It was morning. Birds were chirping, the wind was picking up, and Sesshomaru and Inuyasha were fully dried off from sleeping next to foxfire all evening.
Sesshomaru had woken up at dawn but had decided to let Inuyasha sleep. He suspected that the hanyou would have a hangover worth reckoning with when he finally became conscious.
And he was right.
Inuyasha jumped about five feet when he realized whose tail he'd been sleeping on.
Sesshomaru stared at his brother with an unimpressed expression as Inuyasha yelped, then stood, shaking himself in the same way a dog would and huffing, "Yeech! Damn! Now I smell like you! Ugh- …?!"
He staggered around a bit and held the side of his head, giving a groan. Oh no. Oh god.
"You're hungover. I wouldn't be jumping around so much if I were you." Sesshomaru said lightly, standing and flicking his tail a few times before folding it over his shoulder as he always did.
"You shaddup! You don't know that- you don't –" He grabbed one of the tent poles gratefully and stood weakly for a moment, his ears folded tight to his head in irritation.
Sesshomaru walked over to his brother and looked him over, and the slightest flicker of amusement came into those yellow eyes.
"Will you be able to make it back to the Foo-Dog Palace in that condition?"
Inuyasha brandished a finger at him, "I said I'm fine! There's nothing wrong with me!" and growled lowly, putting quite a bit of effort into standing so that he didn't start weaving again.
"Very well. We will leave once I give Sadao our regards." Sesshomaru said smoothly, running a hand through his long hair and then turning on his heel. As he entered the tent he heard Inuyasha collapse to the ground outside and rolled his eyes.
Inside, the other Yokai and Daiyokai were also suffering. Sadao and a few of his main commanders hadn't partaken in any drink but it looked like the rest of the army had, judging by the bleary eyes, groaning, and the sluggish movements.
Even the Fox Daiyokai that Inuyasha had gotten into a drinking contest with ( Daisuke) seemed to be feeling the effects. Sesshomaru had learned his lesson about drinking when he'd gotten into his own drinking contest with a dragon Daiyokai. It seemed only fitting that Inuyasha learn the same lesson in a similar fashion.
"Excuse me. Where is Sadao's tent?" He asked Daisuke. The Daiyokai blinked quite slowly and rubbed his head in irritation as he tried to shake off the effects of the drink. Yes even Daiyokai could get hangovers. " Oh. Right. Third tent to the end, on the lefthand side."
Sesshomaru nodded and closed the flap.
Sadao had a lot of comments to make about Diaozuan's pregnancy for someone Sesshomaru had only met twice.
"So she really is pregnant after all eh?" Sadao's amusement was apparent as he gave little high-fives to some of the other warriors. " Excellent. More strong fox kits for the clan. And maybe even a Daiyokai if we're lucky."
Sadao turned to Sesshomaru and gave him an affectionate pat on the shoulder, and he had to repress a growl. Touch was not something he enjoyed from anyone other than Rin and recently, Diaozuan.
"Looks like she got what she deserved. I warned her that staying in that form would get her whelped, considering who she's taking to bed. I wouldn't be surprised if she had a litter of ten or more in there, poor thing."
The other fox warriors roared with laughter and Sesshomaru colored slightly.
"I certainly hope not." The Foo-Dog pursed his lips slightly. Stupid Diaozuan. If she'd just taken the moon tea he wouldn't have to endure this kind of talk.
"Well. You and Inuyasha saved many of our kin, and we're grateful. Any debt that you owed us had more than been paid. Oh. By the way."
He dug around in his outfit and eventually drew out a small leather water skin and handed it to Sesshomaru. "For Inuyasha. I imagine he'll have a bitch of a hangover. This should stave it off until you arrive back at the Foo-Dog Palace." Amber eyes widened a bit and Sesshomaru nodded and stood, giving s slight incline of his head before saying, " I will take my leave. Send a bird when you wish to see the kits. You are welcome in the Foo-Dog Palace."
He left as he always did: silently, and with little decorum.
He handed the water skin to Inuyasha who sniffed at it suspiciously, "What's this than eh? All we get for sending half the army is a little wine?"
"No. We've received something greater. We have the loyalty of the Fox Tribe."
Sesshomaru said quietly, rolling his eyes as he saw Inuyasha continue to sniff. "It's for your headache. Drink it or leave it , I don't care."
