A/N: Did anyone bother to check out my deviantart story?
Discliaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, though I do not know why anyone would want to; he's being such a brat.
Muse: That's because you threatened to kill him off again if he said anything to annoy, so he's just settling for stomping around the house.
Inuyasha: (STOMP!)
Me: (sigh)
Tsukiko stepped into the shadow of the forest. Sesshomaru hesitated for a moment, mentally debating on whether or not to call her on her obvious lack of respect, but decided against it. He already had a headache from his encounter with Inuyasha and was in no mood to have Tsukiko make it worse with her fiery anger and loud debate tactics.
As he followed Tsukiko, he noticed that her back was straight and her shoulders hunched in what looked to be an extremely uncomfortable posture. Sesshomaru did not need to have a sense of smell to tell that something was bothering her.
They had walked about twenty-five yards, far enough to not wake Rin from her slumber (even with her demon hearing) yet close enough to sense any potential enemies, when Tsukiko whirled about, her blue eyes blazing. Sesshomaru waited for her to speak, content with the momentary silence, despite the tenseness. Tsukiko, however, settled with a heated glare, as if waiting for Sesshomaru to speak.
"Did you wish to speak to me?" he asked dryly. Even with his oncoming migraine, Sesshomaru was able to find amusement out of irritating Tsukiko.
Tsukiko boldly stepped up to Sesshomaru and, their bodies only inches apart, poked him in the chest. Before Sesshomaru crushed her hand, she spoke, her voice dangerously low. "How dare you run off like that," she hissed.
Sesshomaru remembered that morning, leaving Rin, Tsukiko, Ah-Un and Jaken behind. He had done so countless times in the past, when traveling while Naraku was still alive. He always made sure that he could sense anything that could hurt them. Now, with Tsukiko traveling with them, he was even more certain that no harm would come to Rin (though he would never mention it aloud).
So why was Tsukiko glaring at him as if he was a small child stealing a sweet?
"Wench, it is none of your concern where I go," Sesshomaru said stonily as he brushed her finger from his chest.
This statement only served to enrage Tsukiko more; her deep blue eyes seemed to swirl with fury. "You leave us alone, in the woods, with no idea of where you are…"
"You should not care about where I go and what I do," Sesshomaru injected, his voice louder than he intended.
Tsukiko glared at him, standing on her tiptoes to seem taller, though the top of her head barely reached his chin. "I do."
She froze and seemed to rethink her words. She drew back a bit and looked away from him, opting to glare at the forest instead. Sesshomaru inwardly smirked, careful to keep it from moving to his face; he was not one to engage in petty arguments, but when he did, he was going to win. He stepped closer to her, starting on his own offensive.
"And why is that, dragon?" he asked, lowering his voice.
He saw Tsukiko stiffen, unknowingly encouraging him. This time he did smirk, though it was only the smallest turn of his lips. Again, he stepped closer. Her scent was very nearly overpowering, though he could tell her annoyance was wavering, being replaced by something else. Something just as intoxicating and more persuading than her uneasiness. He was testing unsafe waters with both Tsukiko and himself, but at the moment he did not really care.
He leaned down to her ear. "Could it be possible, Dragon, that you have developed feelings for me?" He said the word 'feelings' as if it were something to be ashamed about. Which, in the demon world, it was.
Sesshomaru was surprised to hear a quiet noise from Tsukiko. It was a chuckle. However, it was not the ordinary, cheerful (if not somewhat annoying) laugh that she usually expressed. It was deep and low and— dare he think it?— alluring. She turned around and it was as if there was a whole new person standing before him. One hand was on her hip, (which he noticed was curved more than a demoness' but less than a human's) the other hanging loosely at her side. Her hair had been pushed back (by wind or herself he did not know). The gentle curves of her face, accentuated by a nicely curved chin and slightly high cheekbones, seemed more apparent to him now. Her eyelids were lowered slightly, making her eyes look even more slanted before.
Sesshomaru knew she was a female, had even referred to her as 'girl' on more than one occasion. However, it seemed to have slipped his mind that she was also a woman. A very dangerous woman. A very dangerous woman that seemed to be aware of her own… femininity.
