Chapter 11

Interfering Brothers and Promises

InuYasha sat across the fire, watching Kagome. She was beautiful. She always had been. When he had realized that she wasn't happy with him…it killed him. He had wanted to grab ahold of her, latch on, and never let go.

However, he knew that her inability to let him in was his fault. His indecisiveness had driven a wedge between them, a wedge never to be removed. He couldn't be angry at her because she tried. He could tell, and that hurt him even more.

She wanted to be with him, but she couldn't. She could forgive what he did with Kikyou, but she could never forget. So, he did what he felt he needed to. He let her go. He ignored how he felt, how his heart broke into two, and he did what was best for her.

For a split moment, when he first realized the wench was still alive, he had thought about trying to win her affections again. That is until he saw the way she looked at his brother…and the way his brother looked at her.

While the situation was different, it was similar to how it was before. Sesshomaru didn't want to be mated, but he was forced into it. Either way, Kagome was, once again, being left behind…and having to watch it all.

His heart went out to the female for it seemed she just couldn't catch a break. He wasn't sure what all went on in the miko's life after he left nearly a hundred years ago but the love shared between her and his brother was there, and neither could grab it.

However, his brother was in the wrong. While Sesshomaru may not think InuYasha knew anything about yokai courting rights…he did. And he knew exactly what Sesshomaru was doing.

InuYasha has no plans to get in between his brother and long-ago love, but Sesshomaru was going about this the wrong way. He knew Kagome, and she would never allow him to do something like this.

Sesshomaru was, for once, letting his emotions get the best of him, even if he didn't realize it. To Kagome, Sesshomaru's actions would be cheating, and she would never be the other woman, simply because she knows how it feels.

Keh. I put her second to Kikyou so many times, and now, Sesshomaru wants to put his mate second. Kagome will never forget that feeling, and she would never wish for it to happen to anyone else…especially because of her.

He needed to tell her. If this continued and Sesshomaru's mate found out about it before Kagome, she would feel miserable. Even if she didn't know, Kagome's heart was just too kind for something like this.

Sesshomaru may take his actions as betrayal but, in truth, telling her would also help him. If Kagome found out about it quick enough, she could tell Sesshomaru to back off and no harm done. If his mate found out…

He wouldn't let it come to that. While InuYasha wasn't particularly fond of his brother, he would rather her go to Sesshomaru than anyone else. He knew his brother enough to know that he would never betray her. She would be safe and well cared for.

That was all he could ask of her at this point.

He just wanted her to be happy. The truth was, he would be happy as long as she was. Even if it was with someone else.

No, he wouldn't go out of his way to get them together. Meddling was what ruined his relationship with Kagome in the first place. He would, however, make sure that nothing got in between them.

Once Sesshomaru got rid of his mate, what happens, happens.

That's all there is to it. Now, he just needed to break the news to Kagome.

"Hey, Wench." He called, watching as she looked at him from speaking with Daichi. "Come with me. I need to talk to you."

He didn't give her a chance to reply, nor did he look at his brother. He knew she would follow so he continued walking until they were far enough that the ice prick and lookalike couldn't hear them.

"What is it, InuYasha?" She asked, her voice sending shivers down his spine. How he wished he hadn't fucked up all those years ago.

"First things first. Put up a barrier. I ain't stupid, and I know the bastard is out there." He ordered, crossing his arms and hiding his hands in the large sleeves of his haori.

He felt the flare of her reiki, the way it tingled against his skin. It didn't hurt at all, and that was one thing he had always been amazed about. She was a miko, natural enemy against demons, yet, if she chose, her reiki wouldn't hurt even the smallest yokai.

"Okay, it's up. But why do you want to hide from your brother?" She whispered, her eyes betraying her curiosity.

"Do you know how demons court?" He started, waiting for the shake of her head for him to continue. "When males find a female they wish to take as a mate, they become affectionate, more so than normal. They feel they have to be as close to them as possible. They also become overprotective in every sense of the word. First, they will present a kill. This kill is the start of a courtship and goes to show that he can provide for his female. If she accepts, then the courtship begins."

He knew the moment she began to catch on. It didn't take her long at all, and he assumed it was because of how old she was. Before, she would have been naïve and he would have needed to spell it out for her.