Sesshomaru seemed to flicker: and Inuyasha scrambled to his feet and ran after his half-brother as the Daiyokai sped through the woods with speed that even a hanyou had trouble tracking.
Inuyasha grumbled under his breath as he ran along, even less of his graceful self than usual.
He seemed to be tripping on branches all over the place and once, got a thick branch straight in the gut that knocked him flat on his back and nearly put the wind out of him. As he lay there, suffering, Sesshomaru climbed on top of said branch and sat with his legs crossed. His silver hair reflected the light greens and deep browns of the forest, a cascade of light.
"Pathetic. We'll never get there at this rate."
"Ugh. Shut up. Leave me alone." Inuyasha grumbled, flailing his arms a bit in frustration and then relenting. He took the water skin out of his pocket and took a few cautious sips, his ears back and twitching.
Sesshomaru gave no reply. Obviously he couldn't leave the stupid hanyou in the middle of the woods in this state. He'd probably wander into the mouth of some demon and then he'd have to explain the story of Inuyasha's stupid death to Ame and Katsu.
He closed his eyes. The sunlight was weak, but he could smell it warming the grass. Moss, dirt, worms, and then up into the larger animals, fox, deer, and finally all manner of demons… He could feel the surface of the earth humming with life. Even Inuyasha was a part of it, though the hanyou perhaps couldn't sense it the same way that Sesshomaru could.
He loved the feeling of it. Being out here. Even the hard bark under his rear was a welcome respite from the too-soft cushions.
"Hey." His brother's voice popped his train of thought.
"Yes."
"Why did our swords combine like that? I've thought about it all night and I still can't figure it out." He muttered as he finished off the skin and sat up, his ears flicking forward and back in irritation.
"I imagine it had something to do with the fact that our relationship is changing. Father was always placing emphasis on that sort of thing." Sesshomaru said lightly, running a finger over the top of one of his pointed ears. The truth was… He wasn't sure either.
There was another possibility... but, he wouldn't explore that.
And more importantly.. why had the hanyou been able to calm him from a rampage?
And why on earth had he had the urge to mark the hanyou? He'd discuss it with Diaozuan later.
His jaw still ached and his Yokai was restless in his skin.
"Well… how come I couldn't use it then? If it's about both of us then…"
Sesshomaru sighed and looked down at Inuyasha, saying after a moment, "It was protecting you. A sword like that would be too much for you. I could barely wield it safely."
He blinked for a moment. I protected Inuyasha. That must be a first.
The hanyou seemed insulted, " Oi, I can handle any sword as well as you can-" and then went quiet at the peculiar expression on Sesshomaru's face.
"You got something in your teeth?" He asked as he saw Sesshomaru running a claw lightly over one of his canines. They still hurt quite a bit. An unusual sensation for a Daiyokai like himself.
"Mm?" He drew his hand away quickly and tucked it under his sleeve. "Never mind. We go."
And they were off again, the Daiyokai still slowing down a bit to make sure Inuyasha got back safely. Luckily the potion seemed to be doing the trick: he sped up as time passed and was soon hacking his way through demons with the Tessaiga like usual.
"I am going hunting." He said simply to Inuyasha and split off from him when they cleared the ridge, darting off to the right.
Diaozuan's probably hungry. I know I am.
It didn't take him that long to find what he was looking for.
A beautiful bright red demon deer. Drinking from one of the many streams. Sesshomaru shifted silently into his demon dog form and crouched. Out here things were simple:
Silent as the grass. Swift as the wind. Just the way his father had taught him and soon, the way he would teach his young.
He leapt.
About two hours later Sesshomaru crawled lazily over the wall of the Foo-Dog Palace with the neck of the deer in his jaws. It was a bit of an interesting task getting it over the wall, but the easiest way seemed to be if the deer went first.
He dropped onto all fours and the grounds of the Palace shook as he roared, letting Diaozuan know he was home and had brought food. He then carried it almost to the back porch, laying it out for her and starting to groom himself.
She soon arrived in her demon form: and the children as well. Her beautiful black coat glistened in the sunlight and even in her demon form, he could see the slight swell in her abdomen of their kits.
She was about a third of his size: the tops of her ears were at Sesshomaru's ribcage. Yet he treated her every bit as an equal and was very careful not to harm her. After all she was part of the reason he'd even been able to achieve his full potential in this form.
The touched noses silently, then rubbed each other's muzzles, before she went to eat.
