Chapter Eleven

Sesshomaru returned to the little camp with a boar over his shoulder to find Inuyasha digging through one of the bags. "Looking for something?"

"I need a wash cloth." He pulled out a tiny yellow kimono and held it up.

"The other bag. In there with a few towels. Why are you frowning at that?" Dropping the boar, he opened the other bag and held out a couple wash clothes and towels. "Here."

Inuyasha took them and set them in his lap. He was still staring at the little kimono. "It's cute."

"I just grabbed a few things from the nursery. Use them if you want."

"Nursery?" Inuyasha pulled two more little kimonos out of the bag, one green one blue.

"The nursery at the castle. I grew up in there. Those were mine. Father kept everything. He said I might need them for my own children someday. But that isn't likely to happen."

Inuyasha set the kimonos on top of the towels and looked up at Sesshomaru. "Why won't that happen?"

"It's complicated." Pouring the boiling water from the pot into the bucket, he added a little cold water so it wouldn't be too hot. "Go bathe the pups."

Taking the bucket, Inuyasha went back into the cave. He had laid the pups on a folded up blanket to the side of the bed. He didn't want them peeing and making the clean bed dirty. He wet one of the clothes and gently started to bathe the pups. They didn't like it at all and started screaming. He soon had three squealing pups. He wanted to put diapers on them but had no idea how to do it. "Sesshomaru."

"What?" Busy skinning the boar, Sesshomaru almost missed what Inuyasha said next over the noise the pups were making.

"I need your help."

Sesshomaru set the knife aside, washed his hands, and went into the cave. "What do you need?"

Inuyasha grumbled. "I want to put diapers on them. I don't want to need to wash the bed every day."

"Alright." He went out and found the bag he had filled with things for the pups. He set it beside Inuyasha and pulled out one of the dozen or so diapers he had studded in with the clothes. He folded it into a triangle and handed it to Inuyasha. "Lay this down and put the pup on top of it so the point is between its legs."

Inuyasha looked at the cloth dubiously and gave Sesshomaru a nervous glance. "You do it."

"That would require that I touch them."

"Shut up. I know that. Just do it already before I change my mind."

"Alright." Sesshomaru knelt and set the diaper on the bed. He held his arms out and smiled when Inuyasha set the little boy in his hands. "He looks like father."

"Don't talk, just do it." Inuyasha's heart was racing. His hands itched to snatch his pup back.

Sesshomaru carefully diapered the pup and handed him back to the nervous hanyo. "All safe, Inuyasha. Calm down before you panic."

"I'm fine." He handed the next pup over and watched closely again as Sesshomaru diaper her. He growled when Sesshomaru brushed a thumb over the black circle on her forehead. "Give her back." Sesshomaru handed her over. He lifted the pup to his face and growled at the spot of Sesshomaru scent on her face. He gave her a quick lick to erase it and felt himself flush when Sesshomaru chuckled. "Shut up. Go away. I think I can do it myself now." He pulled out another diaper from the bag and diapered the last pup. He was clumsy and fumbled a bit but he got it done. "Where did you learn to do diapers?"

"Father taught me before you were born. He wanted me to know how to care for you if the need arose." He stood and moved away. Inuyasha was beginning to tremble from his being too close to the pups. "Thank you for trust me enough to help."

"Yeah. Thanks. Go away please." Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief as Sesshomaru left. He carefully put the kimonos on the pups and laid them on the bed. He had to admit, they looked adorable. He crawled onto the bed and pushed the blankets around until he made a sort of nest with the pups in the center. He curled around them and closed his eyes. He was exhausted now that Sesshomaru was back and the frightened clenching in his gut had relaxed.

"Do you want me to cook this?"

"Yeah. I'm gonna take a nap. Wake me up when it's done." He closed his eyes and pulled his pups tight against his body. They wiggled and complained a bit, probably because of the unfamiliar feel of being clothed. But they settled quickly and he drifted to sleep listening to the soft sound of their breathing.