Chapter Fourteen: Scars (By Far, the Shortest Title)
"Well don't just lie there, help me!"
Sesshomaru sat up, sitting on the edge of the bed with a bored look on his face.
"It's useless, Inuyasha. If I'm correct, this is Chikotsu's doing, meaning we'll just have to stay here until she decides to let us out."
Inuyasha growled, sheathing Tetsusaiga and turning to face the daiyoukai.
"I can't believe this." He muttered under his breath, crossing his arms. He looked at the floor, scowling and cursing his bad luck. Sesshomaru was the last person he wanted to be locked in a room with. He was supposed to be avoiding the daiyoukai, not spending 'alone time' with him!
'This is the perfect opportunity to confess our feelings to future mate!'
'Go away! He's not my future mate!'
'...You tell him. Or I will.'
'You wouldn't dare.'
His youkai didn't respond, filling Inuyasha with a sense of dread. Attempting to distract himself, he spotted his fire-rat robe, snatching it and tossing it on, retying his obi securely until everything was fixed the way he liked it. He nodded his head once, before looking off into space. It felt good to be wearing the garment once more. He tilted his head down discretely, taking a tentative sniff of the fabric.
Yep.
Smelled just like Sesshomaru.
The two inu demons sat in silence for a moment, before Inuyasha simply couldn't take it any longer. Something had to be said or he was going to go insane.
"So..." He began, looking upwards. "Looking forward to your 'mating' with that fox bastard?"
Inuyasha smirked as Sesshomaru grimaced. The daiyoukai forced himself not to grit his teeth.
"...Do... not speak of my... future mate in such a manner, half-breed." He finally ground out.
Inuyasha's smirk grew.
"I don't know how you can stand him."
Sesshomaru's stare grew darker as he struggled to control himself. He would not allow this hanyou to get the better of him.
"I can't. So kindly refrain from speaking of our bonding."
Inuyasha's smile slowly fell from his face.
"If you don't want to become his... mate, then it's simple: don't."
Sesshomaru's lips pursed in annoyance, his eyes rolling skyward for a moment. Only a moment.
"It is not as 'simple' as you think it to be, little brother."
Inuyasha snorted.
"And I think you're making it more complicated than it needs to be."
Sesshomaru scoffed.
"You do not understand hanyou."
Inuyasha suddenly felt very angry. He could feel his youkai fighting for control, the demon within him struggling to get out. He stormed over to the daiyoukai grabbing his arm with a speed he hadn't thought he possessed.
Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow, his mood quickly turning from 'annoyed', to 'enraged'. How dare that half-breed try and put his hands on him.
"And what don't I 'understand'?!"
Sesshomaru took his arm away from the hanyou, ignoring the way his insides had twisted at his touch. Inuyasha wasn't making any sense. The half-breed took another step towards him, his face betraying his feelings of frustration. The amber eyes were rimmed with red, proof that he wasn't completely himself.
"What do you want from me, Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru asked coldly, staring coolly up at his little brother. It was a bit odd, but Sesshomaru knew he didn't need to stand to produce fear in others. He could be intimidating sitting on the bed if he damn well pleased.
Said half-demon curled his hands into fists, aggravated by the way this was going. Why was he acting like this? Did he have no control over himself? He knew Sesshomaru was probably just as confused as he was, but what was he supposed to say?
"Dammit! I want..."
Inuyasha clenched his teeth, angry with himself for being so weak.
"I want you!"
Sesshomaru sat, dumbfounded.
"...What?"
Inuyasha growled, stomping angrily towards the daiyoukai. Sesshomaru appeared frozen, his brows slightly raised. Once the hanyou was close enough he reached up his hands, tugging at the back of his platinum locks to bring him closer. Sesshomaru was too shocked to resist, his eyes widening slightly when Inuyasha's mouth firmly latched onto his. The lip lock was fierce, passionate, and Sesshomaru found he couldn't deny the tongue that demanded entrance into his mouth. A whimper escaped the back of his throat, his eyes struggling to stay open as Inuyasha deepened the kiss. What exactly was going on? ...And more importantly, why wasn't he stopping it?! He felt fangs nipping at his bottom lip, eliciting a small gasp. Hearing himself sound so weak, the daiyoukai regained a bit of his senses. He shook his head to break the contact, giving the half-breed the best 'Sesshomaru glare' he could muster at the moment, attempting to look intimidating with his slightly swollen lips and mussed hair.
