Chapter 14: Courting
8 Years after the Departure of Rin
Inuyasha had witnessed it before.
Mating season; when bitches of their kind went into heat and courted his elder brother with their fragrant scents, uncaring that their heat smell wafted throughout the area they were in at any given time. During this time of year the females and their guardians would come to the castle, seeking residence for the duration of the mating season in hopes that Sesshomaru would choose one and unite their families with his great lineage and wealth.
Since he had first come to the castle eight years ago the females came every six months or so, at least the inu bitches did; other youkai came around the same time or varied times depending on their cycles- bat, feline, snake, etc. Though none of them had a flying chance in hell. They should have known by their second try that his brother would only entertain the idea of a female inu as his potential mate considering the fact that any other female, youkai or not, just smelt wrong, even to an inu hanyou's nose.
But even the female inu Sesshomaru was speculative about it seemed. Though he never went into a great length of talk on the subject, preferring to leave it at "I am too young as of now to even consider maintaining a union and beginning a family." That or the irritable youkai would just glare daggers at any question or comment the hanyou made on the topic.
The whole courting thing... It really was annoying, though. Watching the sordid and lucrative displays of promise and devotion the females would bestow upon his brother... Gah! Sickening was maybe a better word for the entire affair, Inuyasha concluded. But even so, it annoyed him to the point that he'd just roll his eyes at the display and walk away, roaming the grounds until he found something more productive to do and was far enough away from the potent scent of the female's, as well as the off again, on again scent of his brother's own arousal.
And that was currently what he was doing... Running away.
He wandered toward the gardens, a place the females didn't seem fond of going to visit due to all the "insects" that were around. Whether they had been referring to the hired help, Inuyasha or actual bugs themselves, the half-demon wasn't sure.
He continued walking through the gardens, enjoying the peacefulness he always found there. He walked around a large boulder and into the area of the ponds. That's when he found Mizumi, the quiet, sweet little female bird demoness trimming brush away from the koi pond and murmuring quiet compliments to the fish. Inuyasha smiled fondly.
They'd made more progress on her being more vocal and less shy ever since Sesshomaru had scared the wits out of her a few years ago. Inuyasha made it a habit to hang out with Mizumi when he knew his sibling would be occupied and thus wouldn't come wandering around and scare or ruin her progress again. Needless to say, their relationship was... interesting, to the point that the hanyou had been hearing gossip throughout the palace of a secret romance blooming between Mizumi and him. Inuyasha actually thought it was rather funny, taking none of it to heart.
However, when he had walked out into the garden and found Mizumi shearing shrubs, pausing and anxiously waving at the inu hanyou, the two then walking and sitting under a shady tree, talking about this and that... Inuyasha had a sudden feeling that maybe he'd have a second... well,third,... chance at love. Though was it with Mizumi or was it the companionship that she helped him feel again that he longed to share with another? Inuyasha wasn't sure.
He hadn't realized he'd been staring at her with doe eyes until he realized Mizumi blushing. And Inuyasha blinked, and then suddenly she was leaning in and her mouth softly touched his before quickly retreating, soft brown eyes downcast and her face lighting up like a cherry.
Inuyasha's eyes were wide, mouth in an 'o' position, too shocked to blush himself.
"I- um... I just... you're the first friend I've had, Inuyasha-san... and I... I wasn't sure how to... express my companionship to you... I- I mean that probably wasn't the best way but I..." Mizumi was cut short when the hanyou leaned in and returned the chaste kiss to the side of her mouth in kind.
Inuyasha pulled back smiling softly, eyes sparkling. She really had come a long way with his help... but, Inuyasha thought, she had helped him move forward from his past even more so, and for that, he would forever be her loyal friend.
"Thank you, Mizumi. Your companionship means a lot to me, too."
Mizumi's eyes, though wide, sparkled with cheerful tears. She smiled happily and then went on to tell the hanyou about her day, how she'd run into a young noble that had followed her around for most of her morning routine, asking her questions about herself, what she liked, and so on, saying she'd captured his attention when she was seen "speaking animatedly with the younger brother of the daiyoukai of the West."
Inuyasha teased her about her crush as she bloomed red once more. "Well, be careful. Not all youkai are as awesome and mannerly as me, you know. Keep your guard up, and if you have to, let him know I'll kick anyone's ass who messes with my friend."
"Inuyasha-san!" Mizumi laughed, scandalized.
"Haha, go on, Mizumi, go dazzle that young noble of yours," Inuyasha snorted when the small girl threw a handful of grass at him as she rushed off to finish her chores, and then... quite possibly attempt to take her dear friend's advice.
Inuyasha watched her as she left before a shiver suddenly went up the hanyou's spine and he looked around. Nothing. The shiver seemed vaguely familiar, like it was his unconscious mind reminding him of someone's youki, and he briefly wondered if it was Sesshomaru wandering around but then let the thought go in lieu of a nice afternoon nap before dinner.
When he woke up it was already near the evening meal time, the sun not yet set but readying itself for its dip behind the earth. Inuyasha yawned, stretching as he walked into the palace. He figured he oughtta take a bath before going to dinner and made a beeline for his quarters to get his things.
However, when he walked into the entrance to his room, pausing under the doorframe that led from leisure area to his personal bed chambers, the pungent scent of sex drenched the hanyou's senses.
"What... the hell...," was all the half-demon could verbally muster as he took in what... used to be his room. Ripped sheets, blood, semen... things knocked over this way and that...
Then the fact of who precisely had been in the room hours before rang clear in his mind as his sense of smell told him all he needed to know. A frightening pause rumbled throughout the immediate area as Inuyasha snarled demonically, ".…" before heaving out an angry breath and following his brother's scent, determined to shed the mother fucker's blood and splatter it across the entire palace before quite possibly urinating on the sonofabitch's cold, dead, mangled body!!!
He came to halt in front of the demon's study, slamming the shoji door to the side and not blinking once in shock when he found the daiyoukai in a compromising position with one of the many female inus he'd seen throughout the week.
"Inuyasha... If you hadn't noticed, I'm rather busy at the moment," came the tight droll of Sesshomaru's voice.
"FUCK YOUR BUSINESS! What the HELL is your problem?! I don't care if you fuck this bitch or the other one but why the HELL did you have to do it in MY ROOM?!" the hanyou raged, eyes boiling into molten fire.
The youkai snorted, his tone angry and sarcastic, "It happened to be the closest room to accommodate my... earlier meeting," the youkai said, his eyes dark and riveted on the hanyou as he enunciated his insinuation with a thrust of hips against the female. She moaned wantonly, careless and senseless to the presence of the half-demon.
Inuyasha made a disgusted noise. "You sick fuck. Your room's right ACROSS from mine! Asshole! Screw this! Screw you and screw your goddamned hell of a house! I'm outta here for good!!" And with that the hanyou fled, his anger consuming him as he tore into the setting sun.
So consumed in their own emotions, Sesshomaru had willingly allowed the hanyou to make his escape after the blatant show of disrespect, Inuyasha himself mindless as he ran at top speeds through the forests surrounding his brother's impressive manor, not caring at this point where he wound up.
Both focused so and too much on themselves to realize the fact that tonight was the night of the New Moon.
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Author's Note: Oh mai garrr!!! O_O! Suspense! I has it. Hope you enjoyed!