Sunlight filtering through the thick canopy of leaves danced across the hanyou's face, slowly waking him. He groaned as he sat up, back stiff from laying against the trunk of the tree—wait. Inuyasha looked around rapidly, trying to discern why he was.. At the river. Last he remembered... He and his brother were arguing at Hana's. And then—his youkai.

"Fuck," Jumping from the tree, the hanyou scented the area. The youkai had been here, but that didn't tell him much. "Damn it." Inuyasha wasted no time leaping into the woods and rushing toward their shared hut. If the lord wasn't there... He'd just have to find him before doing anything else. If something had happened to Hana or Keiji because his youkai came out...

Inuyasha shook his head. They had to be fine. Sesshomaru had to know. But more importantly, the hanyou had to find out.

By the time he reached the hut, he knew his brother was inside. Releasing a relieved breath, he slid the door open, stomping in a few steps before he was assaulted with a rather repulsing scent. "What the Hell happened las—the fuck—what's that?" His eyes found the genitalia stabbed into the wall above the bed and he stopped, grimacing at the display.

Sesshomaru, still propped stiffly against the wall, did not bother to acknowledge the hanyou with his gaze. There was no point in ignoring him completely, for once again, Inuyasha remembered nothing. He would not understand the youkai's hostility. Still, Sesshomaru was hardly in a fair mood. And resentment began to seep back into his speech. "It is exactly as it appears."

Inuyasha turned to face his brother, brow quirked. "You do it?" Even for the youkai, that was weird. "No," He waved a hand with a shake of his head. "I don't care. What happened at Hana's? ...Did my youkai hurt anyone?"

Sesshomaru stared at the piece of flesh silently, wondering, with annoyance, how the hanyou could jump to the conclusion that he was responsible for this deranged, mounted display. A muscle jumped in his jaw. "No," he said, involuntarily examining the faint punctures in his wrist, so as not to remain fixed on the repugnant mess of the wall. "You left them unscathed."

The hanyou ran a hand over his face, letting out a relieved breath. "Good..." He muttered before dropping his hand and taking an inquiring step closer to his brother. "Oi, what happened after that? And why'd—" Eyes following the slight motion of the lord's wrist, Inuyasha caught sight of the scratches. "What happened to ya?"

Narrowing his eyes, the youkai slipped his hand into the sleeve of his kimono. "After you departed from the hut, you stalked to the river to bathe." Sesshomaru turned his head to the side as though he were deeply enthralled by the stiff rivulets if sap in the corner. "You will be late."

"Fuck," Inuyasha stepped toward the door, his mind too overwhelmed to contemplate everything within it. "Wait." His jaw clenched as he glanced at the ground. "Did.. They say anything about my youkai.. Or me?"

Why not speak of disgust, terror, and banishment? Why not ensure that his brother never crossed paths with them again? It would have been so incredibly simple. "...She refuses to cast you out."

Inuyasha nodded, he probably had a lot of explaining to do when he saw Hana and Keiji next. With a sigh, he turned to the door, ignoring the flesh pinned to the wall. He had nothing more to say to his brother and it wasn't like the youkai seemed to be in a very conversational mood anyway. Not that he ever was. Besides, he would be late if he lingered much longer.

Without saying anything or sparing his brother a glance, the hanyou left the hut and headed to the forest. He kept an eye out for Hana or Keiji, just in case. He couldn't deal with them just yet... He didn't even know to say. His youkai just had to take control minutes after he'd been accepted for his mixed blood. If Hana didn't want him around her son... Inuyasha would understand.

He ended up being slightly late anyway. He got scornful, annoyed glances from the other men as he grabbed an axe and went to work. The man he had first spoken to came over to him, bitching about how he wouldn't tolerate tardiness from some faggot trying to sneak a peek at the men who were actually doing their part. The second male he'd talked to came over then too. He spoke to the first who then grudgingly returned to his own work. After a brief exchange with male number two—Inuyasha still didn't feel like asking his name—they both went about their own business.

The hanyou worked until the day was called, continuously ignoring the rest of the men as he contemplated what to do once he went to see Hana. Would Keiji be there? What had the kid thought seeing his youkai? Would he even stand to be in the same room? And then the kid's mother. He doubted Hana really wanted him around after last night... He didn't even know what had happened before he left. Maybe he would just explain himself and leave. Inuyasha saw no reason to force Hana to tell him to get out.

And now, standing on the wooden bridge, in sight of the hut containing the only two people in this place he could consider 'friends,' Inuyasha found himself frozen. Could he really do this? Fists clenched. Of course he could. All he had to do was tell Hana that he wouldn't come around anymore. He'd just say how he had no control over his youkai and that he never meant to let them see that side of him.

Slowly, he stepped forward and cautiously rapped on the door. "...Hana?"

"Inuyasha?" There was a pause. "Don't tell me you've gone shy, come on in."

The hanyou cleared his throat and slid the door open enough to take a single step inside. "Uh.. Keiji here?"