"What do you think—"
Sesshomaru was cut off once more as Inuyasha came forward again, pressing chaste kisses to Sesshomaru's exposed neck as his hands ran down his lean torso. He was pushed back onto the bed, Inuyasha looming over him as he quickly followed. The daiyoukai heard a shuddering breath escape his mouth, cursing himself for allowing this. He wasn't aware of his arms lightly resting on Inuyasha's back, his head tipping back slightly to allow the hanyou more access.
"I want you..." The hanyou admitted again, his breath hot on the daiyoukai's neck. "You can't mate with Amatsu."
Inuyasha's voice was too husky; too rough. This was his youkai speaking, he knew, and Sesshomaru wasn't willing to give in so easily, even as he felt his back arch off the bed. He was barely conscious of his own actions. He was, however, acutely aware of Inuyasha's, and he shivered as he felt arms going around him, pulling his body flush against the hanyou's. His hands slid down to rest at the half-demon's waist.
"Is that an order, Inuyasha?" He asked, forcing his voice to come out cool and uncaring.
Inuyasha suddenly looked up, startling Sesshomaru as he stared into now pure amber eyes.
"Yes."
Inuyasha appeared in control once more, his stare sweeping over the slightly flustered look the daiyoukai was now sporting. His breathing was the slightest bit irregular, mouth open slightly as he took in breaths. A strand of hair rested lightly on Sesshomaru's cheeks, and Inuyasha resisted the urge to brush it off. Sesshomaru was the first one to regain his senses, turning his head away to stare at the wall. Inuyasha looked down, blushing at the daiyoukai's closeness. He could feel hands at his sides, the appendages sending a pleasant tingling feeling up his spine. He could vaguely recall getting into this position, but... just what exactly was his youkai hoping to accomplish?
Both of them started at the sound of a door unlocking.
oOo
Shiuchi gasped suddenly, sitting up from the position he had been laying in.
Right.
Seduction.
He turned, sending a quick glance to Amatsu, who was now staring up at him curiously. They had been lying in the grass in the gardens, drying out their clothes and resting their exhausted bodies, while looking up at the clouds. Rather peaceful, if you asked him. And to the fox demon's delight, Amatsu hadn't once mentioned Sesshomaru. Shiuchi had forgotten all about his plans (well, to be fair, Inuyasha's), and he realized he didn't have much time left. He lay back down, attempting to appear normal.
Crap! Where did he even begin?
"Shu-kun? You alright?"
Shiuchi turned his head towards the daiyoukai, smiling in what he hoped to be a reassuring manner.
"Yeah, I just... remembered something, that's all."
It was Amatsu's turn to sit up now, resting one arm on a bent knee.
"Oh. Was it important?"
Shiuchi raised himself as well, crossing his legs. His smile was becoming strained, as he tried to think of things that could be considered seductive while considering how to answer.
"Well, it depends on how you look at things..." He mumbled under his breath, absentmindedly biting his bottom lip gently.
Amatsu quirked his head to the side, pointedly ignoring the fox demon's mouth.
"What was that?"
Shiuchi shook his head.
"Nothing my lord."
The daiyoukai frowned. He reached an arm out, lightly pushing on Shiuchi's upper arm.
"Hey, what's with you? You got all serious all of a sudden."
"Nothings with me'." Shiuchi shot back, finding that he had no idea where to go from here. He pushed the daiyoukai in return, his fist lightly punching at Amatsu's shoulder. The fox demon chuckled, shoving him once more. Shiuchi mock glared at him, rising to his knees and putting a bit more force into his returning blow. This time Amatsu laughed, grasping Shiuchi's hand and pulling him close. Shiuchi gasped as he was pulled in towards the daiyoukai, and he could feel his lord's breath against his lips for a moment before he was being pinned to the ground. Shiuchi bit his lip, squirming underneath him.
"M-my Lord? What're you— hah!"
The fox demon found his eyes squinting shut as he felt fingers at his sides, tickling him mercilessly.
"Haha! Amatsu! S-stop!"
Amatsu laughed at the mirth he saw in his eyes.
"There! You gotta lighten up."
The daiyoukai squeezed up and down his torso a bit longer, delighting in the way the fox demon's lips curved up into his wonderful smile. He relented the attack after a bit, allowing the youkai some time to breathe. Shiuchi let out a few more chuckles, before he opened his eyes, his vision blurred slightly by the joyful tears gathering at the corners of his eyes.