The children tried to run after her but were blocked by one of Sesshomaru's enormous paws.
He shifted back into his human form and said quietly, "Diao first. Then, you three may eat when she has had her fill. That's the rule."
The pups and kit whined, rolling around, showing Sesshomaru their bellies, doing everything they could think of to get at the delicious carcass that he'd brought for all of them.
He was amused by their antics and rubbed their bellies, entertaining them while Diaozuan ate.
They had beautiful demon forms too. Perhaps he should take them out hunting soon: Katsu certainly had a hunting instinct that needed some kind of an outlet. Certainly the others weren't far behind.
Inuyasha hung by the door, watching the family.
He'd dropped by the human village to catch up with Sango, Miroku, and Shippou. They'd been overjoyed to see him and he'd told them as much as he felt comfortable about Katsu and Ame and everything that had happened. He had gone a few times before, but always chickened out at the last minute.
Though he'd been so grateful to see them he felt a distance between them. Miroku and Sango had started their own family and more or less adopted the fox kit. They were a unit. They were complete. And when he looked out at Diaozuan and Sesshomaru together he felt the same way.
Is this where I belong? It definitely feels less awkward than being with Sango and Miroku. Why the hell have we grown so far apart?
Maybe it was Kagome's absence. She'd always been better at him than conversation.
He shifted around in irritation. Maybe it was just spending so much time around Sesshomaru and Diaozuan. Though, he felt like he was changing Sesshomaru just as much as the Daiyokai was changing him. And so were the kids for that matter.
"Dad?" He blinked and looked down at Inukezi who was looking up at him with those beautiful greenish yellow eyes.
"You okay?"
"C'mere." He picked up the boy and noogied him until he was nearly crying from laughter, then sat with Inukezi in his lap as he watched Ame play with Katsu and Toshi. The effects of the potion were draining away and the light was starting to make his eyes hurt a bit. Maybe a nap was in order.
The kid leaned hard into his chest because he was exhausted from laughter and Inuyasha kissed the top of his head lightly.
Yeah. This feels better. Here with them. My children. I guess it doesn't matter as long as I can be with them.
Finally Diaozuan was full and transformed back into her human form. Sesshomaru led her inside to clean off the blood in a washbasin and for a moment, he was alone with the pups.
Ame crawled up to Inuyasha and placed a thumb-sized scrap of meat on Inuyasha's knee. She whined, sticking her butt up in the air and placing her chin on Inuyasha's leg. He looked down in surprise and his eyebrows raised. "Uh-"
"I think she wants you to eat it dad." Inukezi said with amusement and handed him the scrap. The hanyou's nose wrinkled and he made a face,
"Ah, Ame, you know I can't eat this right? I'm only half demon…"
She whined and nudged his leg and arm, barking once and then flopping down dramatically beside him.
"Fine, fine."
Inukezi watched his father with fascination. He'd never actually seen Inuyasha try demon meat before.
Just as he was about to place it on his tongue Sesshomaru walked back into the room.
Inuyasha panicked, "What! I wasn't doing anything wrong!" And chucked the scrap of meat to the pups. Katsu jumped and caught it deftly in his jaws, giving a happy bark.
Sesshomaru raised a brow. "Have you actually never tried demon meat before?"
The hanyou huffed and shifted around a bit. " Well the blood stinks okay? And if I can't stand the smell of the blood I don't see why the meat would be any different." He lifted his chin high and closed his eyes.
Truth was though it hadn't smelled half bad. But… he wasn't about to go around eating demons!
"You are a hanyou. I can not believe you've waited this long to at least try demon food." Sesshomaru said dryly. He ripped another tiny piece off of the carcass and handed it to the Inuyasha who made a face and stood.
"Nothin' doin! And you can't make me either!" He snarled and stalked off with Inukezi close behind. Sesshomaru noted though, that he still held the tiny scrap in his claws.
Back in his room he looked at the tiny piece suspiciously. All his life he'd never tried demon meat. Mostly because as a kid, he's absolutely sucked at hunting. It was the demons who were always after him, not the other way around. And when he finally got good at killing things the idea of actually eating them afterwords made him feel kinda sick. Like… like if he did he'd be one step closer to losing himself.
And even as an adult, he'd been a bit worried that trying it might trigger his demon blood somehow.
"Dad c'mon stop being such a scaredy cat! Do it already!" Inukezi whined. The boy was on his chest now, tucked tight and protectively against him.