Hana glanced up from her cooking. "No, he's outside playing. But he'll be back."

Stepping the rest of the way inside, he slid the door shut, but stayed just in front of it. "About last night.."

She sighed, placing the lid over a pot. "Inuyasha, if you are going to stand by the door like a stranger, you are not getting any of this."

"...I'm not staying. I just came by to say that.. I'm sorry about whatever happened last night. I don't remember anything—but, if you could fill me in... That'd be great." Arms crossed into his sleeves as he shifted his feet.

Spoon in hand, she rested her fist on her hip. "Inuyasha, get your ridiculously red ass over here and sit down before I turn you over my knee," ordered Hana with a small bite in her voice. "We'll have a talk."

Ears fluttered slightly before the hanyou was sulking over to the hide and sitting in the same seat he'd taken every other afternoon. He'd nearly uttered a 'yes, ma'am' at Hana's tone. Instead, he chewed his lip, waiting for a reaming or something equally as bad from the woman.

"Now." She slid a heaping bowl over to him. "If you think I'm mad at you, I'm not." She shook her head with a small frown. "Your face is riddled with guilt. It's unbecoming of a brash young man like yourself."

Inuyasha poked at the food before looking at the woman. "You're really not upset? I mean.. Whatever I did—I get it if ya don't want me around, Keiji especially.."

Hana shook her head quickly. "Goodness, no. We were only...a bit startled, that's all. I didn't understand—I still don't. I believe we both need...a lot of clarification. Will you oblige me? I'm sure you would prefer talk about this without Keiji listening."

"Yeah..." The hanyou swallowed heavily. "I'll tell ya whatever I can... I don't understand it all either though."

Hana nodded thoughtfully. "I had planned on apologizing to you, you know. For forcing you to invite your brother. You seemed to really dislike him. He caused you quite a bit of distress."

Inuyasha shrugged, "We've never gotten along. And... My mother is kinda a sore spot. The bastard shouldn't have brought her up." He huffed, looking down at his bowl and realizing he'd never really talked to anyone about his life. Kagome didn't know that much about him... No matter how much she asked, he just couldn't talk to her.

"Uh-huh..." Hana thought it would be best not to press that subject. She had already seen the look on his face when his brother spoke. "And he doesn't like that you are a hanyou either?" With every word, she seemed to grow more confused.

"Nah. Thinks I'm just our ol' man's mistake. He says he hates human—though he's got a girl livin' with him—anyway, he's just a prissy jackass..."

"Hm.. I can understand why you dislike him so much. So... The thing that happened to you." Hana scooted closer as though she was delving into a huge secret. "What was that? You were so... You acted nothing like yourself. Your eyes were red and you were like power incarnate. You looked at Keiji and me as though we were some sort of threat, all of a sudden."

Inuyasha scratched around his ear, avoiding eye contact for a moment. "That.. Was my youkai. It's... Like a different person. I can't control it at all." His shoulders slumped slightly. "It's made me... Do a lot of things that I never wanted to." The hanyou's ears flicked slightly. Why was it this easy to talk to her? As he lifted his gaze to meet Hana's, he found himself wanting to tell her more. Jaw clenching, Inuyasha looked away again. He didn't talk to people about his life and he had never wanted to. And now, he didn't know what he was supposed to do.

"Wow," she breathed, trying to imagine herself in the same position. Not only was this boy a hanyou. He also had a whole other side that was impossible for him to control. As far as Hana knew, Keiji had nothing like that. She considered Inuyasha's behavior. What exactly did he not know about his own actions? "When you became...like that—you were guarded against everything except for your brother. You went from cursing his name, to beaming at the sight of him. But it wasn't just you who acted differently. Your brother," she nodded assuredly at the recollection. Though she'd been frantic at the time, she reflected upon the entire scene with acute clarity. When Inuyasha changed, the air between the two was not nearly as thick as it had been before. "His tone was...not as harsh. He looked at you more. You nearly lunged for Keiji and me...but he stopped you with a simple touch. He told you that we are in your favor and you listened without question. His touch—which was surprisingly gentle... Well, sorry Hun, but you enjoyed it. And you went on to lick his arm. And...you called him 'Mate.'" Hana tilted her head curiously.

Inuyasha blushed slightly at what Hanna told him. The lord never told him the intricacies of what his youkai did, it was always just generalizations. To know how... Single-minded his youkai was, how focused on his brother it was. It was unsettling. "Yeah... I, uh, got drunk off my ass one night. My youkai ended up taking control and.. It sought my brother out. Dunno why..." The hanyou twisted his fingers, tapping his claws against his palms. "But, it... Fucked him. We marked each other. Now, we're mated and stuck with each other until we can break the bond."

Hana's brow shot skyward for a second as she processed what was likely Inuyasha's greatest shame, before uncertainty and a touch of sadness washed over her face. They were brothers. They were both male. And they clearly did not know how to treat each other. But... "Are you sure you want to do that?" They both were marked. That meant... "What about him? Does your brother want this?"