"Heh, heh... surprise attacks aren't fair."
Amatsu laughed, reaching a hand up to brush away the drops of moisture beginning to fall down his cheeks. Shiuchi told himself not to read too much into the tender gesture, forcing his heart to stop fluttering.
"Hmm. Since when was I ever fair?"
Shiuchi smiled up at the daiyoukai, his eyes suddenly gaining a mischievous twinkle.
"...Are you ticklish, my lord?"
Amatsu let out a laugh, suddenly fearing for his pride.
"Hah, hah! Aheh— no."
The daiyoukai was suddenly assaulted, Shiuchi's fingertips probing at his sides as he attempted to get him to laugh. Amatsu squirmed out of Shiuchi's grip, climbing off of the youkai and trying to dash away. Shiuchi grabbed a hold of him, letting out an exclamation of surprise as Amatsu pulled him up as well. The extra weight was enough to throw off Amatsu's balance, and he held more tightly onto Shiuchi as they fell over... again. Amatsu let out a slight 'oof!' as Shiuchi landed heavily on top of him.
The black-haired demon winced as he sat up, reaching behind his head to rub the spot where Amatsu's chin had knocked against it painfully. He glared down at the daiyoukai, lightly flicking his nose.
"You must really like me being on top, my lord."
The statement was said flatly, as Shiuchi was joking; but it still forced Amatsu to hold back a blush. He felt his cheeks burning, covering it up by bringing one hand up to place on his forehead dramatically.
"Oh, Shu-kun, you wound me. I try to save you from a potentially life-threatening fate, and all you do is insult me."
Shiuchi snorted, settling himself more comfortably over Amatsu's hips.
"Yeah, right."
And suddenly Shiuchi was struck with inspiration.
He decided that now would be the perfect time to test his newfound 'power' over Amatsu, seeing as the daiyoukai obviously didn't suspect a thing, and he was running out of ideas. So Shiuchi pretended to mock roll his eyes (yes, it even confused him), and kind of accidentally on purpose twisted his hips, grounding them down onto Amatsu intentionally but not really. At least, that was how he justified it. He heard Amatsu let out a sound between a sigh and an exclamation of surprise. The black-haired youkai looked down, his brows scrunching in confusion. As if he didn't know just why he had made such a noise.
"My lord?"
Amatsu let out a shaky laugh, his cheeks staining a slight red color.
Shiuchi made a show of leaning towards the daiyoukai, merely by coincidence rubbing against him once more. This time Amatsu gasped shakily, raising his hand to wipe a few strands of his own indigo hair out of his eyes.
"Yeah?" Amatsu finally replied, sounding amazingly put together. He answered the question he knew was undoubtedly going to come next. "Uh— I'm fine." Amatsu's eyes closed tightly, as if he were trying to control himself.
Shiuchi bit his lip unconsciously, tilting his head to the side. Oh, he knew exactly what was bothering the daiyoukai. And Shiuchi found himself enjoying his revenge very much.
"Am I too much for you?" He all but purred, splaying his hands on the daiyoukai's chest. Amatsu's eyes snapped open, widening as they snapped up to meet Shiuchi's stare.
"What?!"
Shiuchi looked at him innocently, resisting the urge to laugh. He furrowed his brows once more, looking like he didn't quite understand what was wrong.
"Is my weight bothering you? Am I too heavy?" He reiterated.
Amatsu let out a shaky sigh as he relaxed, his eyes closing once more.
For a moment, he could've sworn Shiuchi had said... but no, that would be silly. He felt the demon moving around on top of him again, and bit the inside of his cheek. Really, didn't the little fox know how to stay still?! This was the second time this had happened... oh Kami did he even realize what he was doing? Amatsu felt Shiuchi's delectable little bottom wriggle over him once more, and forced his mind to think of other things. Like... food. Yes, he was actually quite hungry now. Focus on that. A big, heaping plate of meat, with a side dish of rice, followed by a second helping of Shiuchi, all put together on a little— what?! Amatsu sat up quickly, shaking his head fiercely as he filled it with thoughts of his silver-haired soon to be mate. Sess-sho-mar-u. He was not becoming aroused because of his friend— of sweet, innocent Shiuchi. (Sweet and innocent. Pft.)
"M-my lord?"
