Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha, Rumiko Takahashi does.
Warning: Sesshoumaru is out of character, but that's on purpose. Let me defend for a second. I believe Sesshoumaru is putting up a façade most of the time, which requires effort and the presence of mind to maintain, and in this situation, he has neither, and therefore is not putting up the façade, that combined with the fact that he's semi- conscious or unconscious through most of it, and is therefore out of character. But, I admit, I go a bit far.
Warning2: It's official, the grocery store nearest to my house is selling peaches. I have had my first peach of the season. You probably don't know this about me (unless you've read one of my other fics) but I find peaches inspiring. This story, although it has nothing to do with peaches, was peach induced. You have been warned.
The NapKagura clapped her right hand over her mouth and her left arm around her stomach as she tried desperately to stifle the fit of giggles that threatened to over-come her at the sight before her. To laugh would mean death, pain, suffering… in essence, cranky demons.
Kanna stared blankly at the scene before her, wondering what her master was planning. She had tracked him to this exact location only to find this… this… episode, in front of her.
(Previously)
Jaken was slumped against the doorframe, snoring peacefully, the staff of two heads resting gently against his shoulder. His master had given him explicit instructions, and he had intended to follow them, but he couldn't help it, it had been a long time since he'd had any sleep and the poor toad was exhausted. Sesshoumaru had told him to stand guard by the door, that he was not to enter on pain of death, was not to let anyone in on pain of death, was not to let down his guard on pain of death (oops), was not to ask questions on pain of death, was not to answer questions on pain of death, etc. etc. Basically, no one goes in, no one goes out, and no one knows what goes on within these walls, "or else". Sadly, Sesshoumaru was about to learn the difference between a loyal servant and a competent one.
…
"I-I don't think he's here! We should leave!"
"Come on, Ginta, I know it's scary but we have to find Kouga."
"That's true, I mean he's been so reckless lately, well, not just lately, but still, he's so reckless, and he could get hurt if he's running around by himself. At least with us he avoids too much danger for our sake. But still, I don't smell him here, so lets look somewhere else."
"Ok, where do you smell him?"
"I don't." Ginta admitted sadly.
"Well, then, that leaves either looking where we don't smell him or not looking at all." Ginta said logically, a cute crease in his forehead as he tried to think.
"And we have to look, so we'd better get this over with." Ginta sighed in defeat. The walked through the eerie halls of the seemingly abandoned castle, until the came upon a sleeping… umm….
"What is it?" Hakaku asked quizzically.
"An imp?" Ginta offered, looking baffled himself.
"Or a toad." Hakaku suggested. "Why is it sleeping out here by this door?"
"Maybe it's guarding something?" Ginta asked, "And if it's guarded then Kouga probably isn't in there so lets go look somewhere else."
"L-lets check it out, he might be hiding in there, waiting for us to rescue him."
They slid the door open just enough to peek in. In the middle of the room there was a large futon, in the center of which was a round pile of white- white fur, white hair, white cotton, white silk, pale clawed foot, - what? pale, clawed foot? The wolf demons moved closer… and closer… and screamed, as white fur wrapped around one waist and then the other, pulling them forcibly to the bed.
…
"Where'd those morons run off to now?" Kouga mumbled irritably, tracking their scents. It led him to an old, beat up looking castle that looked like it hadn't been used in centuries. "What the- That scent, Sesshoumaru's here too! Those idiots, they'll get themselves killed!" Kouga ran as fast as he could while tracking their scent. He followed it through eerie hallways to an open sliding door, next to a passed out green thing. There scent came from in this room, he looked in, tense and ready for battle… but not for what he saw.
It was all he could do not to laugh- Armor from the wolf demon tribe was scattered around the room, and right in front of him, looking absolutely pathetic, were his two companions, laying on a futon with none other than Sesshoumaru, who was cuddling with Ginta while using Hakaku's stomach as a pillow. They were giving him pleading looks, silently begging to be rescued. Kouga calmed his breathing, eventually, and started planning how to disentangle them from the demon lord without waking him up. It would not be an easy task, as Sesshoumaru had his arm and a leg around Ginta, his fur around Hakaku, and random sheets and furs wrapped and tangled all over the place. He decided to start by replacing Hakaku with a rolled blanket, since he was the least tangled with Sesshoumaru's body, and then Hakaku could help him free Ginta. He walked over softly, padding quietly across the floor, closer to Hakaku, when Sesshoumaru's ear twitched slightly. Kouga's eyes widened and he froze. Sesshoumaru's eyes opened lazily, still half lidded, and he blinked blurrily, clearly still half asleep.