"Yeah, I'm sure! The bastard doesn't want m—this! He chained me up like some mutt so his consult could figure out what the Hell to do!" Inuyasha looked down with a tense jaw, ears flicking. In a quieter voice, he continued, still not looking at the woman. "Neither of us wants this. Its only my youkai.."

Hana considered this for a moment, not finding it hard to believe the resentment he held for his brother. Harshness and rigidity appeared to be in the elder brother's nature. "What would you do if he wanted to stay this way?" Hana bit her lip and shot the hanyou an apologetic look. Normally, she was not so intrigued by relationships that had nothing to do with her. Hell, Inuyasha was one fleeting figure in her very long life. It was not her place to pry this much

Inuyasha opened his mouth but hesitated. What would he do? What could he do? His brother was a lord... The possible outcome of this situation hit the hanyou hard. Even as arrogant as he was, he knew if the youkai truly wanted to stay mated... It wouldn't be any trouble for him to chain his brother up again, to keep him chained like a dog. Their positions could be easily reversed; Inuyasha might have had to suffer the humiliation of his brother fucking him, however many times the lord desired. And, since his youkai wanted to be mated... Inuyasha would be helpless. Two against one. He could've been nothing more than the lord's sex toy. I still could be... What if all Sesshomaru wanted was to get his arm back? Their bond could just be used as an excuse—leverage over the hanyou, it had affected him before, after all. He could be screwed, in every sense of the word. "I... Don't know..."

Hana hummed thoughtfully, eyeing Inuyasha's untouched food, then turning her attention to the door as Keiji wandered in. Slowly, Keiji made his way over to where Inuyasha was and sat down at his side, facing him. He fidgeted as he stared at Inuyasha, having been wondering something all day. For a child, a lingering question was as urgent as a full bladder. "Brothers fight a lot. Do they lick each other a lot too?"

Inuyasha groaned, looking at Hana pleadingly. What the Hell was he supposed to say? If he lied, he might not look so weird. If he was honest, the kid would definitely think he was weird.

"Keiji," Hana cracked an amused smirk, "let Inuyasha eat so he can go about his business." Keiji nodded, lowering his eyes in disappointment

Feeling more than awkward, the hanyou picked at his food though he couldn't deny his body's need for it. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Keiji looking at him and his ears flicked. Damn kid... Huffing lightly, Inuyasha turned to the boy and spoke through a mouth half-full of food. "No, they don't. But don't ask about me and the youkai... 'Sides. We're only half-brothers." Focus returning to his food, Inuyasha knew he was only trying to make himself feel better about their situation than convince the kid of anything.

Keiji smiled, nodding his understanding, however incomplete it may be. "Your half-brother is way scarier than you," the kid declared as though it might cheer a Inuyasha up. In truth, Keiji had been fearful of both of them the night before. But he didn't want Inuyasha to know that.

"Tch, I can be scary too." Inuyasha stated indignantly. Then he realized Keiji already knew that and began to regret his words. Maybe he should try to think before talking.. He' been told, repeatedly, he didn't do nearly enough of the former.

Keiji shook his head determinedly and wrapped his arms around his knees, slumping into Inuyasha's side. "I'm not scared."

The hanyou was still for a moment before dropping one hand to Keiji's head, ruffling ginger hair as he smiled. Between Hana's reassurances and Keiji's lasting comfort around him, Inuyasha felt a weight lifted from his shoulders. "That's good to hear, kid." The hanyou fisted his hand, rubbing his knuckles against Keiji's head. "Tough, ain't ya?"

Keiji grinned, scrunching an eye against the knuckles grinding into his head. "Yeah."

"You will come back, won't you?" Hana watched the two of them interact warmly. "I wouldn't want you to leave without at least saying goodbye."

Hand lifting from the kid's head, it curled back around his bowl as he looked to Hana. "'Course," Now that he knew they would still have him, Inuyasha planned to continue his visits. He gave a slight smirk. "So long as your cookin' don't get any worse."

Hana's brow twitched. "I do believe a hardy helping of mealworms might serve to realign your spoiled taste buds."

Inuyasha quickly raised a hand in surrender. He couldn't lose the only consistent meal he got in a day—or have it reduced to worms. "Oi, don't go gettin' cruel on me now."

Hana snorted lightly then broke into a smile. "We'll see."

Smiling in turn, the hanyou shifted slightly to get more comfortable. But the darkening world beyond the hut caught his attention. The deal between his youkai and the lord expire each day with the sunset... "I oughta go now." He couldn't risk staying with Hana and Keiji too late.

"Yes, go get yourself some rest. And say hello to your charming brother."

Standing, Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Lookin' forward to that..."

With a wave and a slide of the door, the hanyou left. He paused where he normally turned to go to the river, contemplating whether or not he really wanted to soak in the cool water. If he didn't.. He only had the hut he shared with his brother to go back to.