Amatsu's eyes opened at the stutter in the black-haired youkai's voice, and he registered how close he was to the fox demon now that he had changed their position, as Shiuchi hadn't moved from his lap. He appeared quite flustered, his hands still innocently resting on Amatsu's chest. The daiyoukai threw on a smile, sighing lightly. He really was starving.
"Come on, get up." He commanded, shifting his hips upwards so the demon would move.
Amatsu registered Shiuchi's face turning red, as a breathy moan tumbled past his lips. Then the demon was practically throwing himself backwards, scrambling over his legs to get off the daiyoukai. Amatsu tilted his head to the side, standing while he watched Shiuchi raise a trembling hand to run it through his hair. The daiyoukai walked the short distance over to him, leaning down to help him stand by lightly grabbing a hold of his hips. He felt Shiuchi squirm in his grip, so he tightened his hold, pulling him up with a little more force. Once he was on his feet once more, he released the demon, looking at him curiously. That was... odd.
"You alright?"
Shiuchi nodded, worrying his lip between his teeth. Oh Kami it wasn't fair! Amatsu had such an effect on him... he had forgotten that he played this game too— and the daiyoukai was much more skilled than he was. But Amatsu didn't even know what he did to him... he took a few deep breaths to calm himself down, eventually smiling up at his lord.
"Yes, I'm fine. You just— ah, startled me."
Amatsu nodded, accepting his answer. He turned, beginning to walk back towards the doors.
"Come on, Shu-kun!" He called, moving slow so the fox demon could catch up. Once Shiuchi was walking beside him once more, he smiled. "It's about time for dinner. I want to eat with Sesshomaru, seeing as he hasn't left yet. Perhaps I can persuade him to stay until we've been mated and bonded."
Shiuchi nodded, glancing up at the sky before they went back indoors. Well, there went his Sesshomaru-free time with Amatsu...
"Yes... I should go back to the kitchens now to help with the preparations."
Amatsu tilted his head a bit, frowning.
"Oh, can't you eat with us just this once?"
"Amatsu-sama, I'm a servant here. I don't want you giving me special treatment because of our relationship." Shiuchi paused for a moment; his face coloring at what the words he had spoke implied. "As friends." He hurriedly added on, correcting himself quickly. Amatsu only nodded, not seeming to notice the slip up.
"Alright. I trust you'll be serving my plate?"
"...My lord, I know it's been a while since you took your meals with everyone else in the dining hall, but when have I ever not given you your plate?"
The daiyoukai grinned, leaning down towards the smaller fox demon and rewarding his cheekiness with a gentle kiss on his cheek.
"Yeah okay, smart guy. I'll see you at dinner."
With that, Amatsu hurried off to the rooms he knew Sesshomaru to be staying in, leaving an extremely flustered Shiuchi behind, touching the place Amatsu's lips had touched his flesh gently. He began to ramble, whispering under his breath as he attempted to get a grasp on what had just happened.
"Kiss.... my.... he... ...kiss..."
'Snap out of it! It was a freakin' kiss on the cheek!'
Shiuchi shook his head, forcing his hand to lower. It took all his strength to bring his mind back into focus, and once he was able to think coherent thoughts again, Shiuchi turned and walked to the dining hall, a bounce in his step and a smile on his face. A little voice in the back of his head, one that did not belong to his youkai, was saying that he shouldn't be so happy, seeing as nothing had changed. Well, what was he going to do? A guy could dream, couldn't he? Shiuchi resisted the urge to just full out skip, his cheek still pleasantly tingling from the sensation of his love's lips.
Amatsu, was not so happy.
'What the HELL was that?!'
'I don't know!' Irrational Amatsu replied in his head, wringing its hands nervously. That is, it would be if it had a physical form. We'll call him Ama.
'I know.' Calm Amatsu said, coolly inspecting it's fingernails for imperfections. 'You just kissed Shiuchi. Meaning that you have been unfaithful to Sesshomaru.' His name shall now be Tsu.
'But it was just a kiss on the cheek!' Ama wailed, fisting his hands in his hair.
'There's only one way to set this right. You know what you have to do. Before you are tempted to commit another un-pure act.' Tsu reasoned.
'...You're right.'
'You're crazy.' Amatsu's youkai kindly informed him, effectively popping his little dream bubble.
'Who asked you!?'
'You're talking to yourself. You even gave them names.'
'...'
'Yeah. Crazy.'
"AMMAAAAAAAAATSU!"