"Hey quiet! Or this is goin' right down your throat! See how you like it…" Inuyasha grumbled, grit his teeth for a moment. His arm went protectively around his son's shoulders.
Then he quickly popped it into his mouth and swallowed.
At first he thought he was going to throw it up: but then he felt a surge of… something. Heat. And a faint roaring, kinda like the one Sesshomaru had ripped earlier but much fainter. Yet somehow he knew he was the only one who heard it.
Woah.
Seshomaru was helping Diaozuan with her hair when he paused, the hair on the back of his neck standing up a bit.
Hm. Inuyasha's Yokai. Odd.
Diaozuan looked up at him in surprise when she felt him freeze like that and he shook his head, "Its nothing important." Twisting her long purple hair to get out the last few steams of cold water before they rejoined the pups and kit.
Back in Inuyasha's room his son was almost ecstatic. "Dad! You've got marks on your cheeks!" Inukezi said excitedly as he touched his father's face, his small claws touching the jagged markings. Inuyasha was slightly dazed and muttered, "Hn?" before seeming to snap back to reality.
"Wait, what?" He sat up and took one of the tiny hand mirrors from the dresser next to the bed, holding it up to his face. Sure enough. They were jagged and dark just like they had been before when his full demon blood had surfaced.
But his eyes were still the same. Everything else was normal. And even as he watched, the marks faded away to nothing. But somehow, he felt a lot better.
Guess in some ways I've been neglecting that side a bit.
His stomach growled rather loudly and a look of embarrassment crossed his face.
Dammit.
"Aww. Dad, do you want more? I could probably get some from the deer or ask for some if you –"
He grabbed him up and held him close to his own face. " I'm fine. Listen, I'm not eating any more of that stuff okay? Now, I'm gonna take a nap. You should go play with Ame and Katsu once they're done eating."
Inukezi crossed his arms. " No! I'm staying in here with you."
Inuyasha growled and the two stared each other down for a moment. He then poked his son's nose with one claw, "Fine. But if you make one single noise or start thrashing in your sleep I'm booting you outta here, got it?"
The boy nodded in determination, his face looking oddly serious for someone so young. "You're on."
When Ame was finished eating she snuck around to find Inuyasha. Like her brother, she instinctively knew that Inuyasha was her father and wanted to be around him as much as Sesshomaru. Eventually she found him in his room with Inukezi on his chest. Both were dozing but the hanyou's son woke up when she entered and placed a single finger on his lips.
She nodded and shifted into human form, closing the door very quietly behind her. Then, she crawled up onto the bed very slowly and slipped up under Inuyasha's free arm, laying down on the other side of his chest as slowly as she could manage so that she didn't wake him up.
Inuyasha's ears twitched and his eyes opened a tad for a moment, and then closed again when he smelled it was just Ame. One of his clawed hands rested silently in her long silver hair and he shifted, pulling his kids close to his chest.
It wasn't long before Katsu and Toshi joined the pile.
When Sesshomaru and Diaozuan returned, they were surprised to see that the children weren't still playing. The two Daiyokai tracked their scents and Diaozuan managed to find them first.
She opened the door and peered in, amusement crossing her face.
Sesshomaru. Come look at this.
She pulled him close and he peeked in as well, surprised to see all of the offspring in one place and being quiet, for once.
Sesshomaru was impressed that Inuyasha was still sleeping. All four of the children were on him in various positions, and Toshi and Katsu were still in their demon forms. Toshi was around Inuyasha's feet and legs, his black coat reflecting the red of Inuyasha's fire rat robes. Katsu was around his head, his muzzle tucked near Inuyasha's neck. Around Katsu's shoulder, the scars of Inukimi's attack made his fur grow slower. As a result, the fur seemed to have five little ripples in it. But that only made the markings on his face and jaw more handsome.
All of them were breathing those slow, long belly breaths that meant a good sleep. Apparently now that their bellies were full, they wanted a nap, And they had managed to find a good sleeping buddy in Inuyasha.
Let's let them sleep.
Diaozuan murmured and touched her cheek to Sesshomaru's affectionately. He nodded, the yellow in his own eyes softer than normal at the sight, and closed the door.
There was an anomaly that I wanted to discuss with you. Something strange occurred between Inuyasha and I during the battle.
