomie.

"I'm sure you'll survive," Shippo said, tilting his head backwards to see her.

"I'm not," she sighed.

All conversation paused when the front door slammed and a powerful aura hit them like a tidal wave. He was home. They could hear his footsteps on the tile as he walked through the kitchen towards them.

"Here we go," Shippo grumbled.

"This isn't gonna be good," Miroku murmured. "He feels really pissed."

Bankotsu nodded his agreement. "Even his footsteps sound angry."

The living room was dark, the only light shining from the silent television, but he could see it. The mess was everywhere! Why did he have to live with animals? What had he done to deserve such punishment?

"How many times must this Sesshoumaru tell you fools to clean up after yourselves? There are half eaten containers, empty cans, and chopsticks spread throughout the kitchen and extending all the way to here, where you pathetic lumps are rotting in front of the television, sitting in the same places as you were when I left this morning!" His voice was cold and even, giving away no hint of his emotions.

"Fuck you, Sesshoumaru! You're not in charge! Didn't Dad tell you to pull that stick out of your ass? Or did he forget to fax the request in triplicate? We'll pick up when and if we fucking feel like it," Inuyasha shouted at his older half brother. In an instant he found himself lifted off the couch and held by this throat against a wall.

"This Sesshoumaru was aware of your idiocy but perhaps it is to a greater extent than I had previously believed. You dare speak to me in such a tone?"

Inuyasha tried to yell back, refusing to give in to his stronger, full demon ass of a half brother, but all that came out was a sickly gurgle. When Inuyasha had been ripped off the couch, Miroku had barely caught Kagome before she rolled to the floor from the sheer speed that her friend was pulled out from under her. Now she struggled to get up. She had to stop this. Miroku held her tight, refusing to allow her to face off with the obviously furious taiyoukai. Shifting her off his lap and fully onto Miroku's so he could rise, Bankotsu stood, Shippo following his lead, ready to come to their friend's aid before he blacked out or permanent damage was done.

Sesshoumaru turned as he sensed their movement. "You would risk your lives by interfering?" he snarled, his tightly held composure slipping as his anger grew. He'd had a shitty day and got the pleasure of coming home to a mess that looked like a Chinese buffet had thrown up all over the kitchen and living room. That and he couldn't stand living with his brother and his imbecile friends. Added to his overwhelming frustration and exhaustion, he was quickly losing his proudly kept control.

There was only one of the disgrace's friends that he could stand the presence of, and that one just happened to yell from the couch where Miroku held her tight. "Sesshoumaru! Let him go! It's my fault! I wanted the food; I'll clean up the mess. Please?" She sounded desperate and a few seconds after she stopped talking there was a groan of pain before she popped up into his line of sight. She scrambled around the couch in an attempt to get to the now rather blue looking Inuyasha, but Shippo caught her arm. "Let me go, Shippo! Don't make me kick you where I hit Miroku!"

"Listen to her, Shippo. She's not playing around," Miroku gasped out, now curled into a ball on the couch, both hands clutching at his painfully throbbing crotch.

Shippo was about to scoff when Kagome faked a move to kick him, causing him to immediately let her go to guard the goods from her assault. Bankotsu didn't bother to try and stop her. He knew if she wanted to get to the brothers she would. A determined Kagome might as well be a bulldozer and it was not wise to stand in her way unless you enjoyed being flattened.

She stopped a few feet away and looked up into golden orbs. "Please, he can't breathe. I'll clean it up, I promise!"

He stared into her eyes for a moment before opening his hand, allowing Inuyasha to drop to the floor, gasping for air. "See that they do not make you do all the work," was all he said before turning and disappearing up the stairs.

"What... the fuck... was that?" the inu hanyou forced out as he tried to remind his lungs how to inflate. Kagome furrowed her brows in confusion and turned to see that Shippo looked just as shocked.

Miroku was still whimpering, so it was Bankotsu who answered her questioning look. "He's been an extra large ass lately, with pepperoni and extra violence on the side. Sesshoumaru doesn't listen to anyone, especially not humans. But he listened to you." He paused, thinking. "And he wasn't rude or cruel to you either. He sounded almost... civil. Come to think of it, he's never treated you like he treats the rest of us."

"I don't know why and I don't care. Inuyasha, are you okay?" She asked, dropping to her knees next to where he sat, leaning against the wall and still trying to catch his breath.

He nodded at her, embarrassed that she'd seen him so easily defeated. He didn't even get a chance to fight back. 'Fucking Sesshoumaru, making me look bad in front of Kagome.'

"Come on guys. Lets clean up before he comes back down here and decides everyone looks better with a blue complexion." There were grumbles of protest but they helped Kagome anyway, closing up containers and stacking them in the fridge and throwing away all the empty cans and other garbage that they'd accumulated during the afternoon and evening. Once everything looked at least semi-neat they decided that their movie marathon was over, all the enjoyment crushed out of it as if Sesshoumaru had his large hand wrapped tightly around their fun like he had his brother's throat. Deciding that she had to, whether she wanted to or not, Kagome got ready to return to her house. She was hoping to just sneak in and up to her room without them seeing her and locking her self in for the night.

Sesshoumaru was up in his room pacing the floor. 'Why didn't I smell her or notice her aura? Why does she always manage to witness nothing but my anger and violence? Why does she come to the half-breed's defense? Why does she associate with those idiots at all?' His mind was full of questions but no answers were forthcoming. He allowed a sigh to slip from his lips and his shoulders slumped.

He was exhausted and while he didn't know why he knew that once again it would be nearly impossible for him to sleep. It had gotten worse and worse over the last few months since he'd been forced to share residence with the hanyou and his entourage. The pressure and frustration was killing him but he couldn't stop it. No matter what he took or how hard he tried, he could not have a single night that he wasn't awakened by the dreams, dreams that only made it harder.

His beast had an explanation and often taunted him with the simple solution to his problem but what his beast didn't understand was that what he proposed was impossible. It never could and never would happen, no matter how hard he tried. He already knew that so there was no point in adding insult to injury by making a fool of him self. He'd already resigned himself to the fact that this torment would never cease, would never ease for more than a few sparse moments at a time. If only he knew how to stop it.

The overstressed taiyoukai finally sat in the large leather chair at his desk, pushed a button and waited for his computer to boot up. He was just going to check his email and possibly do a little more research for the paper he had due soon. He certainly wasn't going to do it. Not again. It didn't help. Sure, he felt better for a few minutes, but in the long run it only made his pain worse.

They'd all offered to walk her home since it was well after dark, but Kagome refused. It was only a few blocks anyway. She was a big girl and could certainly walk a couple of blocks by herself. She waved as she walked away from the door where they all watched her with wary eyes. She smiled to herself once she was out of their sight. It was cute really how protective of her they all were. Shippo and Inuyasha considered her pack and felt it was their duty to keep her safe. Miroku and Bankotsu took care of her with just as much devotion and she loved them all for it.

She found herself wishing that she never had to leave their home. She felt safe and secure and happy there, not like she felt at her house. She refused to think of the place as her home. There was nothing homey about it. How she'd ended up stuck with those three bitches she didn't know, but she must have done something awful in another life to deserve such torture. She'd never met anyone quite so rude before. No one had ever been so absolutely hateful to her and she was certain she never gave them any reason to treat her like that, at least nothing besides the usual. Hell, she'd rather live with Sesshoumaru, the most arrogant, rude, and violent person she'd ever met, than live with the three witches she was stuck with.