Warning: M for language. Yaoi.
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha.
Inuyasha walked through the hall with a sour look. Folding his arms, his eyes narrowed as he glared straight ahead.
'Why the hell is it always up to me?' He thought irritably. Logically however, he knew that Sesshomaru wouldn't talk to him first. It had to be up to him, after all.
Sliding open the door without permission, Inuyasha stepped into his brother's room. Sesshomaru inclined his head towards him, setting down his brush. The hanyou cleared his throat, moving further inside the room.
"So...uh...what are you up to?" He asked, unable to think of anything else to say. One look into those piercing eyes and it became hard to think.
"I despise small talk." Sesshomaru continued brushing his hair, though his hair already looked smooth and free of tangles. In fact, the half demon really doubted he needed that brush at all. The other's hair was thinner than his own and could just as easily be detangled just by using his fingers.
"Well then, let's talk about something important." Inuyasha insisted, sitting down on one of the small cushions that resided near the small, low table the middle of the room. "Like about the wedding. You're gonna marry Kaori, right?" It was spoken casually, there no was hint of jealously or malice.
This surprised Sesshomaru, considering only a few days ago he had seemed upset about it. "Certainly not. I am only going through the courting process to appease my mother. I have no need of a mate for quite some time, perhaps another century or so."
"Why not just tell her you wanna wait? I'm sure she'll understand." Inuyasha was confused by this point. Was it possible that Sesshomaru and his mother didn't get along? If so, it was a shame. The half demon couldn't imagine not getting along with his own mother - he had loved his human mother until the day she passed and still did.
"Have you met my mother, Inuyasha?" The words were cold and quiet. "She does not-!" His golden eyes widened as he realized the annoying idiot almost got him to reveal his feelings. Indeed, he didn't like all this talking.
"Is she controlling or something?"
"...yes." The demon lord answered almost carefully, slowly like he was letting out some dark secret. "It is of no consequence however, I do not care. My mother is the lady of these lands. She simply wants things a certain way."
"Yeah, but you're an adult now. You're next in line. I mean, like you said she watched over these lands while you were after Naraku. Now her time's up, she can't boss you around forever." Inuyasha reasoned, shrugging.
"My mother can and she will, if she pleases. Nothing I say will deter her."
Inuyasha's head began to hurt. There was so much about royal life that he didn't get. He supposed mothers like that didn't only exist in palaces though. He was glad to have had such a sweet and loving mom, and almost felt sorry for his brother. Almost. Not quite though, not after the shitty childhood he'd had after her death.
"Well, if she won't let up..." He swallowed nervously, nearly growing disgusted at the mere thought, "...then maybe you could just pick somebody more suitable." Inuyasha's face felt like it was on fire. He realized how bold he was being right now, but he figured to hell with it. After all, the demon lord had come to him first with his proposition.
Sesshomaru turned around, blinking slowly. "I presume you are speaking of us becoming mates?"
"It's what you wanted, idiot!" He barked. "Did you or did you not come to me all those months ago blabbering on and on about some promise?! You gave out the intention, so stop acting all innocent and weird."
The demon lord narrowed his eyes a bit. "Inuyasha..." He tried to think of something more to say, but it escaped him. For once, he was rendered speechless.
"Anyway, we're both guys here. We shouldn't keep harping on our feelings. Hell, let's just...if it's so important to keep our clan going then...let's just get it over with." He mumbled, the crimson blush still present on his cheeks.
"We should not rush it. In fact, I have changed my mind entirely." Sesshomaru disagreed. "Although males are typically very...let us say carnal creatures, we should not ruin a bond as brothers over something such as an heir."
Inuyasha was floored. He was bold for nothing, then? He had never felt so relieved and so rejected at the same time.
"I guess you're right." He said gruffly, smirking.
"Shall we have something to drink if we are going to continue this conversation?" The demon lord looked at him expectantly.
The hanyou snorted, rolling his eyes. "We don't have to keep talking if you don't want to."