He said as they walked back to the porch. He'd have to dispose of the carcass soon but for now he'd leave it in case anyone wanted seconds. He filled her in quickly about the battle and seeing his mother again before going into exactly what had occurred between the two.
"What is it?" She said, adjusting a layer on her kimono in frustration. No matter how much she fussed with them they never seemed to lay just right on the belly. And now that they'd started moving around they seemed to kick the tie of her sash right off. Sesshomaru watched this with muted amusement. Diaozuan was getting a taste of her own medicine in the most satisfying way.
"Well, two anomalies. One: Our swords combined and formed a new sword that's able to swallow an army. Two: It seems that my Yokai wants to mark him." Sesshomaru said, ticking the items off on his claws as he listed them. She looked over in surprise and lifted a hand to her own chin in thought.
"That is strange. But you are getting along better now. Maybe Inu No Taisho always wanted you to protect your brother rather than fight with him. That might be his way of rewarding both of you, by giving you a sword that can protect him."
Sesshomaru made a disbelieving noise.
"And about the marking… did something happen that was unusual between you two? Maybe, something another Yokai wouldn't be able to do?"
The Foo-Dog's face narrowed in irritation. Now that he thought of it there had been that thing.
"Well." He said reluctantly. " He was able to stop my transformation."
Her eyes widened in surprise and she looked impressed. " Really? How?"
He shrugged and his tail fluffed slightly in irritation. "I'm not sure. Our Yokai were talking and he was in his full-blood form. I don't know exactly what was said or how he managed to calm me down."
She looked out at the trees and the carcass for a moment before saying softly, "Well. It's not uncommon for Daiyokai to have multiple marked ones. My father usually has three. It's safer and more stable for the kingdom and for the bloodline for the ruling Yokai to have backup. If something were to happen to me, you'd definitely need Inuyasha's help raising all the pups and kits, and he's already proven he can do that.
Perhaps him showing he can calm you from a transformation was the last proof your Yokai needed that he should be connected to you like that."
Sesshomaru crossed his arms and huffed. "Impossible. There is no way that I would ever-"
"Did he say anything else of significance?" She interrupted, and he raised a brow slightly. Her eyes were searching his and not for the first time, he felt that she could read him better than he would have liked.
"No."
Her eyes narrowed. " Sesshomaru, please. I'm trying to help you."
He growled and shifted around angrily. He did not like discussing it but he needed to get to the truth and he knew Diaozuan was much more familiar with this than anyone in the Palace might be. " After I closed the door to the netherworld, he said-"
He suppressed another growl as his mother's imagine came to mind. " Inuyasha said that he would battle her until all the children had passed through safely. He deemed it would be his version of paradise."
She held her claws to her mouth in surprise and her own eyes got slightly teary.
"Oh. I see."
He swallowed. He hated seeing her tears. Sesshomaru shifted so he was closer to her and placed an arm over her shoulders, ignoring the slight lump in his own throat.
"Are you- "
She was angry suddenly and placed her finger at the tip of his nose. "Sesshomaru I love you but you are so- frustrating! Of course your Yokai would want you bonded to someone who said they'd look after your children even after death!" There were tears in her eyes and he was so surprised that she was yelling at him that he didn't even have a chance to say anything.
She went on, "Don't you get how beautiful that is? He knows he's going first because of his human blood. He knows he could slip through the doors and enjoy his own damn paradise first but instead he'll stick around and battle your horrible bitch of a mother because he loves them so much! He's giving up his paradise for you! For them!"
She took a breath and tried to calm herself, sitting back down next to him. Sesshomaru's tail and hair were all puffed out from surprise and indignation at being yelled at. But.. he also found that he wasn't sure what to say, because he hadn't thought of it that way before.
"You… can't find that kind of loyalty anywhere. Of course your Yokai would want someone like that by your side." She finished very quietly and wiped her face with her sleeve, her hand shaking a little. She would have to remember to thank the hanyou later, though he'd probably just brush it off like no big deal. Well, it was a big deal, and it mattered to her.
It mattered. He mattered.
"I…" Sesshomaru started, then stopped, looking off to one side as his eyes narrowed. He felt guilty. He knew there was a reason why his chest had tightened up when Inuyasha had spoken those words. Why the swords had combined. Why he felt more protective of the hanyou than ever.
Something was changing between them and he didn't know where it was going, or where it would stop.
