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The radio-cassette player (kiss #14)

By kira


Author's notes: And now for something completely different...an AU, featuring Izayoi and Inutaisho for LJ's 30 kisses. Please note that the song Inutaisho sings is called "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Percy Sledge.


Izayoi looked out the window for what felt like the fifty-millionth time. She sadly watched the snow falling as she wondered if he was going to make it home in time before Valentine's Day ended. It was not the first time she cursed Sesshomaru's bad timing concerning the meeting of his fiancé's parents. Still, judging from the excited emails and pictures he had sent, she looked like a very sweet girl and not only that, she was American. Inuki-san must love that. She laughed. What's the girl's name again? Karin...? No, ummm...Erin...? No that's not it.../Izayoi looked over at the framed snapshot of her stepson and his fiancé. /Rin! It's simply Rin! Funny name for an American girl, but didn't Sesshomaru say her grandparents on her father's side are Japanese? "What was that, Little One?" Izayoi patted her swollen belly. "No, Daddy isn't back yet and he hasn't called. I'm hoping his flight was just delayed..." she said softly. She turned away from the window and sighed as she headed towards the kitchen where the homemade chocolates she made for her husband sat on the counter. Even though her doctor would give her hell for even thinking about it, Izayoi was sorely tempted to drown her sorrows in a large glass of milk and a handful of them.

Before she made it halfway to the kitchen the phone rang and she hurried over to it. Answering it, she said, "Moshimoshi...Oh Ryuu-san! How nice to hear from you again. Iie, he isn't back yet...Nani? Gomen, your signal's breaking up a bit. Can you please repeat that?" Izayoi strained to hear her husband's friend as he spoke from his cell phone. "You're a couple of blocks away? He did what? Hai! I'll see you in five..." She smiled and hung up the phone, happy that her husband had arranged something for her even though he was on his way home to Japan. She smiled ruefully at the memory of their first Valentine's Day as a couple and how disappointed she was when he didn't give her anything and how they had almost broken up. She remembered that she had known even then that he was what her older sister called a "keeper" when he explained in painfully bad English about how Valentine's Day was celebrated in Japan and also about White Day, which came a month later. It was one in a long series of moments that she treasured while he patiently taught her Japanese. Just because I love anime and knew like six words in Japanese, big sister of mine, doesn't mean you can transfer me halfway around the world just because Daddy's business was bought out...But I'm glad you did, Mariko-chan. Who cares if my darling Taisho-chan is twenty five years my senior and that my stepson is as old as I am, I wouldn't trade it for all the tea in China as Granny used to say.

Just then the sound of the doorbell pulled her out of her reverie. "Coming!" Izayoi called out as she waddled over to get it. Opening it, she welcomed her husband's business partner and oldest friend, Ryuu Kotssei. "Ryuu-san, how good to see you again. So, what did my husband do to make you come out on a day like this?" She asked as she took his coat and hung it up.

"He asked me to bring you this," he replied, handing Izayoi a cassette.

"What is it?" she asked as they walked into her living room and sat down.

"Just a little something he had made in case he couldn't get home in time."

"I see," she smiled before frowning. "Oops! Where are my manners? Would you like some tea?"

"Iie, gomen, Izayoi-san, but I must get home. Nariko-chan is making a special dinner for me and if I don't get home soon, she said she'd feed it to the dogs."

Izayoi laughed. "She wouldn't dare!"

"Hai! She would! And that's my problem. At least by the time you reach my Nariko-chan's age Inutaisho-san will be an old man who won't be so quick to run off to assist pretty girls in distress," he teased and stood up. "Please, sit, you must be tired. I guess it won't be long before your little one is here, ne?"

"Hai, Jii-chan!" she teased back and the old man smiled. "Arigatou, Ryuu-san. I really should be off my feet, but it's so hard to stay off them when I'm by myself," she said seriously. "It's really not a great time for him to be running off, but I guess he wanted to meet Rin-san and assure Sessho-kun he still loves him and hasn't forgotten about him, even if his new wife is pregnant and has to stay home."

"Izayoi-san," Ryuu said softly. "It's you he loves, not Inuki-san. I could see that from the minute he walked into my office and you two met, that it was meant to be. You have no idea how happy I was when I heard you were getting married. However, I'm still upset that my best secretary up and quit on me like that," he teased and she laughed.

"I thought I was the worst secretary you ever had and that my only saving grace was that I spoke English," she teased right back. "It serves you right for buying out our company." Izayoi playfully wagged her finger at him.

"Hai! That's what your husband used to say to me too. No wonder you two are such a good match. Unfortunately," he said as he let out a sigh, "I have to be getting back before I lose my dinner to the dogs again."

