Chapter 11:
Sesshomaru sighed and pushed open his balcony door. The night was hot and still, and he felt as if he were stifling. The air conditioning was on, but he hated the constant hum it made and disliked that he would have to keep the windows closed. Closed windows made him feel claustrophobic more than anything else.
He stepped onto the balcony and surveyed the night sky. Not a cloud that he could see and the moon was bright. But a certain tenseness in the air told him that relief from the heat would not be too much longer in coming.
The demon lord jumped down from the balcony and set off across the lawn. He was not worried about getting back into the house. Perhaps a walk in the park would quiet his nerves.
He thought about what he had done earlier that day. Accepting a human as a sensei, and worse still, a woman? What had he been thinking? In fact, what was going on with him lately? These people seemed to have done something to him, beyond the geas, but he was damned if he could think of what it might be. No one had been anything other than polite, and although they called him 'lord', they were certainly not bowing and scraping to him. Perhaps that was it… they would honour his title and give him the respect due his status, but they would not kowtow to him.
"Sesshomaru?"
The demon halted in the path, inhaled deeply and sighed again. Perfect. Just what he needed: his younger brother.
These people had done something to the hanyou as well. He had grown into his power and gained in self-confidence. Sesshomaru was curious to see how his brother had progressed in his martial skills, since Lady Cobra had said he was learning quickly. It had been interesting to see the pride Inuyasha had in his newfound skills at reading and writing, and for an instant, Sesshomaru felt a pang of remorse that he had ignored the blood-tie between them for so long. His own pain had not only robbed him of a potential ally, it had robbed his brother of his birthright.
"Can't sleep either, huh?"
Inuyasha stood a good ten feet away from his brother, his stance wary, as if he were not sure of his reception.
"It is very hot."
Inuyasha smiled. "Yeah. I've come down to sit in the creek for a while to cool off. I'd use Tam's pool, but…" He shrugged. "It's…uh…in use. Care to join me?"
Sesshomaru hesitated, then shrugged. He followed his brother away from the path and to the edge of the creek's steep bank.
As they reached the edge, Inuyasha stopped to listen to a dog crying in the distance. He lifted his head and howled back to the animal. Sesshomaru smiled a little. Inuyasha might be just a half-breed, but his father's blood was strong in him.
"That dog sings to me all the time," Inuyasha said, with a grin.
"And do you understand him?"
"Sure. Tonight, he's pissed off that he's stuck in the yard and can't go in the house because his owners aren't there."
Sesshomaru watched as his brother stepped out of his clothes, leaving them on the bank of the creek. This area was a little more secluded than that near Tayne's, and there was less likelihood of being seen if someone should come by at this ungodly hour.
Inuyasha had indeed filled out, no longer the skinny almost-man Sesshomaru remembered. He was still lean, but very muscular, and the childish curves of his face were disappearing into adulthood. His cheekbones were broader than his sire's and brother's, and he lacked demon markings, but that was really the only noticeable difference. Much of his restless energy had been harnessed, and he moved with sure grace.
"Come on, Sesshomaru," Inuyasha called, as he skidded down the bank and settled into the creek. "There's no one here but us."
Sesshomaru snorted. "I don't need to be told that by you."
"Of course you don't." Inuyasha sluiced the cold water over his shoulders. The next scoop of water was flung at his older brother.
"Hey! Watch that."
Inuyasha grinned impertinently.
Sesshomaru looked about, then shrugged. His yukata landed beside Inuyasha's clothes and he stepped down into the creek, moving cautiously over the moss-slicked rocks. The cool water felt good on his heated skin.
"The water isn't as clean as at home."
"No. But it's better than some places. They don't take care of this world of theirs."
"Hmmph." Sesshomaru found a place to sit near his brother and flung some water back at him.
Inuyasha yelped and laughed. "Hey!"
"So… do you do this often?"
"No. Once in a while. I get restless, you know?"
"I know."
"It's like… like a singing in my blood. On nights like these, I often dance. Sometimes until dawn."
Sesshomaru nodded in understanding.
"Kagome's… " Inuyasha sighed. "I need her, Sesshomaru, but she's menstruating now. When the wanting gets too bad, I do this. It … keeps me calm."