Taking in her pale and knowing face, he continued. "They make sure their wellbeing is taken care of, making sure they are warm and have a comfortable and safe place to sleep. Basically, anything she needs is taken care of….and only by him."

"He can't!" She finally shouted, shaking her head furiously.

"He can. He shouldn't, but he can…and he has." He countered, grabbing the sides of her face to keep her from shaking it off. He looked deep into her blue eyes and could see the pain there. It was a good thing he was doing this now.

"Why? I don't understand!" She cried out.

"He loves you. I don't think I've ever seen the ice prick look at someone the way he looks at you." InuYasha explained. "I don't know when, I don't know how, but I do know what I see."

Kagome opened her mouth to say something, but a knocking on her barrier interrupted her. InuYasha and she both turned their heads to see Daichi looking through the pink barrier. Immediately, InuYasha released her face and she opened the barrier enough to let Daichi in before closing it again.

"What is it, Runt?" InuYasha asked.

"I'm not stupid, and neither is Father. He's furious with you." Daishi answered, glaring at InuYasha before he turned to Kagome. "He sent me to answer questions."

"You know?" Kagome whispered.

"Yea, but not at first. When you saved me, I had no idea you and Father even knew each other. But I guessed it before he came along." He answered, glancing towards InuYasha who just rolled his eyes.

"Tell me what you can." Kagome asked, her hand lifting to rest over her heart.

"I don't know all of the details, and in truth, Father won't tell anybody at this point. He left camp the moment you put up your barrier, and I don't know when he will be back." Daichi stated before plopping on the ground and sitting uncomfortably. He had been worried this would happen to his father. He just wished he had been wrong. "Father fell in love with you before I was born. Something happened and he was forced to take my mother instead."

"That long?" InuYasha asked, actually surprised.

Daichi let out a sad laugh before answering. "Yea. If Dad had his way, Lady Kagome would be my mother."

"Why did he do this courting bullshit?" InuYasha asked, ignoring yet another glare.

"Because his plan was to find some way to break off the mating with my mother. When he did, he didn't want to waste more time by having to court Lady Kagome so he decided to start now."

He almost slipped and told them about the necklace, but he felt his father would want to keep that a secret for a bit longer. After all, he had held on to it for fifty years. He wouldn't want to give it up now.

"Which way did he go?" Kagome questioned and began walking in the direction Daichi pointed.

"He might not be around anywhere." Daichi called, standing up and beginning to follow her. He only stopped when InuYasha grabbed his arm and her voice ghosted back to him.

"He will find me."

"Why did you do this? Why couldn't you have just left it alone?" Daichi asked, turning on his uncle who was still holding his arm.

"Believe it or not, I'm helping him." InuYasha replied. Once he knew he had the kid's attention, he released him and folded his arms.

"Helping? How is this, in any way, helping?" Daichi snapped.

"The fucking ice prince isn't thinking of the consequences. I know Kagome, and she would have never agreed to this courting shit. To her, your father is still being dishonest to his mate, and she ain't cool with that. Now, imagine how the wench would have reacted if your mother found out about it before she did." InuYasha replied, making Daichi blink in thought.

He may not know Kagome that well, but what he has seen screamed of her kind heart. He couldn't deny InuYasha's words and his anger was beginning to subside the more he thought about it.

"If Mom had found out first, Kagome would have felt horrible. Most likely, nothing between her and Father could have happened after that." Daichi whispered, beginning to understand.

"Now you're getting it, Runt. What I did, while shitty, probably just helped them in the long run."

"You better be right because, if you're wrong, I'm going to beat you into the ground." Daichi threatened, pointing towards the hanyou who just laughed.

"Good luck, Runt. If Big Frosty couldn't do it, what makes you think Little Frosty could?" InuYasha scoffed, jumping from the kid who scowled.

"I'm not frosty like Dad!" Daichi yelled, then seriously prayed that his father hadn't heard him say that. With the mood he was in, he may just lose his life.

Kagome continued walking through the woods. She hated to admit it but she was lost. For a few minutes now, she had been walking in circles, and she was beginning to become aggravated. By now, she thought Sesshomaru would have come to her, but she was beginning to think that she had been wrong.