"Hmn?" He asked sleepily, his eyes wandering vaguely in Kouga's direction.
"I… I need to replace the linens… please, get up and let me replace them so I can go back to bed." Kouga lied lamely.
"Bed?" Sesshoumaru mumbled, his brow furrowed with confusion, "are you tired?"
"Yes…" Kouga lied again. Unfortunately, that was the wrong thing to say.
Sesshoumaru let go of Ginta with his arm, leaning on him heavily to keep him in place, and patted the space behind him on the futon. "Sleep." He said simply.
"Ok, after I switch the linens" he said softly, leaning in closer to grab Ginta.
"No." Sesshoumaru pouted lazily, grabbing Kouga by the breastplate of his armor, "Sleep."
…
"He's in there…" Ginta said softly, pointing a shaking finger at the open door. "Please, you have to help him."
"Ha! So he's hiding in there, is he? Kouga, you're going down!" Inu Yasha walked right up to the door and strode in. "What the…" Inu Yasha started laughing shamelessly.
"Shut up and get me out of here already!" Kouga shouted, having figured out over an hour ago that Sesshoumaru was not going to wake up, not all the way, at any rate. He would know, because he had tried for nearly an hour to wake him up, in spite of the protests from his comrades, but nothing worked.
…Flashback…
"Wake up already!" Kouga whined, having been trying without success for almost an hour, to rouse the dog demon. He was currently shaking him, which illicit a soft whine but nothing else.
"Kouga please," Ginta whispered frantically, "Don't, you'll just make him cranky."
"No! We'll never catch Naraku like this!"
"Naraku?" Sesshoumaru muttered sleepily, turning half lidded eyes on Kouga.
"Yes!" Kouga shouted, "We're going after Naraku!"
"No," Sesshoumaru mumbled, shaking his "my prey. You sleep." And with that he rolled back over, cuddling Ginta and nuzzling Hakaku, before drifting back to sleep.
"I WILL NOT SLEEP WE'RE LEAVING SO- AH!" Sesshoumaru rolled over, grabbed Kouga and lay him on his back where Sesshoumaru had been laying, lay down on top of him and lay his hand over Kouga's mouth. Sesshoumaru stared at him, still pouting, still mostly asleep.
"Shsh." Then rested his head on Kouga's chest, free of the armor, which had joined his companions armor some time ago.
Ginta and Hakaku, now free of the sleeping dog, ran like their lives depended on it.
…End flashback…
"Why didn't you just wake him up?" Inu Yasha asked between laughs.
"He sleeps like the dead, or haven't you noticed!" Kouga shouted. Sesshoumaru sniffed curiously, before raising his bleary eyes to the half demon that was making so much noise.
"Little Brother?" He mumbled, trying to blink the sleep out of his eyes.
"Sesshoumaru! I'm glad you've decided to wake up, now I can-"
"Shut up." Sesshoumaru growled irritably, "Your Nii-san is trying to sleep."
"You bastard I'll-" Inu Yasha started to shout.
"Bad puppy!" Sesshoumaru mumbled. "Nap time for you too!"
"Huh?" Inu Yasha asked, horrified.
…
"Oh great," Ginta panted, "That didn't go well. Now who are we going to get to help them?"
"Don't know," Hakaku panted, "but we're no match for Sesshoumaru, even if he's asleep. We'd better get help. Come on, this way, I smell sister Kagome!"
"Kagome! Kagome!" They shouted in unison.
"It's Kouga's friends! Ginta, Hakaku, what's wrong!"
"It's Kouga and Inu Yasha! They-"
"Where are they? We've been looking for Inu Yasha!"
"We found him a little ways from here, but we asked him for help because Kouga was trapped by Sesshoumaru and we didn't know who else to-"
"Sesshoumaru!" Shouted Kagome, Sango, Miroku and Shippou. Totosai had a look of understanding, as he started chuckling to himself.