"Sayonara, Ryuu-san, if you don't mind I'll stay put."

"Hai...Sayonara, Izayoi-san. Please don't worry, I'll see myself out." He smiled and gave her a slight bow, which Izayoi always found charming, before turning to leave.

"Umm, Ryuu-san, can you please get me the cassette player? It's over there." She pointed towards kitchen. "It's on the counter."

"Hai! I see it." Ryuu picked it up and brought it over to her.

"Arigatou, Ryuu-san." Izayoi popped the cassette in the player and clicked the on switch only to get the local radio station. Izayoi recognized the song as Dir en Grey's "ain't afraid to die" and the words made a chill run down her spine and she quickly switch it off as she started to cry.

"Are you okay, Izayoi-san?"

"Hai...Gomen, I'm just being silly, Ryuu-san. It's just that I miss my husband very much..." She wiped away her tears.

"Hai. Would you like to come back to my place, Nariko-san won't mind. You know she calls you the daughter she never had."

"Iie, that's very kind of you, but I think I'd like to stay here, Ryuu-san," Izayoi said softly. "I don't know why or how, but I suddenly have the feeling my husband's on his way home as we speak. Please, you should be on your way home before you lose your dinner again."

"Hai." Ryuu nodded, and prepared to leave even though he was not happy about leaving her alone. "Sayonara, Izayoi-san."

"Sayonara," Izayoi said as she waved at him. Minutes later the door to her apartment closed, leaving Izayoi alone with her thoughts./ Okay, let's get a grip, girlfriend,/ she mentally chided herself as she switched the radio-cassette player on again. This time she got the pleasant chatter of the deejay as he went over the list of songs that he had played. Another click and she heard the sweet sounds of her beloved's voice.

"When a man loves a woman...Can't keep his mind on nothing else...He'll trade the world for the good thing he's found..."

Izayoi listened to him sing as she imagined he was there, singing to her the way he did on their first date when he had taken her to a karaoke bar. She sang along softly with him.

"When a man loves a woman... He can do no wrong...He can never own some other girl.
Yes, when a man loves a woman... I know exactly how he feels...'Cause baby, baby, baby, you're my world...When a man loves a woman...."

Izayoi sat there when the song finished, wiping the tears from her eyes and wishing he was there beside her. She was so wrapped up in the song and the memories it brought her, that it was several minutes before she realized he was saying something to her on the tape. Izayoi quickly rewound the tape and hit play.

"Koishii, if you're listening to this, it means I'm late getting home and I really sorry. But I want you to know, I love you with all my heart and all my soul..."

She heard him laugh and tell Sesshomaru to kiss his fiancé like a good little boy and leave him alone. Then she heard something else that made her smile.

"Konnichiwa, Nishi-san. Ummm...Sesshy, I forgot how to say it...Ummm..."

"Watakushi no namae wa, Yamamoto Rin," her stepson said softly.

"But I thought you said she's American too? So wouldn't she understand me if I simply said, 'Hi, Mrs. Nishi. My name's Rin Yamamoto and I'm sorry you couldn't be here, but I understand because Sesshy said you're going to have a baby?' I mean really, Sesshomaru, she's your stepmom, not your mother and from what your father said, she's really sweet."

"Hai..." Sesshomaru grumbled and Izayoi laughed, causing her baby to stir.

"Gomen nasai, Little One, but your big brother is really anal again...ssh! Your Dad's back," Izayoi said as she rubbed her belly. "Listen..." She turned the volume up and never heard the soft sounds of a key turning in a lock and the door opening.

"That was Rin-chan. I wish you could meet her, Iza-chan! She's so sweet, yet she doesn't take Sessh's shit. I think they're going to be very happy together."

She heard some other voices in the background before her husband spoke again, "Gomen nasai, Koishii, I have to go. We're going out to dinner and it's time to leave. Miss you! And don't worry, I'll be home soon! Love you, my sweet!"

Izayoi clicked off the player. "Love you too, Koishii..." she said sadly.

"Why so sad, my love?" Inutaisho said as he leaned over to kiss her.

Izayoi smiled and threw her arms around his neck. "I missed you, but I'm happy now that you're home!"

"Hai, it's good to be home too," he said as he kissed her again. "Unfortunately, I'm dead tired. Wanna go to bed?" he asked mischievously.

"Hai!" Izayoi giggled as he picked her up "Careful, Sweetheart, you don't hurt yourself, I'm not as light as I used to be..."

"Keh!" They laughed as he shifted her weight in his arms and headed towards the bedroom.

"When a man loves a woman..." Inutaisho sang as his wife kissed him, "Can't keep his mind on nothing else...He'll trade the world for the good thing he's found..."