He was hiding his youki so she couldn't track him and looking on the ground was pointless. He was probably jumping from tree to tree to stay hidden. She knew he was there though. He may not come to her, but he was too protective to just leave her be. And if what InuYasha and Daichi said was true…

She stopped immediately, fisted her hands, and threw her head back with an exasperated groan. Stomping her foot, she looked back up again and glared out into the shadows.

"Damn it, Sesshomaru! I know you're out there! I'm lost and need you to find my way back!" She said to the darkness, hoping that would work to get him out.

There was nothing, and she had to admit that hurt. She wanted some kind of confirmation from him. She needed to know the truth, otherwise her heart would end up broken. The last thing she needed was to think that he loved her when he really didn't.

After a few minutes of silence, Kagome turned and began to try and find her way back again. Her arms were hugged tightly to her chest and, as much as she fought it, she couldn't keep a single tear from falling from her eye to her cheek.

She very nearly fell back with a shriek when Sesshomaru was suddenly standing before her. If he hadn't reached out to catch her, she would have. Lucky for him, he stopped her descent or she would have had something to yell at him for.

"Miko, you should not be out here alone." He stated, his tone cold and guarded.

"I'm not alone. You're with me." She argued. Instantly, his hand released her elbow and he took a step back. She just took a step forward, not letting him get away. She needed to say this. "Is it true?"

Nothing. He said nothing. At least until she looked into his eyes and saw the answer. He was screaming it, but silently. His golden eyes seemed to be molten gold. They swirled with his emotions and she had never seen anything more beautiful.

The tears she had been holding back fell freely now, and she wiped them away roughly before looking down. Now that she knew, there was something else that needed to be said, and she would say it.

What she hadn't been expecting was for Sesshomaru to grab her chin and force her to look up at him. When her eyes met his, he moved his hand to her cheek, cupping it while his thumb brushed away her tears.

"Sesshomaru. The courting, affection, and everything else has to stop. It's not right, or fair, to your mate." Kagome said softly. His thumb stopped moving but he didn't remove his hand.

"This one never wanted to mate that female." He replied.

Kagome grabbed his hand in hers while pushing her cheek into it. She smiled slightly before looking back up to him. "I know, Sesshomaru. I don't know what happened to make you take her, and I'm not asking. You'll tell me when you're ready. But there is something you must know."

She took a deep breath and looked at the ground for a moment. Telling this male how she felt without actually saying the words was hard. It was nerve-wracking and she could only hope that he would understand her.

"There will be no more affection, no more looks, no more silent promises, nothing like that. It's not fair to your mate. But, I can make you this one promise. If the time comes that you are no longer mated, and you still wish it, I will not deny you." She started, laughing slightly when his eyes widened just a fraction. "You won't even need to court me. I will be yours, no questions asked."

How she just wanted to scream 'I love you,' but she knew she shouldn't. Saying those words would be too painful for both of them. For now, this would be the last altercation like this that they would have. She would make sure of that.

"I will hold you to that promise, Kagome." He rumbled, his voice much deeper than she had ever heard it. She held his gaze a second longer before nodding and pulling away from his hand. He let it fall limply to his side and, just like that, the moment was over.

"Come on, we need to return to your son and brother." Kagome whispered before turning and walking away.

"You are going the wrong way, Miko."

Kagome blushed before turning on her heel and stomping past the smirking daiyokai. She couldn't believe that she basically poured her heart out to the demon of her dreams, then went and made a mistake like that.

Ugh! Sometimes I'm the baka, not InuYasha.

-sSs-

While it may seem as if the two have everything worked out, they have no idea just how hard it will be, to know that they both love each other and can do nothing about it. This is when the story begins to get angsty. They constantly have to fight against their wants to keep from doing something stupid. The question is, can they? You'll just have to wait and find out.

Shout outs:

Redrake323: After a hundred years, he could only grow. Beside they will need all the help they can get soon enough. Lol.

Slvrphoenx: It will be a bit of a reunion. Lol. Shippo is a prankster after all. I always imagined that he would follow in his mother's footprints. She basically raised him after all.

Kidnapped by a Demon: A few more people will continue to come into the story, some old, others new. It will continue to get more interesting.

Wren210: Eventually we will find out more about Yura and Shakaku, but they will play a part. A little bit about the part of tricksters would make him nervous, but for the most part, in this story, kitsunes don't normally have as many tails.

I do not own InuYasha.