"River it is," He muttered as he tromped down the same path he had taken before. Lingering in the river, Inuyasha didn't notice the paler hue his skin had taken on or the tiny bumps now riddling his flesh until he was nearly shivering. He'd been too lost in his thoughts of what would happen between he and his brother during this trip and what might occur after the lord's arm was retrieved.

Climbing out of the water he found the night air not to be as warm as he would've liked. But the hanyou ignored it as he tugged on his hakama. His wet, freshly scrubbed haori remained off as he started back to the hut he shared with his brother.

Now standing before the entrance of the hut, Inuyasha straightened before sliding the door open and stepping inside.

After a long while in the rancid, offensive company of the mysterious, sagging piece of flesh, Sesshomaru dislodged the dagger and tossed it, along with its bounty, into the swamp, leaving the wall morbidly stained. The decision to remove it had been made rather slowly. Actually, he'd nearly forgotten how out of place it was, after looking at it for so long. Something...whether it involved the hanyou, the damned sick exploit on the wall, or both—was not right. Truly, it bothered him.

Inuyasha wrinkled his nose and his eyes went to the wall above the straw. Even though it was gone, the scent lingered. With a sigh, the hanyou looked at the rest of the hut, pausing when his gaze fell on his brother. "Ya been here all day?" The youkai normally left, but today, he was sitting in the same position as when Inuyasha had left.

Was it nearly dark already? The youkai had meant to stay out longer than the mere seconds it took to dispose of the genitals. But apparently he'd wandered back inside. How irksome. His current lack of intent was maddening, in the least. The youkai had nowhere to purposefully go. He was expected to wait; like a commoner awaiting his turn for an audience with the figure of power. Every day spent here, the youkai grew more uncomfortable in his skin. And the hanyou... Before, it had been easy to ignore his brother—to shove him aside. The youkai nearly growled. But he found himself looking towards the hanyou more often than was necessary. Not to scorn...but to absorb what he saw. Sesshomaru reached for the portal fastened around his neck. Surely, he would not survive this. "...Hn."

The hanyou shrugged and wandered closer to the bed. "I shoulda asked Hana about gettin' some new straw..." He gave the pile a nudge with his foot. It didn't seem too bad, though he could still see dried blood on the far edge of it. Crouching, Inuyasha sifted through the pile and separated a chunk which contained the blood. He removed a little more than necessary just to be sure and made a quick trip out of the hut to toss the soiled mess over the side of the bridge.

Damp haori still slung over his shoulder, Inuyasha moved back inside to the chair and draped the red fabric over it. He didn't mind being bare-chested around his brother. It was just being completely naked with the youkai around that he found unsettling—less so when he remembered taking off his clothes though.

Sesshomaru watched the hanyou leave and return to the hut, catching a glimpse outside with a slow frown. "The sun has set."

"Uh... Yeah." Inuyasha shifted slightly under the scrutiny of his brother's gaze before he turned toward the straw bed. "I oughta sleep—don't wanna be late again tomorrow..." Not that he couldn't deal with the looks and names directed at him, but it would be easier not to have to. Laying down on the edge, furthest from where the blood had been, the hanyou faced his brother. After a moment, he rolled over, giving the youkai his back as he fiddled with a few pieces of straw. But his mind was too full to let him sleep just yet.

Sesshomaru stared at his brother's backside, awaiting the inevitable. Clearly, the hanyou had not fallen asleep because his foot never ceased its strange fidgety motion. Occasionally, Inuyasha's arm would shift. Or he would huff randomly. Inuyasha remained turned away from Sesshomaru which was not overly surprising. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, tilting his head as though he might be missing something. Inuyasha's youkai had not yet emerged. "I also wish to retire." He looked at the pile of hay strangely. He'd not yet slept near Inuyasha without some sort of immediate disturbance.

"Go ahead," Was Inuyasha's mumbled response. He shifted slightly to make sure there was enough room for the youkai and scratched at his side where some straw was poking into him.

Having already relieved himself of his armor and swords, Sesshomaru walked silently to the side of the bedding not occupied by Inuyasha and lied down on his back, resting his cheek against his length of fur. The distance between him and his brother seemed immense after a few nights of allowing the hanyou to sleep directly on top of him.

With his brother beside him, the hanyou couldn't hold his tongue or his curiosity in check. "Hana told me what my youkai did. Why didn't you?" Head resting on his arm, Inuyasha looked at the lord's face, as much of it as he could see anyway.

Sesshomaru turned his head just enough to view mirroring golden eyes. "I did not believe anything your youkai did to be of great importance. I merely thought it would satisfy you to know that you did not harm them." Sesshomaru shifted his gaze, wondering how differently the female had viewed the hanyou's display. "What did she say to you?"

"She told me everything my youkai before I left. Then she just wanted to know why that all happened..." Thinking back on what Hana had said, the hanyou wondered if his brother favored his youkai. Would it be all that surprising if that was the case? No, he thought. It wouldn't. His youkai was the embodiment of the blood he carried, which would've been pure had the ol' man not taken a human. It's not like it mattered anyway. But Hana's question was still bothering him, especially since he couldn't give her an answer. "Oi... Ya don't want to be mated. Right?"