Amatsu welcomed the relief his sister would bring to his thoughts.
"Hey, Chikotsu." He greeted, not slowing his pace or stopping. She seemed almost desperate, jumping in front of him to keep him from moving forward.
"Hey!" She said between attempts, waving her hands in front of his face. "What's up? Where ya going?"
Amatsu waved her away, eying her curiously with red eyes.
"To Sesshomaru's room. Dinner will be starting soon, and I wanted to escort him to the—"
"No need!" She hastily explained, as they stopped in front of said daiyoukai's door. "I can get him, you just go on ahead!"
Right about now, Chikotsu was cursing her rotten luck. She had looked everywhere for her brother— or at least she had thought she had, only to see him walking inside from the gardens. Of course, finding him then meant she was able to witness his sudden kiss with Shiuchi, which made her bounce for joy for all of two seconds. From the euphoric expression on Shiuchi's face, he was absolutely smitten with her brother, though Amatsu himself didn't seem to realize it. All of this was irrelevant, however, as Amatsu was about to barge into Fluffy's room, only to discover the barrier, which meant he would figure out it was her, which meant he would see Inuyasha in there, which meant he would go berserk, which meant he wouldn't talk to her for at least two months.
"Oh, nonsense." Amatsu said. "I'm already here anyway."
As he raised a hand to knock, Chikotsu hurriedly took down the barrier, ripping apart the talisman she had possessed just as her brother's knuckles collided with the wood.
Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's eyes met, briefly, before Inuyasha found himself halfway across the room, hitting the wall with unnecessary force. He winced in pain as he fell to the ground, shooting a glare at his brother, who was already standing, appearing completely normal.
The handle turned, revealing Chikotsu standing there with a sheepish look painting her face.
"Hey guys! Oh! Inuyasha, what ever are you doing in Sesshomaru, Amatsu's mate's room? Because I certainly did not lock you in here. Nope."
Both the inu demons blinked, Sesshomaru understanding why she was talking like that once he saw Amatsu step inside the room from behind her. He took in Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's appearance, glancing between them once, suspiciously, before a smile (read: smirk) graced his lips.
"I just came to inform my Fluffy that dinner was ready." He said, absentmindedly ghosting a hand over his stomach. He was starving now, as he hadn't eaten when his meal had been brought to him. He ordinarily didn't enjoy eating in the dining hall, but he had no choice, seeing as he had rejected the food brought to him before. It wasn't his fault he had been... distracted.
Sesshomaru nodded, unable to meet Amatsu's eyes. He stared somewhere just above his left eyebrow, knowing the other daiyoukai wouldn't notice. He felt oddly... guilty. Which was highly unusual for him. And he couldn't help but wonder... what would have happened, had Amatsu not come? He sneaked a glance over to the hanyou, gasping softly when he saw the amber eyes were already watching him. Inuyasha was staring at him with an unreadable expression, his eyes betraying the turmoil hidden behind his seemingly perfect mask. Sesshomaru pointedly looked towards the door, moving a few stray locks of hair over his shoulder.
"Well, let us eat."
Kagome gaped at the size of the dining hall. Servants were already placing meals at a low table, several servers kneeling beside places for whenever anyone needed help. Kagome noticed the servant that Amatsu seemed friendly with as well. Everything was decorated beautifully, and she couldn't help but gawk at how wonderful everything looked. She looked down at Kirara, smiling happily at her. She had left the two-tailed cat in her room when she had gone to find Inuyasha, but figured she was probably hungry by now as well. (Alright. Raise your hand if you forgot about Kirara. (U-_- I'm guilty as charged...)) Amatsu and Chikotsu led their small group to their seats, the order being frighteningly predictable. Amatsu sat next to Sesshomaru, while Chikotsu sat next to Kagome on another side of the table, leaving the space next to Inuyasha empty.
"Our parents rarely dine with us anymore..." Chikotsu said cheerfully, as they began to eat. "So it looks like it'll just be us kids! ...And— uh, cat!"
Sesshomaru snorted lightly at the term, gracefully eating the meal set before him.
Amatsu turned to his side, flashing a smile at his server. Shiuchi, in turn, blushed, bowing his head to hide the red on his face and pouring his lord some sake.
Conversation was nonstop between the odd group— mostly (okay, mainly) due to Chikotsu. Though Kagome felt grateful for her presence, as she was sure this whole ordeal would be a lot more awkward if she wasn't there.