"It is not my feelings that you should be concerned about, Lord Sesshomaru." Tsukiko smiled, revealing small, pearly fangs that were curled just enough to look dangerous. "It is yours."
She turned on her heel and walked away, towards the light of the fire, her hips swaying just enough for Sesshomaru's eyes to be drawn to them.
Sesshomaru growled, though there was not as much anger in his rumble as he would have liked.
"Lord Sesshomaru?"
"Yes, Rin?" Sesshomaru asked tiredly, keeping his gaze fixated on the tree in front of them.
"What is Lady Tsukiko doing?"
The woman in question was leaping from bough to bough, a flash of blue barely perceptible as she raced after another, red, flash. Every few minutes, obscene insults were tossed back and forth.
Before Sesshomaru had the chance to reply to Rin's innocent question, Tsukiko emerged from the bushes to the right. She was muttering obscenities about 'stubborn inuyokai males'. Her arms were crossed and once again, Sesshomaru was painfully aware of the sway of her hips. He snorted derisively.
"I take it you failed to apprehend Inuyasha, Dragon."
Tsukiko growled softly. "It seems that there is someone more infuriating than you, Sesshomaru. Congratulations"
Suddenly, Inuyasha jumped out from the bushes behind Tsukiko, wielding a sword. She jumped a few feet away, and Sesshomau stepped between the two, flexing his claws menacingly at his half brother. Inuyasha raised the rust-covered sword. It took Sesshomaru a moment before he realized that it was their father's sword, the Tetsusaiga.
"Wind Scar!" he shouted.
Sesshomaru moved on instinct, and reached out and arm, grabbing Tsukiko by the wrist. He pulled her against his chest and stood in front of Rin, with his back to Inuaysha, waiting for the blow and ready to shield them with his body. A moment went by.
Then another.
And another.
Behind them, a mad cackling was heard. Sesshomaru spun around, forgetting to set Tsukiko (whose feet were well off the ground at this point) down. Inuyasha was laughing madly. He growled, red seeping into his vision. He would rip that little…
Tsukiko was wiggling against him madly, pushing against his chest. For a moment, Sesshomaru thought he had hurt her. However, the moment she reached the ground, she strode over to Inuyasha, who was screaming something unintelligible about jewels and Naraku. Without hesitation or remorse, Tsukiko lifted her fist and brought it soundly down upon Inuyasha's head. The half demon fell to the ground a moment later.
Tsukiko grinned at Sesshomaru, "I've been waiting all morning to do that." She turned her attention to a wide-eyed Rin, who still did not look as if she totally understood all that was happening at that moment. "Can you hand me two canteens, Rin?"
Before Rin moved, Sesshomaru had already plucked the canteens from Ah-Un's back and was moving to Tsukiko. She was crouched next to his half brother, inspecting his head. Sesshomaru held the canteen out to her. Tsukiko dumbly blinked twice, before gently pulling the canteen.
"Thank you," she said softly, keeping eye contact with him. The enormity of what Sesshomaru had unthinkingly done just minutes before was not lost on her. Sesshomaru nodded curtly.
Tsukiko's stomach was jumping at the thought of what had just transpired. A wave of dizziness suddenly hit her, but she shook it off. She had a job to do, and whimsical musing that could have just been her imagination (though she sincerely doubted it) could wait until later.
She uncorked a canteen and gently poured some water down the hanyou's throat. She massaged his throat to keep him from choking. When she thought he had had enough, she poured the rest over his head, effectively waking him up.
"Wh- what?" he asked shakily. He blinked a few times, and seemed a bit disoriented, as if he did not know where he was.
"You have been having a bit of a hard time lately," Tsukiko said calmly. "You have been trying to attack us…"
"Us?" Inuyasha groaned, lifting his head from the ground. When he caught sight of his growling half-brother, he snarled, "Sesshomaru."
Sesshomaru gave his brother a half-nod, "Inuyasha."
Tsukiko dragged Inuyasha against a nearby tree, propping him up. He moaned again and she handed him the uncorked canteen. He drank greedily, the water running down his chin in rivulets. Finally, he seemed quenched and rested back upon the tree's trunk.
"Now," Tsukiko said gently, yet leaving no room to deny her wishes, "why don't you tell us how you came to be in this condition?"
A/N: Review!