And he was terrified. It was frightening enough feeling Diaozuan's emotions along with his own. Her terror and fear and anger. Even now her exasperation with him, and her love for the hanyou, flooded his chest and made him feel like he was drowning.
Sesshomaru pushed down those emotions, distanced them from his own. He was just now learning how to turn their connection off and it was so very irritating that he couldn't pin down his feelings towards the hanyou.
Inuyasha used to be in the 'hate' box in Sesshomaru's mind and everything had been so simple. Now, he was bleeding into every box. He still hated him... but he was the father of his pups. And a damn good father too unfortunately. There was a kind of affection there when he saw him laying with the children. Affection and irritation and exasperation.
Do I even want to mark him?
He didn't know the answer to that. In a way it'd be nice to know what the hanyou was really feeling considering that he stifled himself almost as well as Sesshomaru under false bravado. But bonded to his own brother? The thought made him so conflicted.
Bonding was for mates.
For life partners.
Something very romantic and sacred among the Yokai and usually only reserved for lovers.
Which they certainly were not.
And never will be.
He thought, wrinkling his nose. What a disgusting notion. He thought of Inuyasha's stupid face and his stupid hair and his stupid silky ears. How could someone take a lover seriously with those damn things on the top of his head?
Maybe Kagome had made him wear a head scarf or something. Or maybe she had been into it.
He let that train of thought drop.
Still though.
If he did mark him then what? When would his damn Yokai be satisfied?
Why him? Of all damn creatures that walk this earth, why?
Sesshomaru was beyond frustrated. No matter what he did, in the end, all roads seemed to lead to his half brother. Tighter the strands around them grew. As if all those moments of their interactions in the past were tiny colorful knots of string, woven through time.
And the farther they went forward, the tighter the knots became. An eternal knot.
Sesshomaru would escape it. He would not be pushed by destiny or fate in the hanyou's direction. He would resist whatever the stars had planned.
He had to.
" I could never mark him. It would break him, and he would never accept it. It would be a burden and a humiliation. A violation of freedom. My Yokai must be mistaken." He said finally and helped her up, wiping away the rest of her tears and setting his forehead against hers.
"Sesshomaru…"
" I did not mean to upset you. Forgive me."
He was gone in a blur of light. She watched the slight change of wind as he rippled up the side of the mountain and knew that he was going somewhere to think as he always did.
She watched him go and sat down, her legs hanging off the edge of the porch as she thought of Inuyasha and the sweetness of the hanyou.
Sesshomaru sat quietly in a tall tree at the very top of the mountain and pondered all of this, his tail swaying lightly in the breeze.
He would not take away his brother's freedom. He would not risk shattering what had barely begun to heal between them.
Even he knew that the hanyou had been through enough for one lifetime.
Diaozuan wanted to tell Inuyasha what was going on, but Sesshomaru convinced her not to. The hanyou didn't need to know.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
It had been about a week, and Inuyasha was getting suspicious. It seemed like every time Sesshomaru was around him he always seemed to be messing with his teeth or getting a funny look on his face as if he'd tasted something bitter.
Sesshomaru always had a bit of a pinched look on his face but it seemed more pronounced than usual. And today Inuyasha was going to find out what the hell was going on. One way or another.
Sesshomaru paused. He was in his study and it was about eight o clock in the morning.
And Inuyasha was attempting a sneak attack on him.
The audacity.
He thought in irritation, placing his brush down and sighing a half-second before he was tackled to the floor by his half brother.
"Gotcha!" Inuyasha yelled in triumph.
Sesshomaru growled and rolled them over, pinning Inuyasha to the floor with one arm and an elbow.
"What are you doing." He said in a monotone voice as Inuyasha struggled, pushing Sesshomaru's patience.
"You've been acting funny around me all week and I'm going to find out why dammit!" He snarled back and shoved a hand into the side of Sesshomaru's mouth, pulling up his lip.
"What's going on with your teeth eh? Somethin' you wanna tell me?"
Sesshomaru grabbed Inuyasha's arm and yanked it out of his mouth, resisting the urge to bite down on his hand hard.
"Inuyasha. Don't think you're immune to harm because of the pups." He growled, his hair beginning to lift slightly as his fangs became longer. To be honest he was getting riled up because his Yokai wanted desperately to bite him and was seeing opportunity in this unfortunate encounter.
Inuyasha panted and scowled, "Tell me then! How come you're always making that face and rubbing your teeth and jaw when I'm around eh?"
