Sesshoumaru sat on his bed. He hadn't slept at all. He was ready to start the day even if it was still dark. A feeling deep in his chest constantly tried to surface, but at the last moment plummet down to nothing. It was disconcerting that he couldn't get a hold on it. It had kept him from getting to sleep. He concentrated on the feeling, but each time he wanted to get hold of it, it slipped away. He didn't like to have such a poor control over himself. It was frustrating, just as frustrating as his little halfblood brother, another example of poor control.

It was bad enough that the halfblood had witnessed the unfortunate happening in the garden. That disaster was totally the fault of the halfblood. He had been on the verge of ending the whole 'meeting of prospecting mates in a natural setting' when he had gotten a whiff of the halfblood scent. The scent had confused him. It had felt like finally his heart started beating. The feeling had confused and excited him at the same time and the animated girls had gotten the opportunity to advance on him.

But now that he had time to think about it, he obviously had been bored out of his mind and the sudden appearance of his little brother had presented a welcome distraction from the fluttering girls. Yes, an amusing as well as infuriating interlude. His little brother was the only one not behaving like a total moron. Even if his mother had changed the rules of the new game he had started, he would fully enjoy choosing a mate for his little brother. He already knew what kind of personality would be most fitting the little misfit. He was looking forward to cross swords with his little brother. Finally after days of feeling a hole in his chest, in his heart, the troublesome feeling was replaced with the anticipation to aggravate the troublesome hanyou.

Inuyasha pressed his face in the plush pillow on the luxurious bed in his room. He remained that way until he couldn't breathe anymore and then maybe a few counts more. He had to get rid of the conflicting thoughts and images in his head. Crimson red began to flash in front of his eyes and still his mind wouldn't let go of an ethereal beauty that was his annoying brother, no half-brother. When he felt that his inner-Youkai was surfacing because of the life threatening breathlessness he was inflicting on himself, Inuyasha turned on his back and gasped for the much needed air. He held his eyes closed and concentrated on his breathing, but soon the bastard was again invading his mind.

The spectacular scene of serene platinum hair disappearing in the cascade of colorful layers of clothes of the numerous princesses had been hilarious. Inuyasha smiled widely and had a feeling that it was a once in a lifetime moment. After that slip of the moment, his brother tried hard to prove that he was as impeccability as he presented himself. Proof that he had all under his control. He almost succeeded when he bullied Inuyasha into the room. Inuyasha tried hard to forget about the distressing feelings he got, standing so close to his brother, but his heartbeat was accelerating again.

Inuyasha jumped onto his feet and opened the window wider to let the cool breeze cool him off. It worked enough to let his mind wander again. His brother had continued to play his game of cat and mouse, wherein Inuyasha starred as the mouse and the inu daiyoukai as the cat. It was a small triumph when his bothersome brother had lost a little of his composure when their mother outwitted him. The triumph was a little sour because he, Inuyasha, was also trapped in the promise their mother wrought out of the inu brothers. He never thought he would ever be in such a predicament. He never interfered with other people their relationships. He had no clue how to choose a mate for his irksome brother. But he made a promise to his mother and he would do his utmost best.

The cool air helped the hanyou to get some peace in his mind. His heart was still in turmoil, but maybe he would be able to sleep a little. He lay down on the bed, closed his eyes and willed his body to relax. Maybe he could get some help from Miroku, maybe the monk had some tips how to find a mate for an ice prince. He would ask him when they would arrive, until then he would observe the potential victim of frostbite. Inuyasha smiled and his mind supplied him with a sense of warmth and an image of an arrogant smirk just when he fell asleep.

Inuyasha woke up, with his face smashed into the pillow. He felt like he finally had rested after so many weeks. His body had been exhausted and his head had been totally fucked up. He sighed content and borrowed his face deeper into the pillow.

"If you are planning to commit suicide by smothering yourself onto that pillow, I will gladly offer you a helping hand." The deep voice of his youkai brother interrupted the peaceful feeling Inuyasha had going on, but now he felt a feeling of expectation bubble up. He tried to turn over in the bed to scold his half-brother for invading his privacy. Tried is the best word to describe the flailing that followed the thought. The hand on the back of his head kept him effectively from flipping over and taking a deep breath to scold the impudent intruder. He forcefully cursed into the pillow.

"O, are you trying to say something?" Sesshoumaru dipped his head down and mock listened to the muffled sounds his hanyou brother was making. He pushed the head of his little brother a little deeper into the soft pillow. Inuyasha was ready to kill his homicidal brother.

