A/N: Hello and welcome back to Back and Forth! blame covid and anti-vax asshats for my absence. That, and my precious dopamine deficient brain! This morning I said eff it, I deserve a drink and here I am, once again 11 years old pining for fictional demon men.
oh don't worry I work night shift, I don't start drinking at 9am unless I plan to hit the hay by noon.
Goodnight Lexapro bitches
Let us all one day die sexy
-sploosh out
"I'll see you in Edo, Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin's voice rang in the air as she waved from afar. Sitting on the back of the slayer's fire-cat, she waved goodbye with one hand, the other around Kohaku's waist.
For support, he told himself. Sesshomaru knew how unsteady flying beasts were to ride upon. Still, he glared at the teenage boy who looked too happy to have her arms wrapped around him.
They took off to the skies, leaving Sesshomaru alone in the clearing with only Ah-Un. He didn't need to say a word, the two headed dragon understood with a single look that their presence was no longer required. They huffed their goodbye and left in the direction of Edo. Rin would need her steed in the village when she arrived.
He would travel on foot from here forward. Inuyasha did a fine job protecting Edo, but Sesshomaru knew to cover a wider range with his own scent. Preventing mindless demons from even considering Edo was the simplest way to protect Rin's home and those that Inuyasha valued. The war was getting closer West, and unfortunately Edo sat smack dab in the path of destruction. It was only a matter of time before it reached the tiny village he had secured for his human ward.
...A human ward who'd better arrive on time, without Kohaku on her person in any such way that implied they'd run off to fool around.
Rin turned thirteen last month. She began menstruating a month before then. Sango had broken the news to him, explaining the basics when he'd come to visit for her birthday. He was unsure of how to protect her from males now that she was regularly fertile. He could smell the changes within her body, and every time he saw her since, he swore she looked different. Baby fat from her face disappeared regularly, erasing traces of childish features. She had grown a whole foot just in the past year alone.
And then there was Kohaku. All of fifteen years old and the object of Rin's affections.
She had pleaded with him to stop outside Edo and meet Kohaku here. Then she told him to go on ahead, that she and Kohaku would meet up with him later this afternoon. What could those two possibly be doing together, that he wasn't allowed to be present for? It put Sesshomaru in a sour mood. The last time he'd witnessed such a storm of hormones had been when his half-brother and the priestess would pine for one another mid-battle.
Speak of the devil.
"Inuyasha." Sesshomaru greeted him. The days of hello being a blade to the throat were long over. They were allies in this new war against the East.
"Hey, listen," He jumped right into it, without asking about a status report of the borders. Interesting. Something must have happened in Edo. "There's something I gotta tell ya before you get there."
"Proceed." Sesshomaru acknowledged the nervousness in his voice, and inspected his person further by scent and sight. The scents were the same: forestry, water, sweat, fire, fur, and brushes of something familiar. In more ways than one. He bore no physical changes; no blood, but he was sweating more than usual for nerves.
He was nervous for someone other than himself.
"Kagome's back." So that's what was familiar. Sort of. He slowed his breaths to drink in the scent again. There was something else.
"She's pregnant." Sesshomaru identified the oddity, smelling a distinct familial smell attached to her own that had rubbed off on Inuyasha. Perhaps he was nervous due to withdrawing from his service to the West in favor of solely protecting his growing family. He feared retribution on his new mate and child. "You may withdraw from serving the Western borders and fear not retaliation from this one."
"No, listen," Inuyasha's face crumpled in pain, "It's not mine. We never," He blushed, cutting himself off and attempted to rephrase, "She's been with you in the future."
"Under my care, as promised." Sesshomaru was growing irritable with this vague game, "I presume while her mate, your future self and the father of said child, is otherwise preoccupied."
"Dammit, Sesshomaru!" He was near tearing his hair out, he was so frustrated. With a furious blush and envy that revived their freshly buried hatchet of mutual hatred, Inuyasha burst out the first thing that came to mind, "You're the father and I'm fucking dead!"
He thought it was only logical that the familial scent also smelled of himself, he had rationalized upon first inspection. Afterall, he and Inuyasha were half brothers. Now, Sesshomaru could see how wrong he was.
It was his own scent. And Kagome's. He needed to see for himself, and took a step forward.
"Woah, woah, woah," Inuyasha blocked his path, "Where do you think you're going?"
"To see for myself." Obviously.
"And then what?" Inuyasha asked, but the unasked question was implied. This was why he was nervous. For them.
"It is my concern what I do with my own progeny." Sesshomaru bit out, displeased with the idea that he had any say on a woman who wasn't his, and a child who wasn't his seed.
"Listen, jackass," Inuyasha stepped in front of him again as he tried to side step the half demon, "I won't let you lay a finger on them if you really plan to kill her."
Sesshomaru was debating on shoving his hand through the half-breed's stomach again. The idiot never wore armor. Maybe this time he would actually learn from his mistakes and invest in a breast plate after this.
"If you even try to hurt them, I won't stop until I've ripped you to pieces. This whole country goes to shit if you die this early in the game, and I'd let the world burn for her. Do you understand me?" Inuyasha meant it, he realized. He would die killing him, and allow countless lives to suffer under Eastern rule just to protect and/or avenge her. "You don't even have to accept them. Never tell a soul that she's carrying your child. I'll spend my life with them if we can't send her home through the well."
