Disclaimer: Don't own in any way.
So this is bit of continuation from Loved One, though there is no need to read that story to read this one. This idea came to me after realizing I also wanted to know how they got together in this world I've placed them in. Enjoy.
Inuyasha sat at the edge of the porch, his mate sat in front of him not moving as Inuyasha worked on his latest painting. Nearly a decade had passed since he'd decided to take up a new hobby. Inuyasha being impatient as always jumped into it head first. To say that it had been a disaster would have been an understatement. His trees looked like deformed fingers and the villagers looked more like nightmares rather than people.
When he was about to call it quits Sesshoumaru surprised him by hiring an art tutor. Over the years he'd honed his abilities and now was able to draw as well as any professional. Sesshoumaru being ever the patient mate would happily model for Inuyasha when asked.
"Okay I'm done Sesshy," he called out as he looked over his finished painting.
Sesshoumaru stood and walked over to Inuyasha noting that he looked happy with his work. He walked behind Inuyasha and looked over the painting himself. He stood silently for a few moments looking over the painting.
"It looks amazing as always," Sesshoumaru let his hands rub over his mates ears softly. Inuyasha sighed into it smiling pleasantly."What will you do with this painting love?"
"I'll just put it along with the rest of the art," he'd made himself a room to put all of his art away. Though he was happy with his work, he felt none worthy enough of hanging.
Sesshoumaru nodded. He and Inuyasha already had some discussions as to why Inuyasha never wanted to hang his work. After discussing it he'd learned that his mate hadn't painted the one yet, whatever it happened to be. But not wanting to make his mate sad or angry he left the subject alone.
Inuyasha leaned against Sesshoumaru, if he was part cat-demon he would have been purring by now. But as he wasn't, he opted to sighing happily. He felt his brother's arm wrap around him and lift him up with practiced ease.
"I do believe it's time for bed," Inuyasha chuckled, yes sleep sounded good, the sun had only just begun to set. He was sure that his brother had other plans in mind.
The painting would be placed into the room once settled by a servant. So he needn't worry about it as Sesshoumaru headed to their room.
After an intense 'sleep' session, the two shared a peaceful bath before actually going to sleep. Being able to relax was one of the many perks that came with having a mate. Inuyasha found that he always felt at ease now. He remembered a time when being high strung was part of who he was.
His new view on life hadn't changed overnight though. It had taken many years before he had finally been able to let go of the stress that had built inside him over all the years. Sesshoumaru had helped him every step on the way.
Inuyasha hadn't thought about their first time together in quite a while. He still remembered seeing some other emotion on his brother's face other than anger and annoyance and how surprised he'd been.
He went to sleep recalling the very first meeting with Sesshoumaru after winning the battle.
Inuyasha was settling into his new life nicely. After defeating Naraku, Kagome had simply disappeared back to her own time he was sure. After spending four years checking the well every three days he finally realized she wasn't returning.
Though he had been in love with her, time had dampened it greatly. Six years had passed since that day and Inuyasha was over any love other than friendship that he'd had for her.
After Miroku and Sango had a few more children and their oldest had begun training as a demon slayer with the help of Kohaku. Inuyasha helped the couple move back to Sango's old home and stayed there periodically throughout the year. He'd become an uncle figure to the children now.
Shippo had gone off to the school for fox demons and had become somewhat of a prodigy to his kind. He was now getting lessons directly from the elder fox-demons. Inuyasha was happy for Shippo, but missed him, he stayed with his kind more now than ever and he couldn't visit them as he once had.
Inuyasha was content with this life, he had his friends that were like family to him. He could help them and make a difference in other lives besides his own. Even with those thoughts on his mind he couldn't help but feel he was missing something.
It felt as if no matter how happy he felt it still didn't feel complete. It had become his routine, he helped out with their village, then he'd go out and kill a demon or two for other villages, bring the bones back, and repeat each task until the new moon, which kept him within the village walls.