"Hey, big brother! Have you shown Fluffy-sama the garden yet?"
Sesshomaru sighed at the demeaning nickname. Well. At least she used an honorific that time...
"Oh! You have a garden?" Kagome responded, her eyes twinkling. "Oh Sesshomaru, Rin would love that!"
Amatsu quirked an eyebrow. "Who is this, Rin?"
Inuyasha snorted, practically inhaling his food. He looked over to his brother, a smug smirk fixed onto his face. "You mean you haven't told him about the baggage that comes with 'making you his'?"
Sesshomaru silenced him with a glare, before turning towards Amatsu. "Rin is.... my charge. She has been traveling with me after I saved her life, and she will be kept around after the mating ceremony." Sesshomaru's tone made clear there was no room for argument.
Inuyasha placed his arms in his sleeves. "Yeah, ya forgot to mention that Rin is human."
Sesshomaru sent him another smoldering glare, resisting the urge to maim the half-breed.
"...A human?"
Sesshomaru turned towards Amatsu, wondering how he would react. It didn't really matter in any case, as he would not allow Rin to simply be cast aside to some human village without him.
"...Aw, Fluffy. You're so adorable!"
Chikotsu almost spit out her sake at that line, coughing repeatedly to clear her throat. Sesshomaru was definitely not adorable. At least, not in her book. Drop dead sexy, maybe, but not adorable. Though, he wasn't exactly on her radar...
Sesshomaru had a similar reaction, though his was much more dignified. The corners of his mouth turned down slightly, one eyebrow arching the slightest bit.
"...Adorable?"
"Alright, we can keep her. She'll be like our pup until we get around to getting some of our own." (fyi, there shall be NO male pregnancy in this Fanfiction. Ever. At all.)
Now it was Inuyasha's turn to choke.
"Oh, that reminds me." Amatsu stood cleared his throat, even though he already had everyone's attention. "I have an announcement to make." He looked around the table, drawing out the suspense a bit longer. "Due to... unforeseen circumstances, I have news concerning me and Sesshomaru's mating."
The inu-daiyoukai could just sense that something bad was about to happen.
"The ceremony shall now take place, tomorrow!"
Inuyasha inhaled sharply, the food he had been chewing getting lodged in his throat, causing him to cough loudly. Chikotsu spit out her rice, barely noticing the disgusted look Kagome bore as she realized it had landed all over her face. Shiuchi, who hadn't even been eating, curiously began coughing as well, presumably choking on air. And Sesshomaru almost went into a fit of hysterics, forcing his left eye to stop twitching as he calmly took a drink. Kirara mewed curiously.
"Isn't it great?!" Amatsu continued, seemingly oblivious to all that was going on around him. Only Kagome seemed confused about everyone's reactions, looking about them as if she had missed something. Which she had.
'There!' Ama cried happily inside Amatsu's head. 'Now we shall no longer have to deal with being tempted by a completely non-sexy Shu-kun!'
'Speaking of Shu-kun,' Tsu provided helpfully, 'Where did he go?'
Amatsu turned, noticing that Shiuchi was gone.
"Huh?"
Sesshomaru stood up then, looking a bit paler than normal. He began walking away from the table at his normal calm saunter, but anyone who knew what to look for could tell Sesshomaru was upset.
"Fluffy?" Amatsu called, worry edging into his tone. Was it something he said? Was Sesshomaru... maybe not ready to...?
"That's wonderful Amatsu. Excuse me, I seem to have lost my appetite."
The fox-daiyoukai warily nodded, watching Sesshomaru leave with concern apparent in his eyes. What was wrong with Fluffy? Could it be that... he... he didn't want to...—! No! That couldn't be it.
Amatsu shook his head, clearing his thoughts.
'He's just not hungry anymore, just like he said.' He convinced himself, taking another bite of his food.
'...'
Shiuchi splashed his face with some water, bowing his head against his knees as he took in a breath. He didn't know why he had been so startled by Amatsu's announcement; he had known they were going to be mated soon anyways. But after he had heard that... he had immediately sneaked out back into the gardens, kneeling next to the koi pond in an attempt to calm himself down. The time he had spent with his lord all seemed like a dream now, and he knew it might as well have been. Nothing was going to persuade Amatsu otherwise, not when he was so blinded by his affections for the inu lord; though it was blatantly obvious that he didn't feel as strongly for him as he did. He sighed, standing as he swiped a hand over his dripping features. He would need to go back now, before Amatsu began wondering where he was. He didn't want to think too much about this, because the end results were always going to be the same. And Shiuchi walked back towards the dining hall, feeling his heart finally crack in two from all the strain.