"I must admit that you are able to get me to speak quite a bit." Sesshomaru looked back down at his brush, eyeing it as though it were more fascinating than the other man standing there, "It is interesting, I was able to ignore Rin mostly when she would speak. Only because I did not want to become attached, which has clearly failed by this point. With you, I speak too much I fear..."
"Well, sorry that I've ruined your whole silent and serious thing." Inuyasha scoffed amusedly, folding his arms.
"It is no matter. I suppose it is not all bad."
"Yeah, as long as you don't turn into a chatterbox. You know, people who can never stop talking."
"That does remind me of someone." Sesshomaru's eyes flickered up to meet his, causing the hanyou to blush again.
"What the hell? I don't talk that much! Do I?"
Sesshomaru simply shook his head. "You have your silent moments, but they concern me. With a mind as simple as yours, I fear too much thinking will prove to be too strenuous for you."
Inuyasha's lips pursed from annoyance "Whatever. Shut up, would ya?"
"I could say the same thing to you."
It was rare that the demon lord teased him, but he didn't get too offended. After all, siblings teased each other sometimes. He saw how Sango and Kohaku were, how Kagome and Souta were. They were close, but definitely got on the other's nerves at times. So if they were acting this normal together, perhaps they had already made progress without realizing it. The realization left a weird feeling in his stomach that he enjoyed but didn't dwell on. With his luck, something would come along to ruin it.
Indeed something did come along to ruin it, like a cruel cosmic joke. Irony, he supposed. The door slid open, revealing Sesshomaru's mother and the princess right behind her. The two ladies looked more dressed up than usual, their hair neatly combed yet tied back into slick ponytails.
"Mother?" The demon lord questioned.
"I have come to bring you an ultimatum." She wasted no time getting to the point, clasping her hands in front of her. "Either you marry this bride I have chosen for you or step down from your position as next-in-line."
The demon lord stood from his vanity, moving to stand in front of her, his eyes narrowed with a hint of defiance.
"I am supposed to rule now. Did we not discuss this before I left to..." His eyes shifted to Inuyasha almost uncomfortably, "...seek Naraku?"
"As I recall, it was to retrieve your supposed birthright, Tetsusaiga. You told me you would trick the worthless half breed and claim it as yours." She drawled, giving him an empty smile.
Inuyasha swallowed hard. As much as he wanted to cuss her out for talking down to him while he was standing there, the hanyou kept his mouth shut because frankly she was creepy as hell. He clearly remembered that day. The tall ogre demon that Sesshomaru stood atop of, manipulating both him and Kagome into thinking that his mother had returned from the dead. Then him ripping the black pearl from his eye...and well, the rest was history by now.
The older male was silent, glancing over at his younger brother. "Yes, well, be that as it may I am lord by title and I am supposed to rule next. Mate or no mate. Father ruled without a mate for some time before your marriage was arranged."
"Yes, but you are not your father."
"Correct, I have surpassed him as a great demon. Inuyasha has surpassed him as well. We do not need to adhere to your rules." Sesshomaru challenged.
Her eyes widened a fraction. "You will not marry her?"
"..."
She sighed a little, examining a painted claw thoughtfully. "You are not on some journey anymore, the battles are over. Now is the time when you settle down, start a family, and to use your demonic powers when necessary."
Kaori looked nervous the entire time, shifting her eyes between his mother and the young lord, unsure of where she stood.
"I will mate when I feel ready. I refuse to relinquish my position." He said icily.
"Oh?" She sniffed melodramatically, closing her eyes, "I suppose you do not love your dear mother, then. You wish to see me upset." She paused, leveling him with a heated glare. "Very well, you may become the next ruler, but I will not be happy about your decision to wait."
"So be it."
She turned to the distraught fox demon, leading her out into the hallway. "My dear, you will have to forgive my rude son. He is longer interested, I suppose. Send my apologies to your family. I know they wished for this union to work."
"He's not rude necessarily." Kaori smiled, shaking her head. "Simply standing up for himself. It is commendable. I wish I had his audacity, but of course as a woman people expect you to be so agreeable." She looked a little downtrodden, sighing wistfully. "It is a shame however, for I would not have minded being his mate."