Mildly startled by the question, the youkai leisurely turned onto his side to face Inuyasha. Why would the hanyou ask him this now? "Have I not made clear my stance?"

"Tch," Grumbling, Inuyasha covered the nervousness he felt with false annoyance. "Just makin' sure you ain't draggin' me along to get your arm for nothin'."

Striving for further comfort, Sesshomaru mirrored the hanyou and made a pillow of his arm. "And you?"

"Feh. Like Hell I wanna stay mated to you."

The youkai's gaze faltered for a moment before he closed his eyes and turned fluidly onto his other side. "Then you have nothing to fear."

"Oi! I didn't say I was afraid of anything." Inuyasha huffed, glaring pointedly at the back of the lord's head.

"No. You did, however, intend to sleep."

"...Keh." The hanyou rolled over again so he wouldn't have to face the youkai as he slept and kept his mouth shut, closing his eyes resolutely.

Uncomfortable on his side and estranged by the lack of warm pressure on or against his body, Sesshomaru wondered whether Inuyasha's youkai was angry enough to withhold himself for the entire night. If that was the case, it was probably a good thing. It meant he was beginning to understand. That part of Inuyasha needed to learn that his methods of retaliation would not be tolerated.

x.X.x

Inuyasha rolled over, arm flinging out and smacking against something solid. The thump surprised the still half asleep hanyou into slowly sitting up. He felt abnormally.. Cold. Looking to the side and blinking blearily, Inuyasha saw there was still distance he and his brother. Aside from accidently hitting the lord, it seemed like they hadn't touched all night. He frowned in confusion, "Uh.. What happened?"

Hit by the hanyou again while still partially asleep, Sesshomaru nearly returned the favor with his fist in knowing retaliation. The youkai stopped mid-intent when he realized the lack of remaining contact. Inuyasha's relative distance confirmed that they'd spent the night without a single entangled limb. "...Nothing, apparently."

"It probably got sick of ya." Inuyasha said before slumping forward and yawning. Kami knows I am.. Slightly more awake, he tossed a glance over his shoulder, the hanyou smirked. "Bet the sex wasn't even that good."

"If that were so, it would hardly be any fault of mine." Sesshomaru got out of the straw bed, able to ready himself in no time at all because his armor was the only missing part of his garb.

"Feh," Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he stood, body bending back slightly as he stretched. Lazily, he slipped his haori on, wishing he didn't have to work. Relaxing in a tree sounded much better than cutting them down. He agreed to do it for Keiji though, so he was going to.

Sesshomaru smoothed his rumpled clothing with the hanyou at his back. "You are surely thrilled. After all, rousing at my side from your slumber disgusts you."

Quirking a brow, Inuyasha tilted his head as he stepped around his brother to look at him. "Aren't ya happy too? Unless... Ya like my youkai." The hanyou tapped his claws on his arm. "Hana said that ya—" With a shake of his head, he turned away. "Nevermind." It wouldn't do to risk the youkai getting anymore irritated with the woman.

Ignoring mention of the female shadow youkai, Sesshomaru considered Inuyasha's youkai. The lord had been furious with it, yes. He still was. But its presence had become a constant. And it was one Sesshomaru had come to accept. "I have come to the realization that contact with you is not always displeasing," he admitted without confliction.

Ears flicked. That.. Was unexpected. Glancing away, Inuyasha felt beyond awkward as he fidgeted. "Ya better not be expectin' me to snuggle ya or some shit.."

A muscled ticked in the youkai's jaw. "My admission offends you," he stated rigidly and without question. "Rest assured, any previous actions involving such things will not be repeated." Sesshomaru completed the distance to the door and swiftly reacquainted himself with the air not shared by Inuyasha.

Inuyasha opened his mouth but the youkai was already walking away from him. With a growl and narrowed eyes, he stomped after the lord, only to find the bridge beyond their door empty. "Bastard..."

Still growling, the hanyou put his brother out of his mind and set off. Work was the same as every other day, the same looks and sneers. Except for one thing. Male number two—Inuaysha still didn't know his name—had spoken to him. Which wasn't too out of the ordinary; he was one of the few men that actually would talk to the hanyou. It was the content of the conversation that was strange. He had.. Not quite asked, but suggested that Inuyasha go out for a drink with him. The hanyou brushed it off though—he didn't exactly want to get drunk. Last time that happened.. All Hell broke loose. The male had taken the refusal in stride though, with a smile and reassurance that the offer still stood before they both returned to their work.

The daily visit and meal at Hana's was normal. The food was good, Keiji talked, they joked, and Inuyasha managed to avoid too many more questions about he and his brother. His soak in the river was standard too, he made sure not to stay too long this time. It seemed like before he knew it, he was already on his way back to the hut he had to share with the youkai.

