A Sickening Feeling

I don't own Inuyasha :(

Naraku is dead but the brothers still have a rift between them. When Sesshoumaru experiences a lapse in immunity, Inuyasha is the only one who can help him find the cure. Brotherly fic.

At first I was going to make this a serious fic but I realized that it just wasn't going to work without some humor b/c I started laughing at how embarrassed I was writing some of this. It is about Sesshoumaru getting sick, after all, so he is probably a mixture of IC and OOC. Feel free to lol on his behalf. You can expect Inuyasha to be himself though. I usually update fairly quickly because I'm already ahead with chapters, I just have to edit them. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Chapter 1 - Why

Since Naraku's demise Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had not become brothers but they were closer than they had been before Naraku. From time to time, though it was never a spoken deal, Inuyasha would randomly show up when Sesshoumaru scouted near the village. Sometimes Inuyasha would simply watch from a nearby tree while others he would join his brother. Jaken was never present. He was always told to stay behind or sent off on some random mission. Inuyasha believed that his brother silently understood the visits and didn't wish for them to be interrupted by the imp's mouth. To Inuyasha, the hardest part about the visits was not being around his brother but simply getting a conversation started. Sesshoumaru was never quick to start the conversation, it was always left up to Inuyasha to make use of the time wisely. Even when he managed to get Sesshoumaru to talk the elder was always quick and to the point with answers.

Inuyasha felt that it was time that they got beyond the barriers that had kept them apart for so long. Sesshoumaru now had Bakusaiga so he wasn't obsessed with Tetsusaiga anymore. Rin had managed to partially melt the ice cave that had surrounded his heart but Inuyasha still longed for the brother that he had missed. Why couldn't Sesshoumaru just talk to him like a normal person? Even Miroku and Koga acted more like brothers than Sesshoumaru did, so what was it that kept his brother so distant now? Did Sesshoumaru still blame him for their father's death? Surely, he had proved himself worthy of their father's blood. The question remained as to why he and his brother were still so far apart.

"Sesshoumaru…", Inuyasha started

Sesshoumaru turned his head slightly to listen as they continued to walk.

Inuyasha struggled to piece together the question, despite the fact that he had it so clearly prepared in his head.

"…things have changed since we destroyed Naraku, right?"

"What things do you refer to Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru inquired.

"…well, you know, Rin being left in the village, both of us surpassing father…us?"

Sesshoumaru stopped to ponder Inuyasha's statement. The little brother was correct but had they really changed so much? Maybe it was not so much that he had changed but had learned to become more tolerant of Inuyasha's presence. That was it.

"Yes, in some ways, things have changed." Sesshoumaru replied as he continued walking.

"If things have changed, why is there still a rift between us? Why are you still so guarded around me?" Inuyasha managed to get out what he wanted to ask this time.

Sesshoumaru again stopped. He hadn't anticipated these questions. For all he knew, the way they were now should have been perfectly fine. However, Inuyasha hoped for more so he pushed for more. That was the way the little brother had always been. It was the human side of him that made him yearn for the acceptance and affection of others. Could he truly blame him? Could he lie to the little brother about there no longer being a rift when there truly was one still there? Truth be told, he was still guarded. Why? He wasn't sure. Despite the fact that both his mother and father showed more emotion than he did, he always found it a difficult subject. He didn't understand it and it wasn't something he worked to understand either.

He turned his head to Inuyasha, "Inuyasha, some things cannot be so easily forgotten. Things change because they are meant to, not simply because you want them to."

Inuyasha furrowed his brow.

"So, you do still hold father's death against me and the fact that I am a half demon?" the anger in Inuyasha's face was beginning to show.

'So that was it.' Sesshoumaru thought. That was the reason why he and Inuyasha were still not what brothers were "supposed" to be. Deep down, despite the fact that he had surpassed his father, memories continued to replay. He had admired their father. Inuyasha never knew how badly he hurt when their father died. For Sesshoumaru, seeing Inuyasha was a constant reminder of the loss and the reason for it. The simple fact that Inuyasha was a half demon was less of an issue but it was still enough to add fuel to the flame.