"Hmmm…I know, little brother."
"Do you ever…?"
"A long time ago." Sesshomaru cupped water to dribble down his back. "I was nearly married a long time ago."
"Married? What happened? Who was she?"
Sesshomaru's mouth quirked upwards. "A maiden of the Southern lands. All the arrangements had been made and we were days away from our union when my mother…" He could not continue.
Inuyasha's ears lowered. "Sess?" He gazed at his brother with golden eyes full of pity for him.
Sesshomaru shook himself, sending water droplets flying from the ends of his hair.
"Well… needless to say, the maid was removed from the West's terrible influence and returned to her home. Her father couldn't let her marry me if there was the possibility that I was not legitimate. After that, I learned to keep my emotions in check. No matter what, I learned to keep things inside, so no one would know that their barbs and jibes hurt me. Father publicly claimed me as his Heir again to dispel any doubts, but the damage was already done. And then…you were on the way, and somehow the rumour started that you were meant to displace me as heir. You can imagine how that made me feel."
"Yeah…" Inuyasha looked down. "I'd say sorry, but it wasn't really my fault, you know."
"No need, little brother. But you can see why I wasn't disposed towards helping you when you needed it. Your death would have made things simpler for me." Sesshomaru looked down at the water, then sighed. "For that, Inuyasha, I'm sorry. You're right – we've wasted too much time being at loggerheads over things that do not matter much in the long run. But now… now I'm beginning to see why Father distributed the swords the way he did.
"With the Tetsusaiga, I might have run amok instead of learning to bide my time. I would have used the power of the sword for all the wrong reasons and dishonoured our father's memory.
"But you – from the moment Tetsusaiga was put in your hands, you have used it to defend others. You have never used it to gain power or wealth, as you might have done. In your hands, the sword retains its honour."
"Thank you." Inuyasha's voice was quiet.
"Inuyasha…"
"Eh?"
"I feel like dancing tonight."
The demon lord stood, letting water drain from him, and stepped carefully to the bank. Inuyasha stood quickly and helped his brother up the steep bank, understanding that it was difficult to manage with only one arm.
Inuyasha looked at his brother's marred beauty and felt remorse. The demon lord was lean and muscular, every movement graceful and controlled. He flicked back his damp hair with his hand, then shook himself free of water droplets.
Inuyasha grinned and shook himself as well. Then he lifted his face to the nearly full moon and sang softly to it as generations had done before him, feeling the wildness rise in his blood. Beside him, Sesshomaru did the same.
Then Inuyasha began to move to the night's music that was felt rather than heard. His brother followed, matching him step for step for a bit, then spun off on his own tangent. Sesshomaru was a little more cautious in his movements: his missing arm could put him off-balance if he moved the wrong way. He faltered only once, and found his brother's fingers meshed with his, giving him added stability until he found his balance again. Inuyasha grinned, then released his hand and spun in a tight circle, his hair whipping out in a silver crescent.
They danced for a while, before stopping at the same time as if by agreement, both bowing towards the other. Sesshomaru was panting lightly from his exertions, as was Inuyasha. The demon lord reached out slowly, so his brother would know that this was not an attack, and cupped his palm against Inuyasha's cheek.
"Thank you. I have not danced for a very long time."
His brother's smile rivalled the moon for luminosity.
"Let me walk you back to Tayne's, Sess."
Sesshomaru nodded. They found their clothes and dressed unhurriedly, Inuyasha helping his brother with the ties of the yukata. Even though it was still full dark, a few birds began to stir and greet the day. The two demons proceeded down the path without speaking. At the point where Sesshomaru needed to turn off to get to Tayne's property, he stopped and grasped Inuyasha's shoulder for a moment.
"Sesshomaru?"
"Good night, little brother. Get back to your mate before she misses you."
He leaned forward and gripped the back of Inuyasha's head and kissed his brother's forehead, then turned without another word and made his way up the hill.
Inuyasha stared after him until he could no longer see him, then turned for home. Since there was no one to see, he used great bounding leaps to take him home in a few minutes. He leaped up the tree outside his room and entered through the window.