Sesshomaru stared down at him levelly. " It is none of your concern." It was happening again actually, right now. His mouth was filling with bitter venom and he was trying not to let it show. He was trying to de escalate the situation but unfortunately, it seemed to have the opposite effect on Inuyasha.
"Fuck you it's none of my concern!" He said and went for Sesshomaru's mouth again. Books and letters littered the floor as the two struggled. Inuyasha's fingers were in his mouth again. Sesshomaru was beyond irritated: he grabbed Inuyasha with his tail and snapped him away from his mouth, hearing a yelp.
"Inuyasha I will not be subjected to -"
He paused. Blood. On Inuyasha's finger.
He'd knicked him with one of his fangs. And Inuyasha's hand was covered in bright green venom.
Inuyasha cursed, "Damn, you nicked me! I-" and then got quiet, gritting his teeth as something burned up his hand and into his torso.
"Ah… ahh- " He covered one hand with the other, his whole body curling up as Sesshomaru's venom pounded through his veins. The last thing he remembered was feeling that huge tail release him and his brother's voice.
And then blackness.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"It's simple really." Tian said quietly. They'd fetched him immediately: Inuyasha was stretched out on his bed, drenched in sweat and twitching occasionally.
"His human half can't handle the venom. You can either give him the mark, or let him suffer a long and painful death."
The snake said quietly. Sesshomaru's venom was almost as powerful as Tian's. And unlike the snake, there was no sort of antivenom for what lay in the roof of the Daiyokai's mouth. It simply wasn't a common enough problem for healers to try and develop a cure for. Snake venom was used to poison enemies all the time. Foo Dog venom? Not so much.
"I thought that hanyou's couldn't bear a mark." Sesshomaru said dully.
" Well… most can't. But your brother is different. Strong. And its at least worth a try to save his life, don't you think?" Tian said softly, looking up at the Lord of the West. He saw such pain on his master's face.
"You'll have to be careful about the amount too. There is a certain margin of error for Daiyokai like Diaozuan here. But with him, it's a little different." Tina said quietly as the two looked down at Inuyasha.
Diaozuan squeezed Sesshomaru's hand and he squeezed back, but he felt no comfort. Only fear.
Damn. One tiny nick. Sesshomaru cursed inside his own mind. The choice had been taken from him.
His children needed their father.
The alternative was unthinkable.
Yet… what would he do when Inuyasha woke up with his mark? When he felt the hanyou's emotions tangle with his own?
He should have been more careful. He should have made sure that Inuyasha's fingers were out of his mouth before tearing him away like that.
This was his fault. And now, again, Inuyasha would suffer.
He gritted his teeth.
Why? Why must I take even his freedom from him? The sacred space between his own ears?
The hanyou's breaths were shallow and labored. The children waited outside, anxious, some with tears because they knew something bad had happened to Inuyasha but were too young to understand what.
"Please. Hurry. He doesn't have time for you to lament." Tian said quietly.
Sesshomaru crouched beside his half-brother and looked him over. Yes, he didn't have much time. The color was draining from his face and his breaths were getting weaker. Sesshomaru gripped the Tenseiga angrily. Since its little performance it hadn't been working properly so he didn't dare test it on Inuyasha's life.
And yet even now he could feel his Yokai wanting to finish the job. The beast knew exactly the right amount to place the mark without straining the weak human blood in Inuyasha's veins.
He moved the lock that hung down on Inuyasha's right side back from his neck.
I'm sorry. I am so sorry.
Please. Forgive me.
He would see that coldness again, he was sure of it. That cold stare from his brother's yellow eyes. Cold and full of so much pain and empty of mercy. And it would be all his fault.
It would turn Inuyasha into what he used to be before Kikyo and Kagome had softened him. At least.. towards Sesshomaru.
He would be soft and kind to the pups. But there would be no healing between them after this.
He bit down.
Hard.
Inuyasha jerked and curled up, his hands going to Sesshomaru and into his hair, trying weakly to pull him off but he just bit down harder, tasting salt along with that bitter venom.
And then all at once, he slowly began to relax.
His hands slipped from Sesshomaru's head and unfolded gently on the bed, palms up. For a moment he actually stopped breathing and Sesshomaru felt himself stop as well.
And then he took a deep breath.
Sesshomaru felt a change in him: his heartbeat was louder, and the breaths that he drew were strong now, and deep. The mark bloomed exactly where it had been before.