Sesshomaru stood in the middle of his room, his face as impassive as ever. He wasn't quite sure what was wrong with him. He knew that this was going to happen. In fact, he had told Amatsu that he was going to become his mate. It was just... he had been surprised. He had assumed that he would have more time before— ... well, he just needed a few moments to think. So he stood there, his thoughts growing muddled as they bounced around in his head, a slight frown tugging at his face.
'We have to stop this. Amatsu is not who we should be bound to.'
'Stop your babbling. Amatsu is the most practical choice for the future...'
'He cannot make us happy.'
'Happiness is... not relevant, in this circumstance.'
The daiyoukai was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't hear the footsteps rapidly approaching his door, and he almost jumped when he heard the handle turn. Sesshomaru looked over his shoulder, moving to face the intruder when he saw Inuyasha step inside, the door hanging open behind him. The daiyoukai looked him over quietly, wondering what business he could possibly have with him. The inu demons stood in silence, their stares washing over each other as they each pondered what the other was thinking. Finally, Inuyasha took a step closer, his eyes unable to hide their concern.
"Are you... alright?"
Sesshomaru let out a scoff, his eyes narrowing.
"Why would I not be? If that is the only reason you came, then I suggest you leave."
The daiyoukai allowed his eyes to slide close for a brief moment, attempting to get a handle on the emotions that had run rampant seconds before Inuyasha stepped into the room. He started slightly when he felt arms wrap around him, settling at his waist. The daiyoukai's golden orbs blinked open, not surprised to see Inuyasha's face looking up at his.
"Foolish hanyou." He said coldly, making no move to push the half-breed away. "What makes you think you have the right to touch this Sesshomaru?"
Inuyasha said nothing, resting his head on the daiyoukai's shoulder. He pulled Sesshomaru closer, allowing his eyes to close as he felt the demon lord's body press against his. Unspoken words hung between them, and the hanyou lightly stroked what he could reach of the daiyoukai's back with his thumb. For a moment they stayed like this, and Inuyasha felt his heart flutter briefly as Sesshomaru's hands come up to rest lightly on his chest, his claws gently digging into the fabric. He could hear his youkai all but purring, content with having it's 'future mate' so close. Inuyasha allowed himself to wonder if Sesshomaru's was doing the same thing.
Kagome hurried down the corridor, looking around her surroundings curiously. Inuyasha had gone out of the dining hall so quickly... she was vexed. He had left before he had even finished his plate, which was unusual for the hanyou. She had politely excused herself from the dining hall shortly after, worrying about him. He had seemed concerned over something, and she just wanted to make sure he was all right. He had been acting funny ever since they got to Amatsu's castle— no, ever since Sesshomaru had come into their little group... she wasn't sure what was wrong. And he seemed to be growing more and more distant from her....
"—lish hanyou."
Kagome jumped at the sound of Sesshomaru's voice. She looked around, blinking curiously. The hallway was empty... meaning that they were in one of the rooms. She continued walking forwards, the daiyoukai's deep tones ringing clear once more.
"What makes you think you have the right to touch this Sesshomaru?"
The miko paused at that, wondering why he would say something so odd. She reached a door that was cracked open slightly, stopping to peer inside.
"What are they..."
Kagome froze, her eyes widening at the scene before her. Inuyasha was... Inuyasha was holding Sesshomaru. And Sesshomaru... she raised a hand to her mouth as the daiyoukai lifted Inuyasha's head off his shoulder, moving it until it was directly in front of his. And then... then the daiyoukai bowed his head; tilting it forward slightly as Inuyasha moved upwards until their lips connected soundly. Sesshomaru's hands splayed out over Inuyasha's chest and Inuyasha's sunk just a bit lower on the daiyoukai's waist.
The teen let out a gasp, her hand flying up to cover her mouth. Immediately Sesshomaru looked up, blinking slowly as his head turned and his eyes met hers.
She could feel the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks, sadness overwhelming her. She turned from the door, running back down the hall, attempting to get far away from the man who had broken her heart, again.
Foxgirl: okay! This has been edited, and updated. Again!
Thanks to neenabluegirl, and evelyndark once again