Kagome was as he had left her. He peeled off his clothing and dropped the garments on the floor. Moving carefully, so he would not awaken her, he slid into the bed beside her and put an arm over her hip. The girl snuggled back into his warmth, sighing in her sleep. He kissed her shoulder, then closed his eyes and was asleep within a minute.
OoOoOo
The next morning, when Sesshomaru awoke to the sounds of Jaken fussing about in the sitting room, he did not rise immediately, but lay on his back, thinking.
It had been very pleasant to sit with Inuyasha last night and just talk. Unlike his brother, Sesshomaru did not have anyone he could call friend. Jaken did not count, of course. Was that why he had allowed the little imp and the child to follow him? To keep him from being too lonely? Neither of them knew anything about his past, so they could not bring up old hurts.
Lady Cobra and her colleagues had all been polite and friendly. He liked the little mutant, and trusted her. She had obviously taken good care of his brother, and Inuyasha adored her. Sesshomaru did not think it was wise to be so close to one's sensei, but in this case, it seemed to enhance the learning rather than impede it. Perhaps it would not be so bad to cultivate these people as friends.
"Good morning, Lord Sesshomaru."
"Jaken."
"Would you like your bath drawn?"
"Yes."
Sesshomaru turned his head to watch the imp disappear into the bathroom. An instant later, he heard the water come on as Jaken began to fill the tub. The demon lord rose from the bed and stretched, pacing to the window to glance outside.
Another hot day. But this one would bring relief from the heat by day's end, he thought.
Turning, he went into the sitting room to investigate the morning's offerings from Mrs. Willard. Ah! Those crescent-shaped pastries she called croissants! Sesshomaru enjoyed them, but disliked how the pastries crumbled. However, the mess on the floor was not his concern, now was it? He left a trail behind him as he went back into the bedroom, heading for his bath.
"I will wear modern clothes today, Jaken," Sesshomaru said as he lowered himself into the tub. "And bring me my tea."
Jaken bowed. "Aye, my lord."
Sesshomaru closed his eyes and popped the last of the croissant into his mouth. He listened as Jaken discovered the mess on the floor and tut-tutted. Then he could hear Rin in the sitting room, calling for Jaken.
"Out, out, Rin. Lord Sesshomaru is bathing. He'll see you downstairs."
"But I want to show him my new dress."
"Let her in, Jaken," Sesshomaru called, sliding deeper into the water.
The child danced into the bathroom, holding out the hem of her sundress so Sesshomaru could get the full effect.
"Look, my lord! Is it not the prettiest thing?"
"Yes, Rin. Very nice."
"And you're going to be wearing modern clothes too! Are we going to the … the office today?"
"Yes. Would you like to play with the other children while I am busy elsewhere?"
"Oh yes! They have such wonderful toys and things in the day care."
"Alright then. Now, leave me to my bath, hmm?"
"Yes, my lord."
Sesshomaru quirked a smile as the child danced out of the room again. He could hear Jaken scolding her as she filched a croissant from the plate in the sitting room.
He called Jaken in to assist as he got out of the bath. As the imp dried him, Sesshomaru wondered what this day would bring. Lady Cobra had promised preliminary results of her testing. It would be interesting to see if it were possible that he might regrow his arm, or if he would need the metal arm they would build for him.
He also planned to spend some time with his hanyou brother this day. He wished a demonstration of Inuyasha's new abilities. Then perhaps he would be able to take a hand in his brother's training. There were things that only he could teach Inuyasha, about himself and his heritage, about the swords their father had left them.
Yes – they had both been robbed, Sesshomaru reflected. His mother's indiscretion had had great impact on lives other than her own. If things had been different… oh, if things had been different!
But that was, as they said, water under the bridge. What mattered now was moving forward. Inuyasha had found a measure of happiness with people he admired and respected, with his new academic and martial skills, with a young woman he had taken as mate. Was it not time that Sesshomaru tried to find some happiness for himself?
OoOoOo
Thanks for reading, everyone! Just to let you know, I believe there's a problem with the site, as I've not been receiving alerts and messages. I will try to get a message to them regarding this. So, if you send a message and I don't respond within a day, this is likely the reason why.