The female dog demon frowned, watching as the girl walked down the hallway.
o
Inuyasha turned towards his brother once the two women left, a wide smirk on his face. "You finally stepped up to her, like a man. Good for you."
"Perhaps I was a bit disrespectful."
The hanyou shrugged. "She's your mom, sure. But like I said, you're an adult now. You gotta live your own life eventually."
Inuyasha was beginning to realize where his brother had gotten that cold reserved demeanor from. The demon lord's mother didn't seem like the type to show affection, tolerate emotions, and accepted nothing short of perfection.
Sesshomaru still looked a bit conflicted, but said nothing. Instead, he moved towards the door when a servant passed, requesting some tea and sake.
Once the drinks came, the two seated themselves on the floor. Inuyasha started off with the tea, not touching the alcohol. He wasn't much of a drinker, never had been. Sesshomaru was drinking the tea as well and he wondered who the sake was even for. Maybe his brother assumed he liked the stuff.
"So..." Inuyasha blushed a bit, setting his cup down. "This has actually been, uh, nice. Living here and all. It ain't as bad as I thought it would be."
Sesshomaru actually scoffed, pushing his cup forward on the table. "You are quite maudlin when intoxicated."
"Hey, I'm not drunk! I'm drinking tea and you know that, asshole." Inuyasha found himself rolling his eyes for the thousandth time, yet he didn't feel the same irritation that he used to in past when dealing with others.
Sesshomaru only smirked a bit. They sat in silence for awhile longer, enjoying their drinks. After a few minutes had passed Inuyasha realized it was up to him to keep the conversation going. To his surprise though, the demon lord beat him to it.
"I suppose I should thank you for earlier." The demon lord drawled, tucking some hair behind a pointed ear.
"Huh? I didn't do anything nice." The younger man was beyond confused.
"For stepping out of your personal comfort, for attempting to accept that proposition I offered to you months ago." Sesshomaru explained.
Inuyasha's lips tightened as he suddenly remembered, his eyes widening. Only minutes earlier he was telling his older brother that they should just 'get it over with' and give these lands a suitable heir. Mainly to get Sesshomarus' mother to calm down and leave the topic alone.
"It ain't a big deal. It wouldn't be the first time I've stepped outta my comfort zone." Inuyasha told him nonchalantly, shrugging.
He'd been forced to twice before. The first time was after his mother died and suddenly he had to learn how to survive on his own. The second time was when Kagome accidentally broke the sacred jewel into shards and he had been forced to travel with her to retrieve them despite the fact that he really hadn't wanted to get to know her at the time.
Then again, it had led to better experiences. He'd grown tough, made friends, and opened up eventually.
"I see." The demon lord murmured after a few moments.
"I'll see you later." The hanyou stood abruptly, seeing that his brother seemed tired of all this conversation. He knew that today had been a stretch for him, but at least they had gotten along better this time.
Sesshomaru watched silently as his brother left, before he turned and finished his tea in peace and quiet.
'Strange...I think I am beginning to enjoy Inuyasha's company.'
o
Later on in the evening, Inuyasha noticed Kaori on the large balcony looking like she was getting ready to leave. The half demon bit his lip nervously, before he blew out a breath with a determined look. All this time, he hadn't really directly spoken to her and vice versa.
"Hey!" He called, startling the girl.
"Oh. Lord Inuyasha, it is you." Her brown eyes swam with silent questions. Inuyasha was momentarily surprised she didn't seem bothered by the fact he was only half demon, and assumed she was more open-minded than the average demon.
"I know you're probably wondering what the hell I want." When she didn't react, he continued anyway, "I guess I came to say...even though he's not ready now, I wouldn't worry about it. If you waited longer, I'm sure he would become your mate years from now."
Kaori smiled gently, shaking her head. "Thank you, but the young lord is not interested in me. I could tell. If we married, it would be purely for show. To appease our families. My father will find another suitable mate for me, I'm sure."