On nights when he was human he felt his emotions magnify. The emptiness that he could forget as a hanyō was to noticeable when he was human. He felt as if he were becoming a hollow shell of himself. But each morning once he was half demon again, he'd bottle up the sadness and go back out to help and fight.
Inuyasha had been tracking this blood sucking demon for days. It was the worst kind, the one's that came at night and sucked the blood from parents and children alike. He had heard enough about these murders, the demon had to be stopped and he knew that he could do it.
It had been two days of sleepless nights and endless chasing. This snake demon was fast and used it greatly to his advantage going to villages that had many miles separating them. When chases stretched on like this he felt the lack of companionship weighing on greatly on his thoughts. He'd defeat the demon and then continue was his life just as always.
Just an endless wheel that he had hitched a ride on and been stuck onto. Here he was again chasing after another heartless demon that only had blood lust on its mind. While that killing them did bring him joy, it didn't help fill the void.
Inuyasha paused in the tree he'd landed in. He took a quick sniff to determine which way to follow. The smell had been getting closer, it seemed as if the demon had stopped. Inuyasha simply followed knowing the piece of shit would be in for a real surprise when he pulled his sword out and hacked it to pieces.
He took off again, he was sure the demon was just up ahead, he readied his hand over the hilt to his sword. Inuyasha was ready for this demon, he had been chasing it for far too long by now and wanted to get this over with.
He landed once more and sniffed the air to make sure he was getting closer. When he froze in his tracks, he smelled the demon and someone he hadn't seen in a while.
His Brother.
Inuyasha hadn't seen him in almost three years. He'd come by one evening and taken Rin to his castle somewhere. They hadn't said anything, and that was the end of their contact. Inuyasha figured he'd find out soon enough why he was there and continued on his way.
Once he did reach his brother he'd been a bit surprised, grateful, and slightly confused. The demon he had been chasing was now long gone, having died from a torn out heart. Inuyasha was relieved at seeing this, fights had become a mundane necessity and less blood on his hands was good. But what really confused him was seeing his brother leaned against a tree, looking off.
He couldn't quite grasp what emotion was on his brother's face but it wasn't what he was used to. He stopped in the clearing and his brother didn't even acknowledge his presence. He just sat there staring off into the night sky looking odd.
Inuyasha felt awkward just standing there. He thought about just turning and leaving, but something held him there. Sesshoumaru looked like he wanted to say something, but what, he didn't know. Minutes went by as he continued standing and waiting to see what would happen.
"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru finally broke the silence. Inuyasha looked to his brother's face that still stared off into the stars. "It's been a while, has it not?" Sesshoumaru finally looked at him, Inuyasha noticed his eyes looked different. "Have you been well?" That had caught him off guard, his brother asking him how he was doing.
"Um, I'm doing fine..." Inuyasha replied, still shocked about being asked this from Sesshoumaru.
"Fine, hmm?" Sesshoumaru looked down at the ground. "Inuyasha I'm going to confide something to you," Inuyasha eyes widened, had he heard that right? "I have been raising Rin as my daughter and have found myself feeling lonely."
Lonely?
Inuyasha had never pegged his own brother at feeling lonely or anything for that matter. He was wondering why he was telling him this though. He was also shocked that his brother wasn't talking in third person.
Sesshoumaru continued, "I've been longing for a mate for a while now Inuyasha," Inuyasha was floored, why was he being told this? Sesshoumaru looked up at him again their eyes meeting. "I've been thinking also, about all the terrible things I've said to you and all the pain I've caused you."
Inuyasha watched as his brother got up and started walking towards him. The only question going through his mind was what the hell? Sesshoumaru stopped a few feet away from Inuyasha.
"I want to start over little brother," he stepped closer."I am asking you to give me a second chance," another step. "I want to start over with you in my life," he walked even closer. "Not only as a brother," he stood right in front of Inuyasha now.