He wondered if his brother was there already or not. Would there be more awkward confessions? Maybe the lord would actually let him talk this time. It wasn't so much that what Sesshomaru said offended him—it was just.. Who ever admitted to finding a hanyou's touch tolerable in the least? It surprised him and—and how the Hell was he supposed to react? Just throw his arms around his brother and plan for a night of snuggles and cuddles? "Feh," Inuyasha scoffed. Like that would happen. Like Sesshomaru would ever want that...

Well. Now was high time to find out. Inuyasha slid the door of their hut open and stepped inside.

Well into the evening, Sesshomaru returned to the hut after hunting a rather large beast and feasting alone beneath the stars. If fortune was in his favor, the hanyou would already be asleep. As had become somewhat of a routine, the youkai placed his swords and armor neatly into the chair. And as his unrelenting fortune would have it, Inuyasha was not asleep.

Boredom was one thing that Inuyasha truly hated. Sitting alone in the hut, on the pile of straw, the hanyou fiddled with the beads around his neck. It was refreshing to have not been slammed into the ground for... However long he'd been away now. But toying with the necklace was hardly enough entertainment. So when his brother finally came back, its possible that Inuyasha felt some relief. Awkward or not, he'd rather have a conversation with the youkai than sit alone and silent. "Ya smell good." After a moment, the hanyou realized what he said and tried to backtrack. "Not like that—I mean, well—ya don't smell bad. But it's not that—it's the—" Inuyasha huffed, ears twitching as he clenched his jaw. "Ya hunt? I thought I smelled blood..." Maybe he would've preferred silence after all.

Sesshomaru gave the hanyou a peculiar look before settling himself down on the opposite end of the hut. "...Yes. I required nourishment."

Inuyasha nodded. "Hana says you can still go over to her place, ya know.." Now why had he said that? It was probably better if the youkai didn't stop in again. Yeah, the hanyou really needed to learn how to think before he spoke.

The youkai narrowed his eyes. It was clear Inuyasha had been happier there without him. "I prefer to eat alone."

"Whatever," He gave a light shrug but was immensely relieved. Inuyasha didn't want Hana or Keiji to have to see his youkai again. Not if they didn't have to. And he could think of no reason as to why they would.

Sesshomaru flared his youki discreetly as he peered over at Inuyasha, feeling no response from his brother's youkai. Its absence was growing irksome. The beast had no right to be this upset. The wretched hanyou's hands with those pin-pricking claws had wrapped around his neck so tightly, his throat had bled internally and swelled beyond the consumption of anything besides water. If he hadn't possessed such inept healing abilities, Inuyasha would have received far worse than a hand-full of spiteful words. "Why are you still awake?"

"Huh?" Inuyasha looked up, having lost himself in his thoughts momentarily, trying to figure out why he would've been offered a drink.. The guy seemed nice, but Inuyasha couldn't see any reason in his invitation—no plausible reason at least. "Oh," One shoulder lifted and fell. "Dunno.. I was bored. Not all that tired. What's it matter?"

"It does not."

Bending one leg and bringing his knee to his chest, Inuyasha folded his arms over it before dropping his chin to rest on his forearm. "Ya tired? There's.. Plenty a room." The hanyou shifted his other leg, so he wasn't spread over the straw so much.

"No. I would prefer not to be roused by a flailing limb."

"Keh, it wasn't on purpose this morning. Get over it woulda?"

Sesshomaru pulled a knee up and hung his arm over it, leaning further against the wall.

Huffing, the hanyou repositioned himself, flopping onto the straw on his stomach. Turning his head to glare at his brother, Inuyasha sprawled his arms. "I'm takin' the entire bed then."

Staring disinterestedly at Inuyasha, Sesshomaru wrapped the long end of his mokomoko around his torso and behind his head, eventually closing his eyes against is brother's glare.

Inuyasha, satisfied he'd get the bed to himself, rolled onto his side. After squirming a bit to shift the straw into a more comfortable position, the hanyou closed his eyes as well.

The next morning, Sesshomaru rose before the sun and left the hut while Inuyasha still slept. As he'd made a habit of doing nearly every day, just before the hanyou would trudge around the corner on his returning path, Sesshomaru arrived near the youkai woman's hut and sat in a tree that provided him with a clear view of the interior through the window. He watched Inuyasha walk into the hut, noticing the genuine smile on his face, and continued to watch him until he finally bid them farewell and left, just before sunset.

Sesshomaru took his time returning to the hut, hoping the hanyou would be asleep this time, to no avail. Again, there was no sign of Inuyasha's youkai. And so, he assumed his position against the wall, refusing to share the bed with Inuyasha. Strangely, Inuyasha had been more coaxing than the night before.

Upon rising once again, Sesshomaru repeated each action from the previous day, rather irritated when he realized he'd been so redundant. He had even left Inuyasha before the break of dawn, once again.