"Yeah, but...why not just wait it out? Demons live so long anyway." Inuyasha reasoned. He still didn't really get how demon or royal culture worked, but he was trying to learn as to not appear so ignorant. People teased him enough for it as it was.
She tilted her head, looking pensive. "Yes, I could wait. You are right. However, even demons usually get married in their youth like humans."
"Oh...but your youth lasts such a long time, so waiting ain't a big deal. Right?" He persisted.
"You seem determined to salvage this on behalf of your brother. You must care about him very much." Kaori wasn't teasing him, he could tell by her tone.
"What?! I don't care about that bastard. Please, you've got it all wrong. I'm just trying to..." Inuyasha's words trailed off.
What the hell exactly was he trying to do?
Inuyasha's eyes widened as he realized the princess was right. Maybe he did want to fix this before she left. After all, there wasn't any way in hell he'd be mating with him. Then again, the thought no longer made his stomach turn and cause bile to rise in his throat.
"Perhaps you two would be a nice match." Her words caused him to nearly choke on his spit, causing him to cough loudly as he glared at her. She was not fazed at all, brushing imaginary dirt off her kimono. "After all, you two are both dog demons. It only makes sense."
"S-Sense? What-?!" He began sputtering incoherently, causing her to laugh as she turned to leave.
Before he could respond properly to her, he noticed she had already left the palace. His ears lowered slightly as he looked at the clouds, a sigh escaping him.
"It is too much for you, is it not?" The sound of Sesshomaru's voice made him turn around with a bewildered stare.
The bastard had concealed his scent and was probably eavesdropping the entire time. As proper as he carried himself, he seemed like the type to listen in on something. The demon lord liked knowing things about everything and everyone, it was simply his nature.
"No. I mean, it's not too much for me to handle, okay? I told you earlier that I didn't care about it anymore. Us being...together." The hanyou murmured, his head feeling like it was spinning. "Except when it was just us talking about it...it didn't seem so odd. But now everybody's chiming in - your mom, Kaori, the servants...who's next?"
"Well, no one is holding a sword to your throat forcing you to stay." The demon lord pointed out, smirking. "After all, she is gone now. There is no need to be so flustered."
"Oh, yeah?" He asked rudely, sneering.
"I assure you that nothing will happen between us." Sesshomaru replied coldly.
"Can we eat dinner now? I'm starving." He changed the subject as usual, for it was easier than facing uncomfortable topics.
"Another thing before we go, Inuyasha." The older man murmured, closing his eyes. "You should not let other people's words affect you so easily. If you did not like what she was saying, then it simply doesn't concern you. Think of it in that manner the next time someone affronts you."
Inuyasha's eyes widened. "Yeah...I guess. Thanks."
In the strangest way, he felt comforted by the other's words. Usually when he got upset and flustered (which was probably too often), the people around him only made him feel worse. He knew Kagome and his friends meant well, but they weren't exactly good at calming him down except for Miroku, and even then he would sometimes let the monk take the full brunt of his fury. Yet with a few simple words, the demon lord released the anger in his mind, and he felt a calm he hadn't felt in a long time.
To be honest, it was how he had felt with Kikyo.
'And look at how great that turned out. I need to keep my distance from him. We're family, nothin' more. Although, I do like him that way now...kind of. How the hell would I even begin to tell him? I'm too awkward when it comes to these things. Not to mention everyone I've loved so far either leaves or...' He paused, letting out a soft sigh through his nose as his eyes narrowed desolately. '...they die.'
With that, the two turned and went back into the palace as the sun began to descend in the sky.
Well first I wanna say a big thank you for all the kickass reviews. It definitely motivated me to get off my lazy butt and attempt to write something lol. This story won't be too long though, I'm trying to keep it somewhat short.
I also apologize if this chapter was boring. Eventually, all my longer stories have that one filler chapter where not much happens but...eh, fillers happen. The future chapters will have a lot more interesting and lemon-y stuff going on though, so disregard this chapter if it bored you to tears lol.
Thanks for reading! Comments are appreciated.