Sesshoumaru gently placed a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder, jarring him from his frozen state, Inuyasha looked up and met his brother's eyes. "But also as my mate."
Inuyasha gasped out loud, his heart began to thud loudly in his head. He regained awareness and he pulled away from Sesshoumaru's hand, jumping back a few feet away from him.
Inuyasha knew that incest was a common practice in demons lives, even between same sex siblings, that wasn't what had gotten him. It was the fact that the brother that he had fought with so long, that hated his hanyō, had actually said those words. Never in his life time would he have thought something so emotional would come from his brother's mouth.
"I don't know what to say," he replied truthfully, Inuyasha didn't know what to say, how to react, and his brain wasn't helping him with it either."I don't-"
"I understand that this must be difficult for you Inuyasha," Inuyasha looked up, he could hear nothing but complete truth in his brother's voice. "I won't pressure you into anything, but please come visit me before summer arrives with your answer."
Inuyasha nodded without another word, before he turned and ran as fast as he could away from Sesshoumaru. His heart continued to race and he leapt from tree to tree. He made it back to the village full of question and emotions he wasn't able to identify. Though he tried to hide it, Sango had noticed not only that he'd forgotten to bring back the bones of the demon, but that he wasn't acting himself.
Later that day after helping out with the kids he'd gone to his hut. He heard a knock on his door. "Come in."
Sango walked in with her newest born in her arm and sat across from Inuyasha, "Inuyasha are you feeling fine?" Inuyasha could hear the concern, but could he really tell her?
"'I'm fine," no, he decided he'd keep this to himself.
She locked eyes with him, she could see the hesitation, "Inuyasha, you can trust me, please tell me what's wrong?" The worry in her voice was unmistakable.
Inuyasha sighed, Sango was now one of his closest friends, and he knew he could trust her. But with this could he? He decided that talking this out with Sango was for the best, he did trust her the most after all.
He recounted exactly what had happened between him and Sesshoumaru in the forest. She patiently listened as he finished his tale. He kept his eyes down once he was done telling her, wondering if Sango would be disgusted.
Sango was just as shocked as he was. "I know that demons are far different than humans, I can't say I understand fully but I know that demon unions are nothing like human ones. From what you tell me it must have taken a great deal of courage for Sesshoumaru to confess his feeling to you," -Inuyasha hadn't thought about it that way- "just know this, no matter what you choose we will always support and love you Inuyasha."
Inuyasha smiled and nodded, Sango really was like a sister to him more then anything. "Thank you for listening."
"I'll always be there if you need me Inuyasha," Sango got up and hugged Inuyasha after saying goodnight and returned to her home.
Inuyasha continued to smile as he sat there. He then went to lie on the roof, thinking over and over again at what Sesshoumaru had said, how sincere he had sounded, how his eyes had held such sincerity. How hard it must have been to say something as simple as that.
He would spend the next three months thinking over what he should do. Realizing more and more that on that night when he'd been so close to his brother he'd been able to forget the emptiness.
He decided that he would give his brother a chance and see where it led.
"New painting love?" Inuyasha nodded as he continued to paint the dark colors into the back ground of his latest work.
Sesshoumaru could tell that Inuyasha was in the moment and decided just to watch as his mate blended colors, making a new world appear.
Inuyasha stopped with only half a canvas filled with a starry night. He starred at his painting; he'd wait to finish it. Sesshoumaru watched in surprise as Inuyasha left the painting half done, he'd never done that before.
"I'm going to finish it later," Inuyasha sat in his mate's lap and let himself melt into his brother's embrace.
It felt natural now to be held, he remembered a time when hugs were a rarity. He remembered how nervous he was when he decided to go to his brother after three months. To tell him that he'd give them a chance.
Well there you go the first chapter to this story. This may or may not have a lemon though I'm not sure yet. Reviews are greatly appreciated of course. Until the next chapter.~