Author's Note: Hello darlings! What, didn't expect me back so soon? I said this afternoon! Well, surprise, here we are! Chapter 33. Dive a little into Inu-culture here. Go have some fun!

Usagi didn't move until well into the evening. She sat up and held her head. I brushed her hair away from her face with my hand and asked one of the children for a brush. One of the girls handed it to me, and I turned my sister around to brush her hair.

"Do you remember when we were little, and you use to fight me when I wanted to try and tame this hair?"

Usagi looked confused from what I could see of her face, and I held my breath to see if what Kenji did had worked. "Why would I fight you? You have the best control of it."

I laughed. It was true. "Do you know how many times I nearly had to pin you to the floor to try and get your hair brushed after a bath? It took forever for you to trust me with your hair."

Usagi shook her head. "I don't believe you. I don't remember ever fighting you to brush my hair. I like it when you brush my hair."

I knew her memories were gone now. I decided to change tactics mid-test. I had a new, better story than what I first thought of. Sesshomaru had saved my sister, and I would give him an opening as a reward. I had no idea if he would take it, but I would give him a chance. "Do you remember me telling you about trying to brush Inuyasha's hair?"

"Wench! Stop trying to tug my hair out! Don't touch it! Watch the friggin' ears!"

"Oh, would you stop being a big baby and just let me get the garbage out of it at least? Really Inuyasha, it would be so pretty with it clean and untangled."

"I ain't the bastard! I don't wanna look like a fucking princess!"

Usagi had picked up Inuyasha so perfectly, and being able to have my play-fights with a person who seemed to get him so well had helped me so long. I decided now was the time for Sesshomaru's opening. "Usagi, you know why he fought me, right? Did I tell you why he was so serious about his hair?"

"No. Tell me now."

"Because, in inu culture, hair is precious. Only a mate or mother can touch a female's hair. Males are slightly different. A mother is allowed to touch a male's hair only until he finds his intended mate or until a certain age. Mates bond over hair brushing to an extent. It is very intimate. Though there are rare times that a male will touch a female's hair. Usually it is a great personal sacrifice for the female to let a male touch her hair. It is done as a sign of the highest respect for something not easily given." I let it stew in Usagi's mind as I continued to brush.

After a minute, she didn't disappoint. "When did Inuyasha start letting you brush his hair?"

"Letting me brush it? Letting me touch it at all!" I gave a small laugh at the memory. "We had just had a major fight. You know, Kikyo." I watched my sister nod. "Well, he came through the well while I was at school. He asked my mother for some money, and I doubt that was easy for him and went to a beauty shop."

I heard Usagi snicker. "Let me guess, a boy in a beauty shop did not go well."

"Not at all," I agreed. "They tried to sell him so many products. He needed me to pick him up from a bench out front, though I had no idea why at the time. They had kept trying to touch his hair, grabbing it a few times. It apparently was horrifying beyond what I can understand. He walked close to me with his bag, and I took him back to the house. He took a long bath then came back in my room. He held out that bag looking red as can be. I looked inside and found a brush. He asked me if I could brush his hair. I had no idea what to say. He noticed my confusion and told me that he felt dirty with so many wrong hands on his hair, and he needed me to fix it. I didn't know what to do besides brush it. I had enough experience with you and your bird's nests to know how to start working the knots out. And the number of knots! He put you to shame, sister."

"That's hard to believe."

"You at least brush it as often as possible. I don't think his hair had seen a brush in years."

"That sounds painful."

I shook my head with a laugh. "He didn't say a word for a while as I brushed. He just relaxed more and more as I brushed. Then he told me for the first time what it meant to brush his hair, though not in a great many words. I understood what he was saying with it, though. I brushed his hair until it had a shine to it, and it was magical. He ran his claws through it and smiled at me and thanked me. It was completely out of character for Inuyasha."

"He trusts you. He loves you."

"Do you know right after he thanked me, I got up and got my own brush and handed it to him? He dropped it like it burned when I turned so he could brush my hair. It felt like forever before he started, and he was clumsy. The longer he brushed, the more he would touch my hair that was done, or my shoulder, or my hand. He brushed my hair every day after that before he would let me brush his. He said that he had to provide for me before he dared think of getting for himself."

I had been speaking and had only brushed a fraction of Usagi's hair partly lost in thought and worried at Usagi's short, clipped answers and partly trying to give Sesshomaru as big a chance as possible. "Kagome," Usagi said, as I hit a knot. I hummed the yes in question as I worked at the knot. "Ouch! Kagome!" I tried to pull the brush out but realized it was stuck. She yelped as I tugged at the brush. "Stop!" I stopped, but the brush was stuck in her hair.

"Shit, I didn't realize it was that big." This was not part of my plan. Usagi tried to reach behind her for the brush and try to pick her hair out of the brush. She only was making it worse or ripping pieces out. I glanced at Sesshomaru, who had very lightly growled at her predicament. "Usagi, stop, you are making it worse."

"It hurts!" Usagi complained, still trying. I heard Sesshomaru's knuckles crack and saw he had a handful of grass from the corner of my eye. Maybe, just maybe, I had done a good thing in a way.

I moved to the brush and tried to untangle it. I realized it was good and stuck, and if I didn't get Usagi and Sesshomaru to take the bait, it was going to be a nightmare to get out. Usagi yelped as I tried to untangle it. "I have no idea how I did this," I said with a sigh. "Stupid Inuyasha, butting in even when he isn't born yet!"

"What is wrong with it?"

"I can't see it. It is too dark and too tangled for me to work it out. Even if I had light, I doubt I would figure it out anytime soon."

Usagi looked towards Anthony. "Anthony, could," she stopped as he shuddered violently.

"Not that dumb, Mama."

She huffed, and I gave an extra hard yank. Usagi squealed in pain, and I knew I was pushing it with how Sesshomaru had lightly snarled before, but this time, it was a lot louder. It drew Usagi's eyes towards him. "I know it is taboo, but can you just get it out, Sesshomaru? It hurts," Usagi asked him softly.

Sesshomaru slowly stood and walked over. He looked like he was afraid to scare her or get too close. I understood why. He slowly sat down behind Usagi and the stuck brush as I moved out of the way. He hesitated before his claws slowly started to move hair to get the brush free. They picked up speed as Usagi made no noise. I laid down and pretended to sleep.

After a few minutes, I started to doze off. I heard when the brush got free, and Usagi ask me to finish, but I was too tired to move or respond.

"She is mostly asleep," Sesshomaru told her.

I could practically hear the gears in Usagi's mind working. "Can you help finish it? I don't think I can if Kagome got the brush stuck."

There was a pregnant pause, then Sesshomaru's soft yes was the last I heard before I fell asleep.

Author's Note: Well, some of you who keep an eye on my profile might have noticed a new edit. What is it? The playlist! I've gotten ahead of myself on it a bit. Like, up to 15 chapters ahead of myself that you don't have. Hints till then I guess. But they are all there that Usagi has been singing. Even her riddle is a song! Go enjoy. A note about the lullaby, Inuyasha's lullaby is the first half of the Demon's Lullaby, but it is breathy. Usagi isn't breathy, as you'll learn. But yay, we have a playlist! It will open a new window when you click it.

Also, Wolfie and I currently working on 34 and almost done. What's that you ask? Will it be up shortly? Maybe~