"What's so funny?" Miroku asked calmly.
"You two." Totosai asked, turning to the wolves, "Was Sesshoumaru by any chance sleeping?"
"Yes!" They shouted.
Totosai and Myoga started laughing so hard they could barely breath. When Totosai finally got himself under control, he started to explain.
"Sesshoumaru doesn't like to sleep, so he doesn't sleep very often, only once every decade or so, but when he does he sleeps like the dead for several days straight. At that time he's completely off guard and reverts to an almost childlike state. I suggest you just wait it out, because if Sesshoumaru has decided they're taking a nap, they're chances of escape aren't worth calculating."
"Who are you?" Ginta asked cautiously, not recognizing him.
"I am Totosai. Myoga brought me here after Kagome asked him where Inu Yasha was, hoping I might have some imput."
"Oh. Can you help us rescue-" Hakaku started-
"Weren't you listening to a word I said? It's hopeless. You'll just have to wait for him to wake up, and hope those idiots haven't disturbed him too much."
"Why?" the wolves asked together.
"Pity the poor soul who disturbs a sleeping dog demon."
Hakaku and Ginta gulped.
…
"What's this?" Naraku purred as he gazed into Kanna's mirror. "So the great Lord Sesshoumaru is taking a nap? How interesting."
…
"Now what, mutt face?"
"Shut up! If you hadn't come here in the first place we wouldn't be in this mess!"
"You shut up! You-"
Sesshoumaru growled.
"AND YOU!" Inu Yasha shouted, "WAKE UP AND LET GO ALREADY! I'M"
Sesshoumaru got onto his knees, put a hand behind Inu Yasha's neck, and head butted him, knocking him out cold. He shook his head and turned to Kouga.
"No need!" He said quickly, laying his head down, and pressing his lips together. Sesshoumaru nuzzled him happily before lying down and going back to sleep, resting his head on Kouga's chest.
…
Kouga wished, for the first time in months, that he did not just catch Naraku's scent, but it was here, very suddenly, as if he had just appeared out of no where. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who smelled it.
"Go away, I'm tired."
"So am I, let me join you."
"You'll just try to absorb me."
"I won't, I'm" Naraku yawned dramatically, "too tired. I bet I'm asleep as soon as my head hits the futon."
"Liar, I'll-" Kouga shouted. Sesshoumaru growled dangerously, and Kouga, who could sense the danger and power behind that growl, was instantly quieted.
Sesshoumaru patted the space on the futon in front of him and Naraku gleefully slid onto the futon and proceeded to cuddle Sesshoumaru, who fell asleep once more.
"Naraku, once I get out of here I'm going to kill you!" Kouga whispered.
"Sesshoumaru," Naraku pretended to pouted, "Kouga talks too much."
Sesshoumaru, without opening his eyes, pointed lazily towards a table, the only other furniture in the room. Naraku rose and walked over, and saw there was incense. He lit it, and started to fan it towards the futon. He then returned to the futon, thinking he would be able to hold out longer than Kouga and could then grab Sesshoumaru and leave. It was not long before both Kouga and Naraku were out cold.
…
"Well," Ginta said, feeling even less confident than he sounded, "I guess we'll just have to rescue him ourselves"
"Y-Yup." Hakaku said, as they ran towards the castle. They waited once they reached the room, staring fearfully at the now closed sliding door. "What do you think happened?"
"Who knows? Lets take a peek." They tiptoed carefully to the sliding door, peeked in, and saw, to their horror, their leader, cuddled in between the two scariest demons they knew. They slid the door back into place.
"What shall we do?" Ginta whispered, panicking.
"We'll have to find someone! We can't rescue him from both of them! And there's no way to get to him without going past at least one of them!" Hakaku replied, equally frightened.
"Ok, lets go!"
Just as they were about to run, the door slammed open, and in the doorway stood one very grumpy looking dog demon. "You two talk too much." The demon lord grumbled. He wrapped his fur around them both, and dragged them inside, slamming the door.
…
(later)
It was all Kagura could do not to laugh at the sight before her- there, sleeping in a dog pile on a single futon were the wolf tribe, Sesshoumaru, Inu Yasha, and Naraku, all of whom were supposed to be fighting each other, and all of whom looked quite cozy.
…The End…