"What did you say? I can't understand you when you are mumbling. Did nobody teach you not to mumble? Maybe if you take your time and pronounce each word with care I could understand you and lend a helping hand." Sesshoumaru smirked when he felt the hanyou struggle even more. He had a hard time to keep the upper-hand with all the wriggling Inuyasha was doing./

Inuyasha struggled to free his hands out the blanket that successfully had him trapped. He could still breathe a little through the fabric, so he was not suffocating, but the bastard was so asking, not begging for a punch on the nose. He could almost feel the sweet impact of his knuckles on that too beautiful face. He flexed his fingers and finally he could free his left hand out of the hold of the blanket. Swift as lightning he grabbed the hand on the back of his hand and turned over to his right.

"Umpf," He felt a heavy body fell on his own. Inuyasha looked up in startled wide golden eyes too close to his.

"Get off of me, you murderous bastard." Inuyasha breathed the words through clenched teeth and tried to buck his brother off him. It would be more effective if he could let go of the hand in his grasp that had imbedded in his hair. The golden eyes above him twinkled in amusement, changed to mischievous and went blank.

"It seems, you my little brother, have a problem with assessing the positions you put yourself into. You are in no position to give me orders and I have no reason to move." Sesshoumaru felt disturbing feelings ripple through his body. Disturbing, but oh so tantalizing feelings. He needed to know more, to know why the little taught body under him was having this effect on him.

The body under him bucked again and certain male body parts brushed against each other. A synchronized moan stopped the bucking and two pair of golden eyes locked in a confused heated gaze.

"Get off me," whispered Inuyasha again, this time it was almost a plea and he blushed furiously.

"You have confined my hand." Sesshoumaru sounded calm, impeccable, but the turmoil inside him still slipped in his tone of voice.

"Oh, oh, OK, yeah." Inuyasha quickly let go of the wrist he had clutched in his hand. The hand slowly, almost caressing pulled from under his head and out his hair. The body on top of him finally moved off him and flopped next to him on the bed. Inuyasha took a few deep breaths and glanced sideways at the enigma that was his brother. He was staring at the ceiling with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I came here to deliver a message from mother." Sesshoumaru didn't know why his body was misbehaving. His body was all for pursuing the feelings he got whenever he was close to his little brother. He had to stop this.

"But maybe it was not about his little brother per see and maybe his body had the same reaction to any warm body close to him. His mother was probably right and he was unconsciously ready for a mate. He almost groaned in frustration. He had no choice and go through the ordeal of looking for a mate that was ahead of him. Well, he would make the best of it and amuse himself with selecting a mate for the unruly hanyou and rejecting the choices his little brother would make for him. He was sure his little brother would have the weirdest preferences./

"Okay… Since when are you a messenger boy? I would think you would be too high and mighty?" Inuyasha tried to control the feelings inside of him. The closeness of his brother made it difficult to think./

"It was a request from mother." Sesshoumaru sat up and was on the side of the bed in one fluid movement. He looked impeccable as always. Inuyasha tried hard not to be impressed, but couldn't prevent an admiring glance.

He also stepped out of the bed and he was sure it would be as graceful as his brother was it not for the cursed blanket that was out to kill him. He suspected his brother had somehow made a pact with the thing to humiliate him. His right foot got trapped in it and so instead the planned smooth move out the bed, he stumbled and fell on his knees. He quickly ripped the offending cloth from his foot and stood up pretending that nothing had happened. His flushed face and wild mane dancing around his face were a contradiction of his pretend calm composure.

Sesshoumaru looked from the damaged blanket to his little brother who was looking absolutely adorable. He had to get away from the menace who was worming himself into his heart.

"What?" Inuyasha growled to Sesshoumaru when he kept staring at him.

Cute, Sesshoumaruthought and quickly turned away to the door, berating himself about his thoughts. Not only was his body a traitor, but it also had tainted his mind. They were conspiring against him to get him to like the hanyou. He had to end this. The sooner he would choose a mate the sooner he would be rid of these irritating feelings about his little brother.

"Don't be late. Try not to kill yourself in the meanwhile." Sesshoumaru masterly dodged the incoming pillow without even glancing back and closed the door just in time behind him to hear the second pillow crash against it. He let a smirk escape his perfect control. His little brother made his dull live in the castle interesting.

To my faithful followers: Sorry it took so long to update. I will do my best to update sooner.