Sesshomaru could detect the carefully disguised plea within the bargain. This wasn't an offer to save his reputation and unburden him of fatherhood. He wanted Sesshomaru to back out quietly, disown the acts of his future self, and hand them over to complete the perfect picture of family. And if Kagome stayed in the past, they mated, and he never dies, then even his own future is changed by the split time-line, in which he sires a child with Kagome, and the one where he does not, because she's been at Inuyasha's side from this moment forward.
"I will do what I please." Sesshomaru didn't wish to give him any satisfaction or relief from worry. If he wanted the world to burn, then so be it. "You will die regardless." He reminded the half-breed, just before taking to the skies and lifting off with the clouds at his feet.
"Kagome, over here," Shippou called to her from over his shoulder. The two were spending the day searching for a specific kind of moss. It was part of Shippou's schooling to identify multiple useful herbs. Kagome thought to come along while he practiced, reaping the benefit of his finds for Kaede's ever dwindling medicinal supply. "It's right here, at the base of this tree."
"I'm coming, hold on," Kagome called back, not wanting to pass up on the previous patch he'd identified for her. "Okay, now where is it?" She stood quickly, reminding herself to be grateful she still could. She was only about nine weeks along, but thinking about blowing up like a whale in a few short weeks made her want to gag. She turned around when she didn't hear Shippou's response, only to come face to face with Sesshou.
Sesshomaru, she reminded herself. He was majestic in ways she had forgotten. Maybe she had become accustomed to his human disguise, or maybe his default facial expression was a touch more hostile now. Either way, looking into his eyes caused fear to strike her heart and stutter her thoughts.
"Oh," She froze, feeling awkward and nervous. She didn't know where to begin. Could he smell it, or would he need to put his nose to her skin like Inuyasha did? "Lord Sesshomaru, so nice to see you again."
He didn't say anything, but his eyes said enough. He was displeased. A sneer took over his blank expression.
"I kind of need to talk to you, actually." Her hands were shaking, and she tried hard to not drop the basket she was holding.
Where had Shippou gone? Her eyes flicked left and right. Why was she suddenly alone with the one person who might kill her?
"Have you seen Inuyasha by any chance?" Kagome swallowed the lump in her throat. So much for a protector. He'd been her shadow since she arrived, always watching over her, and now he was missing the moment she needed him.
Still not a word. However, Sesshomaru leaned forward, careful not to let his long silver hair brush her sleeves, and brought his face to hers. Kagome squeezed her eyes shut in fear. If he was going to kill her, he might as well get it over with. There was no point in running. Her heart broke when she thought of Sesshou, the man he would become, who would be devastated if anything happened to her by his own hand.
"Please," Kagome whimpered, feeling his body heat radiating onto her skin. "You don't want to do this."
"Silence." He warned, his voice cold and firm, so unlike the man who kissed her forehead goodbye nine weeks ago with tender promises.
She did as he demanded, and forced herself to stop shaking. Then she felt the bump of cartilage and bone against her throat. He sniffed her skin deeply, feeling the tickle of his inhale. He did this for multiple breaths, confirming the scents in layers. Kagome remained stone still.
When she felt him pull back, she allowed herself to relax her muscles and open her eyes.
He was gone.
"Sesshomaru?" She called out, just in case, but there was no response.
Kagome sighed, relieved and depressed all at the same time. He hadn't killed her, but it didn't appear he was ready to speak to her yet, or possibly ever. She sank to her knees in the snow and ignored how the wet seeped into her clothing.
"Kagome!" She could hear Inuyasha coming through the foliage, bursting through the tree line, "Kagome!"
"There you are," Kagome laughed out a shaky breath, "Inuyasha, thank goodness." He crouched down in front of her and gave her a once over, checking for injuries by patting down her shoulders, arms, waist, and knees. He took her face in his hands, inspecting her tears.
"He didn't hurt you?" Inuyasha's voice was low and soft with concern. It made her ache, made her want to pretend he was the father of her child, and that he was here to save her, them, their family.
"No," She reached for his embrace, holding him to herself, "I'm okay, I promise."
"Please don't cry." He begged. It tore him up seeing someone mistreat her. He could be the one taking responsibility, if Sesshomaru would just butt out. Inuyasha hated him for this. Hated him for dangling her life in front of him.
Sesshomaru watched this scene play out from afar, hidden down wind and nearly camouflaged in his appearance against the snowy setting.
The two shared more words of affection, holding onto each other tightly with desperation. It was sickening. He would never let himself fall prey to a woman who traded her affections from one brother to another so easily. His future self was a fool to even bed her, but smart enough not to mate her.
He held no love for this woman and knew nothing of her, except that she was the reincarnated Shikon priestess who traveled from the future, and was devoted to Inuyasha. He'd seen her carelessly throw herself in harm's way for not only him, but her friends as well. Her compassion extended to Rin on many occasions. She'd taken a few blows protecting his ward. Long ago, Sesshomaru had accepted that she wasn't useless or unworthy of saving.
She played a key role in the defeat of Naraku. So he had saved her a handful of times. From an undead zombie that once lusted for Inuyasha's mother, from Inuyasha himself, from Naraku, and so on. He never gave her the chance to even stop to question it.
He watched Inuyasha lift the shaken woman into his arms and take off towards the village. It irked him to know that it only took time to make him desire a simple human woman he had initially only desired dead.
Sesshomaru waited long after they were gone to approach the fallen basket of mismatched findings. Kagome had forgotten it after he had sent her into a shock. He would return it, he decided. He held no ill will against the woman. This at least gave him an opportunity to speak with her further.