And in the evening...Inuyasha's youkai still was not there. Vexed beyond his normally sane and rational demeanor, Sesshomaru all but broke the wooden chair as he thrust his swords and armor into it before sitting against the wall with a continuously unreadable face.

"Oi," Inuyashsa eyed the chair with a frown before looking back to his brother. "What's your problem?"

"Nothing."

Knowing it would be useless to try and get anything more out of the youkai, Inuyasha just shrugged. Maybe a change of topic would get the lord to talk more. Wait. He didn't care if his brother spoke—he just... Didn't want to deal with silence right now. Nodding to himself, the hanyou's eyes drifted over the lord's form. "Sleepin' over there can't be comfortable... It's not like I'll do anything to ya, ya know."

Yes. This, Sesshomaru knew. "Do not pretend to be concerned about my sleeping habits. We are quite capable of temporarily coexisting without pretense."

Inuyasha huffed and crossed his arms, looking around their hut as he muttered. "Jeez, not everything is just a pretense.."

"This, I do not believe." Typical interaction viewed by a skeptical eye revealed nothing but personal gain hidden by false kindness. Sesshomaru chose to skip the step of false kindness. When the daiyoukai wanted something, he accomplished it through force and without deception regarding his nature.

"Ya ever made any friends? That attitude—I doubt it. Still, not everything is fake." The hanyou looked back to the youkai. "'Sides, I wouldn't gain anything by you sleepin' over here." He refrained from saying that he thought he slept better with his brother closer, even if they weren't touching. Kami knew he slept like a rock every time his youkai had forced them together in the night.

"Nor would I," the youkai snapped. "I shall never delude you into believing that what I do is not entirely for myself. As far as 'friends' are concerned, I have never needed, nor have I wanted, them."

Inuyasha huffed. "Fine, I'll just stop tryin' ta be civil and we can just keep fighting! Stupid to think that would ever change, huh?" The hanyou flopped down on the straw, refusing to look at his brother. This was why he didn't walk around handing out kindness like it was candy—it was always thrown back in his face.

Sesshomaru sighed lightly and closed his eyes. "You are wrong. Something has indeed...changed." As much as he previously thought it impossible. He truly...as of late...had no desire to fight with his hanyou brother

"Tch... You're still a grumpy ass." A grumpy ass he wanted to sleep beside him... Inuyasha groaned as he rolled onto his back and pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes. Why? Why did he want his brother close while he slept? It was the damn bond. Had to be. Next thing he knew, he'd actually want to fuck the youkai. Kami... He hoped that day never came.

"You will have to learn to live with that." He lessened the agitated rigidity of his posture and leaned back, resting his cheek on his pelt.

"Only 'til we go back right?" Inuyasha lifted his head enough to look at the youkai, heart quickening at the thought of living with his brother. His mind instantly conjured images of chains and the dark room he'd been locked up in. "Then the lizard's gonna get rid of the bond... And everything can go back to normal."

"Yes."

Dropping his head back on his folded hands, the hanyou sighed in relief and closed his eyes. "Good."

Good. Indeed... Without the bond, he would not feel compelled to do anything besides go his own separate way...

The child was so small. Some sort of peasant youkai.

Sesshomaru had ventured into the domain of an insignificant mountain clan, following behind his mother. She did not want his first kill to be on the battlefield. No. According to her, when one's life is in danger, anyone could be ruthless. When one is skilled in their weapon of choice, skill in lethal combat came with practice and the fine-tuning of defensive and offensive instincts. For those born with power, battle became a thing of ease. Or so his mother assured him. But killing those who would not or could not fight back... That was something that needed to be learned early.

Blood coated Sesshomaru from head to foot. His left arm, all the way up to his elbow, was a solid red from where he'd skewered one of them with his sword and thrust his other hand out to simultaneously rip out another's heart. The spray from the stump of a neck had coated his face and pristine hair. Pieces of mangled viscera speckled him in various places after hacking one of the stronger ones to bits. He'd dutifully killed all the ones in his immediate sights, just as she'd ordered. It had been relatively easy because when they caught sight of him with his sword, they'd attacked first. But the weaker and cowardly ones ran. Sesshomaru froze in his step. He was not feeling the blood-lust that some youkai did. This slaughter was fueling nothing within him. He had no desire to chase down the ones who would not return his strikes. Sesshomaru felt a harsh, bone-cracking kick to his side which slammed him into a stacked pile of wood. His own blood ran from his mouth as he watched his mother angrily chase down the ones who were trying to escape and rip off their heads. Sesshomaru staggered to his feet.

"There is one more," said his mother scoldingly. She was still upset about him not having hunted down the ones who ran. "Perhaps this time, you will be more clean in your kill." She wrinkled her nose at his appearance.

The youkai child looked up at him—him, with blank eyes and remnants of most of the tiny clan splashed morbidly up his body—with more terror than he had ever seen in a single face. It had attempted to hide beneath the corpses of its parents, to no avail. It was ugly, dirty, and smelled of fecal matter. Sesshomaru lowered his sword some and glanced at his mother. "It is only a child..." In truth, Sesshomaru was not much older than the cowering child. He was still too young to join his father on the battlefield.