The nape of his neck, about two inches under where his silver hair ended.
A beautiful blue crescent moon.
His mark began to heal slowly and Sesshomaru licked the skin once to help the process along.
All of the sudden, he was hit by Inuyasha's memories and emotions.
And it was not unlike being hit with a sledgehammer. Quickly, he blocked any memories from Diaozuan, and let himself take the brunt of the connection.
So much pain. Being chased by demons as a child, rejected by humans, mocked and ridiculed and beaten. Izayoi's death.
Isolation. So many long and treacherous nights, so many meals alone.
Heartbreaking isolation. Looking down at both groups and knowing there was no place for him, not anywhere in the whole world.
Kikyo. Her face twisted with rage and pain as he felt him being pinned to the tree with her arrow and thinking that it must be the end and that if he were to die from her hand, then maybe that wasn't so bad after all.
Sesshomaru. He could see himself in Inuyasha's memories. Broken hope, more fear. And anger , something else. A grudging respect. Admiration. Traces of -
Kagome. Irritation. The word 'sit' about a thousand times. But later, love and forgiveness and for the first time, peace. For a while. And then her death.
And he heard Inuyasha's voice ringing his head.
That's how it is when you're different. Nobody trusts you.
You're always the first to be blamed. And it is always, always your fault!
Inuyasha blamed himself for her death.
He blamed himself for everything.
Sesshomaru placed his forehead on the top of Inuyasha's head, right before those ears. In the soft silky hair that was so like his own but perhaps just a shade darker.
And he began to cry silently. The sobs shook his shoulders slightly as he moved from crouching to sitting, his long tail uncurling underneath the bed.
He couldn't breathe, couldn't think. Swallowed entirely by his brother's pain and those tiny, too-short, sweet moments that Inuyasha held to desperately when the torrent became too much to bear.
Diaozuan was alarmed. She knew the connection would be bad but she hadn't thought it would be this bad.
"Sesshomaru-" She touched his shoulder and he stiffened.
Leave me be.
She blinked and nodded, giving his arm a squeeze and taking Tian out with her. She would respect his wishes. He did not want to be comforted: he needed to see this.
He needed to see the full extent of the damage he had done.
The pups all but jumped at her and the doctor, shooting questions at them.
"He'll be all right. They just need rest." She assured them, picking them up and comforting them the best that she could as she eyed the door. The connection between them was faint and she knew Sesshomaru was blocking her from Inuyasha and himself, but she didn't mind.
Sometimes he needed to be alone. And she respected that.
Besides, a bond was a sacred thing. There was no need for her to interfere. Each one was unique.
Back inside the Daiyokai tried to get a hold of himself.
Sesshomaru hadn't cried this hard since he was very small.
When he was finished, he felt incredibly weak and utterly drained.
He slumped down and used the wall and the bedpost to prop himself up, his eyes red but for once, not because of his demon peeking through.
Inuyasha was sleeping peacefully. Through their connection he could tell he'd be out for a few more hours at least.
He watched him wearily, his breath still uneven. Occasionally, he hiccupped. He'd given up trying to bring it back down to normal. In a way, it felt good to be utterly out of control. Even the great Lord Sesshomaru needed to let out his emotions every once in a while.
He swallowed, and concentrated.
He sent Inuyasha peace. Affection. Respect. All those annoyingly positive emotions that'd he'd been feeling towards the hanyou as of late. It felt good to get rid of them for at least a moment.
And there was no greater satisfaction than hearing the hanyou give a small sigh, and see those ears relax back onto his head, folding delicately like the wings of a bird.
Sleep.
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Wolf'sVine: Haha yeah, I enjoyed writing that part. I was thinking of when Sesshomaru went to the underworld in the final act. Sesshomaru is definitely more protective of Inuyasha than ever before because they're booondiiiing lol . I hope that this chapter answered at least some of those questions.
Sherryfanfic1999: Yeah, they went back to normal. And those are some good theories. You're mostly right lol. Though, I wont be able to get to that until later. Aaand lol I'm not sure I'd be able to write another one since summer is almost over already. But, I will definitely do my best to give this one a good ending. You and your inucest xD
Inuyasha16541:Hah yeah, we're all laughing at Diaozuan at this point. Its his own fault entirely. Also.. hope you were happy with the ending lol ~
Springtopain: Ah! Muchas gracias!