Sesshoumaru turned his head from Inuyasha's gaze. "If you're asking me to deny it, I won't."

Inuyasha nodded his head in somewhat disbelief.

"…huh…you just can't let it go can you? After everything we've been through, you still blame me for something I don't even remember. You have control over change if you want it bad enough. Obviously, you don't." With that Inuyasha bound off of the path and into the trees, leaving Sesshoumaru to think about what he said.

'You're wrong Inuyasha, I don't know how to let it go. How am I supposed to want something that I know nothing about?*'

…

"I see what you mean Myoga", the female demon said. "Although, I do find that the fault still lies with Sesshoumaru, it is making Inuyasha unhappy as well. I don't understand why he's still blaming Inuyasha for their father's death. Their father made a decision of his own will.

"That is precisely it lady Mitchiko. I'm afraid that the swords could not bring the brothers much closer than they are now. What do you propose we do?" Myoga asked.

Mitchiko was the only demon that Myoga could think of who held power enough to cast spells on high ranking demons. She was also a cousin of Inutaisho who was very wise and was often called on for battle purposes. It was she who had given Inutaisho the power to seal enemies with his fangs. Mitchiko was not only helpful for battles but had been present early on in both Sesshoumaru's and Inuyasha's lives when they were first born. She was their caretaker along with their mothers and had promised Inutaisho that she would see to it that his sons accomplished a bond of brotherhood if they hadn't once training their swords was complete. She was not purely a dog demon. She was a mixture of wolf and dog but had been accepted as a high lady for her power The things that spoke her mixture were the eyes which were blue and the hair which held random light streaks of gray. Her hair, for the most part, was still silver and she wore it straight except for the braids that hung down on each side of her face. The pale blue kimono that she wore was decorated with several, small, white shooting stars on the sleeves and at the bottom. A dark blue bow tied to the back at the waist completed the outfit.

"Give me time to think on it Myoga. If nothing physical will bring the brothers closer then something else must be done. Inutaisho trusted that I would hold true to my word though I'm guessing that even he had not anticipated Sesshoumaru's attachment to his death in such a way. I am responsible for their happiness, so the job remains incomplete. One is not happy without the other, and the other will not be happy until he can let go of the past. The only thing that I can think of is forcing the brothers to journey together in order to make them find an answer."

"An answer to what my lady?" Myoga asked

"Sesshoumaru has never been one to express his feelings. His pride gets in the way. Though pride is a wonderful thing to have, it can also get you killed. Inuyasha needs to understand why Sesshoumaru cannot let their father's death go and Sesshoumaru has to feel vulnerable in order for them to accomplish anything. In order to do that, Sesshoumaru will experience something that most demons never experience in their lifetime, lapsed immunity. No one but Inuyasha will be able to help him find the answer to the cure."

"But, my lady, how will that help lord Sesshoumaru let go of his father's death and quit blaming Inuyasha?"

"You will see dear friend. First, we will need to get the brothers together again. The spell only works if they are near each other. Inuyasha will not be completely immune to the spell because he carries demon blood, but as for Sesshoumaru, the spell should have full effect. The heritage which Sesshoumaru is so proud of will be his enemy this time." Mitchiko replied as she smirked at the thought of her plan.

"My lady, how long will the spell last?"

"That depends, Myoga. It can last as long as it takes for them to find the answer. Depending on how sick Sesshoumaru allows himself to get before giving in to Inuyasha, is up to him. Don't worry though, the spell won't kill him, neither of the brothers will know that though!"

* Sesshoumaru's referring to not understanding how to show emotion. Just in case that was fuzzy :)

So what do you think so far? Continue?

If so, preview for Chapter 2 - Spell: Mitchiko puts her plan into action. "I think, we're sick." "I can't get sick, Inuyasha."

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