"Yes—and it will feel your blade."

"...Can we not take it back with us? We can give it to the servants—"

"No." Her mellifluous voice iced over with finality. "You will finish what you started."

Sesshomaru turned back to the child. But it was no longer the same child, and the ground was no longer littered with bodies, and his mother was no longer standing over his shoulder, and Sesshomaru himself was no longer a child. Sesshomaru was a fully-grown daiyoukai—and a young Inuyasha sat at his feet, staring up at him trustingly. Even if Sesshomaru towered over him, even if Sesshomaru had already raised his sword, they were partially flesh and blood. Surely, the little hanyou would not be harmed.

"Finish it," her words echoed in his ears. His sword raised high above his head. The force behind the strike would be enough to split him vertically in half.

Then, the hanyou was no longer a child, but fully-grown. He sat on his haunches and remained where he was, nodding to the place beside him. He wanted Sesshomaru to join him. The youkai tilted his head in confusion, unable to act on his new-found wishes to indulge the hanyou. Sesshomaru's face twisted with exertion as his arm shook, the sword becoming too heavy to remain aloft. "Move. I cannot—stop myself," the lord gasped.

Inuyasha only tilted his head in confusion. He did not understand. How could he make Inuyasha understand?

Then he realized that he was not actually there. He was outside his own body, watching himself stand before his brother. He had his ghostly, insignificant hand wrapped around his hand of flesh and blood, pulling it back along with the sword.

Sweat beaded and ran down his flushed face and his heart pounded against his chest. The muscles in his arm were burning and his fingers were tearing at the knuckles. His other self was too strong. His other self was determined to make the kill. "Move!" He pleaded, voice breaking. "I need you to move!"

His sword dropped. And hanyou blood flew.

Inuyasha jumped, tense body jolting up as he looked around in confusion. It was still dark... Whatever woke him up was probably gone now; maybe some animal had skittered across the roof. He started to lay back down. But an ear fluttered toward another sound... A gasp. The hanyou straightened, more alert now. His eyes scanned the hut quickly and he frowned when his gaze landed on the shape laying curled where his brother had opted to sleep. "..Sessh—?" Inuyasha tensed as something thumped. He'd moved to the foot of the straw bed and could clearly tell the huddled form was in fact the youkai. The lord's arm had hit the wall.

The hanyou crawled closer as his brother grew more vocal, a chorus of groans punctuated by unintelligible words. Now upon the youkai, Inuyasha saw the lord's hair was disheveled and sticking to his face which was covered in a sheen of sweat. Limbs were drawn tight to his body, but when Inuyasha reached out, touching the lord's side, a pale arm flung out and knocked the hanyou aside.

This wasn't like the last time he'd found Sesshomaru in the midst of dream. Based on what he'd seen and heard, it was hardly a good one. Inuyasha moved to his brother's side again, brows creased as he called the youkai's name, getting no response. No matter how much he jostled the lord or tried to speak to him, there was no change in his demeanor. No good change at least. He growled and groaned, the words he said became louder and clearer too.

"Move!" The youkai nearly shouted, voice hoarse.

Heart skipping and nearly frantic himself, Inuyasha did the only thing he could to keep his brother from pushing him aside again; he threw his leg over the youkai's waist and settled his weight on the lord. The hanyou leaned down, hands pressing into Sesshomaru's shoulders as he growled down at the lord, a tinge of anxiety coloring his tone. "Wake up already! Please—come on, Sesshomaru.."

Shaking slightly, Sesshomaru looked at his hand. His sword was gone. Embedded in the body of his brother. He'd finally done it. Taken the hanyou's life. Utilized his disdain for inferior creatures.

With a sickening crack, Inuyasha's body rose from the ground and a wicked, fangy smile spread across his face. That face with jagged lines and intense crimson eyes. His arms hung limply, the creature could hardly stand, and Sesshomaru's sword protruded from his chest. Sesshomaru did not want it there. Perhaps he never did. "Remove it," Sesshomaru ordered quietly.

"Why?" Inuyasha tilted his head. "You put it there," he growled.

"I did not mean to do it." Sesshomaru reached forward but he could move nothing more than his arm.

"You told me to die."

"I was—I did not mean it!"

"You got what you wanted."

Sesshomaru watched as Inuyasha's youkai grasped the sword and slid it through the thick meat of his chest, to the base of his throat. "I command you, stop!"

Inuyasha laughed maliciously and reached his free hand into his chest cavity to rip out his motionless heart, throwing it into the dirt at Sesshomaru's feet. "My heart was yours and you left it to rot. But it still belongs to you. And now it's as dead as yours has always been."

The light left Inuyasha's face. His eyes glassed over. And his form crumpled.

Sesshomaru lunged and caught Inuyasha's limp body in his arms. But all that remained was a haori full of ashes.

"My heart..."

Hmmmm. What to make of this...

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